SXSW

SXSW: Covering Panels on Data Art and Privacy

ACCENT Reporter Marisela Perez Maita shares her experience on the two panels that talked about the same topic but from very different perspectives.

by Marisela Perez Maita

First panel: Data Art: Processes and Perspectives

Three data art artists presented their work during the session, explaining how they approach data analysis and what it is all about.

*From left to right, Jane Adams, Laurie Fick, and Sara Miller.*

What is Data Art?

The first speaker, Laurie Frick, is a freelance artist that has worked with different companies and museums. For her, “Data art is more about art than data. The latter is more about the paint.” She sees that this is a medium where all that information can be expressed. She tries to take all that data and make it feel ambient in her work.

Second presenter Sarah Miller is a data visualization designer. She has worked with multiple clients, such as the Bill and Melinda Gate foundation, the University of Chicago, and the Museum of the City of New York. For her, data art can range from AI to making things with your own hands. Data art can visualize and give insight into something, and in particular, to visualize who you are.

Lastly was Jane Adams. She is a researcher from Northeastern University with BFA in Graphic Design and Digital Media. She also builds robots and hydroponic sculptural works. Adam emphasized that data art treats data as a medium instead of a subject. Adams explained that there is a parallel between data science and data art. Both can teach each other about processes, but data art will always seek to find meaningful ways to find the human connection of the data.

Their work.

All three artists approach data art differently, be it the materials, resources, intentions behind their art, and of course, the data they use.

Laurie explained that much of the work is just research. For example, she retailed the commission she did for the Houston Federal Reserve, where all the cash for the state of Texas is processed. She described the place as a fortress with billions of dollars in cash inside it. She was completely mesmerized by the quantity of cash.

Once home, she started “the hunting process.” Where does the cash go? How often does it transit to people’s hands? All the questions led to processing the data. She found a government survey of individuals’ spending during her research. This data set had information on how much money individuals made and spent divided into categories.

Laurie explained that there is something organic in people’s data. “There is usually a rhythm in human data. A symphony of actions and behaviors.” Having all this information in front of her and comparing it, such as someone making $250,000 and someone that made $10,000, she realized that the answer to “where does the cash go” was about income and inequality.

Her work holds 60 squares that detail how people spend their money in a year, and what she likes about it is that it allows the viewer to infer the same thing she did. The more someone makes and the more they have to spend, the more “squares” they have in their section.

*“Where does the cash go” (2020) By Laurie Frick.* *https://www.lauriefrick.com/*

Sarah Miller discussed her project “The Digital in Architecture.” She and her team were focused on an essay that detailed the history of the discipline and the digital tools that architects have used throughout history. They decided to visualize the data as buildings and their different aspects. How tall are they? Which materials do they have? All this data-set is a timeline of description and design.

“The Digital in Architecture” (2019) by Sarah Kay Miller. https://sarahkaymiller.com/

Jane Adams talked about her most recent work. It is a sculpture of a Latent Walk video from an IRL model she trained. IRL is a technology that, in this case, Adam used to extract stock images from aerial drone photographs. From this, Adam scripted down over 17,000 images, printing them in transparency films that we see in the picture as all the layers of the map.

At the bottom is something she added after contemplating how to credit every photographer who contributed to her art training data. It ended up being a 120 foot-long roll of all the names and titles of people who provided the data she used in her machine-learning work of art.

*Caption: Sculpture title “Latent Walk Prims.” (2023) by @artistjaneadams instagram*

As we see, Data Art is diverse, broad and open to interpretation. It is about joy, utility, creativity, and, more importantly, making data more memorable.

Second panel: It’s Time to Stop Denying Privacy as a Civil Right

In this panel, data takes a 180-degree turn. In the Civil Engagement category, four panelists discussed the implications of having no privacy rights in an era when governments, companies, and applications can sell and use our data as they please.

*From left to right, Christopher Woods, Nicole Turner-Lee, Koustubh “K.J.” Bagch, and Amy Hinojosa*

The discussion was led by Christopher Wood, founder of LGBT Tech and three non-profit organizations focused on the LGBTQ+ community. He started the discussion by asking the other three panelists, “What is at the top of your mind when it comes to civil rights and privacy?”

Amy Hinojosa, the founder of MANA, a National Latina Organization, answered that over her 16 years working with the organization and fighting on behalf of women she is overly concerned about the weaponization of women’s health care data, especially reproductive care. She brought the Dobbs vs. Jackson legislation, explaining that it was detrimental not only to abortion access but to the privacy of our health care decisions. This legislation allows them to look at the user’s health history, and take action according to their definition of morality.

For example, if someone uses an app to track their period, this information can be documented and used against them. States have the power to make health care less available and look into people’s health care decisions. Hinojosa explained that in the state of Texas, this information could be used to criminalize people like women subject of abortions. She has no control over her personal health care data so any entity can use it against her.

