Thee Sacred Souls
Singer Josh Lane, drummer Alex Garcia, and bassist Sal Samano make up the up-and-coming San Diego soul trio that is Thee Sacred Souls. Though the band’s music is reminiscent of 60’s soul and 70’s R&B and takes inspiration from greats like Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson, their music feels distinctly timeless. The band has seen success early on in their career, producing their first single with Gabe Roth, co-founder of Dapstone, only three days after playing their first club performance in 2019. Since then, Thee Sacred Souls have performed on Jimmy Kimmel, have been endorsed by artists like Alicia Keys, Black Pumas, Gary Clark Jr, and are set to perform at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Radio City Music Hall, and Red Rocks this summer.
The Moss
The Moss is an indie surf rock band based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. The band is made up of Tyke James (lead singer), Willie Fowler (drums), Addison Sharp (guitar), and Caiden Jackson (bass). The band’s beginnings can be traced to Tyke’s and Addison’s home of Oahu, Hawaii where the two started out performing at their local taco truck. Now, the band has an SXSW residency under their belt as well as a North American tour and festival dates in store for them this year.
Ron Gallo
Ron Gallo is a musician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It’s difficult to accurately nail his genre under one label but Gallo best describes his sound as “foreground music.” His newest record sharing the same name is one that, in his words, is about all of us right now. “It’s about this moment in time and these feelings we’re all experiencing collectively as we figure out where humanity is going in 2023. I like it most out of all my records and feel like it ties all the others together,” says Gallo. The record touches on a range of topics from toxic masculinity to having loved ones struggling with addiction to gentrification and hope. Gallo’s success has allowed him to tour across the world and perform at notable music festivals like Bonnaroo, Coachella, Governors Ball, and Lollapalooza. Ron Gallo is currently on tour behind his new album, “FOREGROUND MUSIC.” Keep an eye out for his first book and concert film which will be coming out in April.
Rikas
Rikas is a four-piece indie-pop group from Stuttgart, Germany. The band consists of Sascha (guitar/keyboard), Sam Baisch (guitar/keyboard), Chris Ronge (guitar/keyboard), and Ferdinand Hübner (drums). Their sound is quite versatile, leaning into funky and discotheque or acoustic and laid-back stylings depending on the mood. Rikas’ music is influenced by Phoenix, Arctic Monkeys, and Vampire Weekend to name a few. Once buskers performing on European streets, the musical group is now taking the stage at major festivals across Europe and can now add the world-renowned SXSW music festival to their roster. Out of all that the band has achieved, what has been most special to them is being able to travel the world with each other. “I am proud that we found each other and that we enjoy this whole rollercoaster together.” The four friends and bandmates are currently working on their next records as well as gearing up for a 22-show European tour coming up this winter.
Luna Luna
Luna Luna is a four-piece indie dream-pop group from Dallas, Texas. The group was named one of Rolling Stones’ “10 Latin Acts Set to Make it Big in 2023.” In addition to making their mark at SXSW, much has proven the band’s upward trajectory. 2022 included opening for Omar Apollo, performing at the Austin City Limits music festival, and embarking on their own headlining tours.
Indigo de Souza
Indigo de Souza is a 25-year-old indie folk rock artist based out of Asheville, North Carolina. In addition to a number of other showcases, the singer-songwriter played the festival’s annual FLOOD Fest showcase this year at the crowded Mohawk venue in Austin, Texas. De Souza performed recent releases “Smog” and “Younger and Dumber” which will be a part of her upcoming full-length album, “All of This Will End,” which is set to be released this year on April 28th.
Haru Nemuri
Haru Nemuri is a Japanese singer-songwriter and self-described poetry rapper who made an electrifying return to SXSW this March. Her music is considered to be a mixture of J-pop, rap, and hardcore sound. During her final performance at the festival, Haru welcomed Jaguar Jonze onstage to sing and dance to their new song, “Angry Angry”.
Blondshell
Blondshell is the stage name of singer-songwriter Sabrina Teitelbaum. She draws influence from artists like Tracey Chapman, Elliott Smith, and Patti Smith. This year, Teitelbaum was awarded the Grulke Prize for a Developing U.S. act at SXSW. This prize is awarded to artists who are breaking new ground with their creativity and show the most promise in achieving their career goals.
Being Dead
Being Dead is a garage indie psych rock band based out of Austin, Texas, consisting of the duo Gumball and Falcon Bitch who switch between vocals, guitar, and drums, and Ricky Moto on bass. The group’s music is influenced by artists like Deerhoof, Violent Femmes, Grass Widow, The Beatles, Pixies, and Animal Collective. One detail that Being Dead would like readers to know is that they’re “really badass and strong.” “We whoop nerds’ asses on the regular and don’t take crap from nobody. Our love of muscles is matched only by our obsession with 1964-1970 North American muscle car restoration and appreciation.” Besides world domination being next on the horizon for the group, their debut album will be one to look out for and is set to drop on July 14th on Bayonet Records.
PHOTOS / ABBY MUELLER @AMUELLERPHOTO