Koustubh “K.J.” Bagchi has focused over 10 years on marginalized communities. He has worked with Washington D.C. as a council member on issues regarding consumer protection. Now he is the Chamber of Progress of New America’s Open Technology Institute, focusing on platform accountability and privacy issues. Regarding civil rights and privacy, he answered that the conversation of privacy is usually centered on the big companies: Google, Amazon, Apple, and so on, when actually, the government has found a way to collect data from all civilians around the country, and there is no legislation to protect us from the surveillance the government has upon us and that we are not even aware of.

Nicole Turner-Lee has a PhD in sociology and is the Director of Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution. She is concerned of the social implications of technology, where we have not realized that we are in a system of technological surveillance that lends itself to “discriminatory, racist, gender and homophobic violence.” It is done in a way that the user does not realize that it is happening. Turner-Lee outlined that without legislation, our data can add on the already system of inequality and the state of oppression of people of color, women, and immigrants.

The discussion unpacked that data is a tool available to use against communities. Local and federal governments collect information by, as Bagchi named, “data brokers.” These are businesses that collect information across the web. It can be public data, like what you have in your link profile, or in many cases, these data brokers make deals with third parties apps to aggregate data for private use.

He illustrated the case covered by newsletters of an app made for its Muslim users to find the right time and orientation to pray. This information reveals where thousands of Muslim users are located and was sold to the US military and defense contractors. People from the Muslim communities, thinking they were just using an app to follow their religion, were actually being monitored by the government. We think that the information we put in apps is not something anyone but us can see, when behind our backs, they are actively collecting our data and selling it.

Turner-Lee asked the public, “How many of you accept the cookies?” and most of us raised our hands. Half the people don’t read the privacy policies because, in the first place, these policies are meant to be read by lawyers and not people who are navigating through the internet. Users are unaware of what they are giving up when they decide “I don’t want that information to be collected about me.”

Most times, not accepting cookies hinders one from accessing the website. This is a telling to users that they don’t really have an option to deny or accept what technology offers. With this, can we really call it our “options”? We are in a position where you can’t update your phone if you don’t accept its terms and conditions. We accept everything because there are no other choices, and don’t realize the implications of our decisions.

Our needs, religion, location, political views, nationality, and all of our identity are beyond our control when privacy is not considered a civil right. What can we do among all these big companies and the government? Hinojos said that there must be some outrage on the part of people to make companies understand the consequences this has on them and their communities,the consequence being a lack of support for their products.

According to the panel, advocacy is acting now. We have to ask our companies how and what they are doing with our information. “We have to keep pushing,” Hinojosa said.

As Bagchi said, the issue of data privacy is challenging, but there are attempts to make companies more transparent. Apple and Google have policies regarding privacy rights, and were done internally. Some companies have the rules, while others don’t. Turner-Lee said it is very hard to rely on companies to do the right thing, and that’s why we need regulation. With this, we as consumers have ways to enforce our rights, and this can be done by legislation.

SXSW: Innovation Awards Finalist Showcase, Unwrapped

Many projects and discussions have taken place at SXSW Festival 2023. Among them, ACCENT Reporter Marisela Perez Maita was able to cover the uprising innovation showcase that offered a glimpse into the transformative state of our future.

by Marisela Perez Maita

On March 11, 2023, 55 finalists across 14 categories presented their innovative projects at the JW Marriott Downtown conference rooms. These categories included Health, Design, Tech, Audio, and AI. Here are five of the numerous stands that were present:

Musichealth

Musichealth is an AI that uses music therapy to help patients with dementia and their caregivers. The software, called “Vera,” creates a playlist that brings nostalgia and reminiscence of the patient’s past to their present. Once they start listening to the song they love, their mood and behaviors change, so it is much easier for caregivers to carry them through different activities. Getting out of bed, showering, eating, and many other tasks are associated with the song, relaxing the patient, and facilitating work for the caregivers.

Edubank

Founded in Brazil, Edubank is a bank that provides credits to schools in Latin America. The founder, Daniel Costa, started this project after realizing how the lack of financial support retains Brazilian schools for improvement. Traditional banks don’t like to give credit nor provide access to capital for education because “it’s too complicated, according to Costa.” For this reason, institutions have a hard time finding resources to improve their facilities and quality of education. Edubank has helped over 400 schools in Brazilian states. They hope to reach 1 million students by 2026.

Chptr

Chptr is an app for those who want to remember relatives and friends who have passed away. The way it works is very simple. People join a “profile,” which is the space created for that person, and anyone invited to that profile can add a “memory” or a “moment.” A memory can be a video or audio where the user can express their emotions or thoughts. A “moment” are pictures, videos, screenshots of conversations, or media that shows how that person was through moments in their life. The app is completely free and can be downloaded from the App Store or Play Store.

Neuralight

Neuralight is an AI that, by capturing oculometric movements, diagnoses neuronal disorders, measures sickness progression, and allows doctors to find the best treatment for the patient. Neurological disorders are difficult to diagnose until it is already too late. These can be Parkinson’s Disease (PD), Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s Disease (HD), and Major Depressive Disorder (MD), among others. Many of them share similar symptoms, so the risk of being misdiagnosed is high. Neuralight’s technology uses oculometric data to diagnose and predict these disorders accurately. By following a dot in a screen, it gives information such as reaction time and many other complex neurological data that are useful for medical diagnosis.

Shrimpbox

The company Atarraya presented Shrimpbox, the first AI-powered aquaculture farm designed to allow the production of shrimp sustainably. Traditional shrimp production pollutes oceans, destroys habitats, and contributes to overfishing. For this reason, Atarraya built the technology to cultivate shrimps anywhere in the world, be it in urban or cold areas, in a “box” that replicates the breeding environment of the shrimps. It is a sustainable farm that significantly decreases the environmental impact.

One thing that characterizes SXSW is the diverse topics and the importance of the discussions. The presented innovations, ideas, and initiatives are pillars in what the future of our city and world will look like.

SXSW: Katharine Manning on Trauma-Informed Workplaces

Mental safety, as is dealing with trauma, is vital to creating a healthy workplace. Katharine Manning guides these topics for employees in the workforce.

by Foster Milburn

As students, we often question what to expect once we enter the workforce, particularly internships. The classes we take in undergrad help us contextualize topics in which we major, but extracurriculars can only prepare us so much for the workforce once we enter it. How can we know what we value in a workplace when we don’t know what it means to be part of a corporate environment?

You have probably seen some of her books regarding empathy in the workplace. She is an advocate for unheard voices, including those affected by the Pulse nightclub and South Carolina AME church shootings, and an attorney who guides the Justice Department through responding to trauma victims. She is Katharine Manning, and she is an author, professor, and attorney.

Through what she refers to as “The LASER Technique,” Manning offers a five-step process for a compassionate response to employees with trauma for managers and anyone overseeing a group of people in the workplace.

The LASER Technique as presented by Katharine Manning at SXSW

The first step is Listening, Manning advises, “don’t interrupt and don’t problem solve; just let [the employee] speak. Make room for that.”

The second step is Acknowledge – “it is straightforward: ‘I’m sorry,’ or, ‘that sounds difficult.’ It lets [the employee] know you heard them, and they are likely to listen to what you share next,” Manning said.

The third is Sharing information, “John F. Kennedy said in times of turbulence it is more accurate than ever that knowledge is power,” Manning said. “When we share, we get a little of that power back.”

Step four is Empower. This step is about recognizing that the person in trauma has their own journey to walk. She advises, “you must set boundaries for yourself, but within that, you can give [the employee] tools to take with them on that journey.”

For example, if the company offers mental health resources, share those with the cohort. Affirming boundaries while offering resources – such as 988– the U.S. new national hotline for suicide and mental health crises –creates a comfortable space for the individual while you guide them in the proper direction.

Step five – Return. By setting boundaries, you’re caring for your mental health while helping the individual facing trauma. It would help if you watched for yourself, and Manning’s advice for that is investing in self-care. “I do a little bit of yoga and meditation every morning. Just do something every day that gives back to yourself,” she said.

Affirming boundaries while offering resources – such as 988– the U.S. new national hotline for suicide and mental health crises –creates a comfortable space for the individual while you guide them in the proper direction.

This is how we respond, but next is making sure that the people that come to us in the first place are encouraged to do so. “People underestimate how valuable it is to check in on the people in our lives,” Manning said.

From highlighting common incidents such as workplace violence and employee safety, to recognizing needs and developing resources such as miscarriage leave, gender-affirming medical care, or domestic violence, sharing resources is vital. “Do you have these policies within your organization? If not, think about that,” Manning said.

This is the second pillar of trauma-informed workplaces. Manning advises, “make sure you’re getting input from those affected – don’t create a phenomenal gender-affirming care policy without first talking to transgender individuals.” The dormant items will not do anyone any good if they’re sitting on a shelf with no one discussing them.Her book, “The Empathetic Workplace,” describes other pillars in responding to trauma and distress amongst our coworkers and supervisors. Next month, she is launching a course diving deeper into making workplaces more empathetic, thus creating a healthier work environment for all employees. You can check out the website for more details.

SXSW Film Review: Family

Written by Tracy Fuller

SXSW is one of the premier spots to showcase a new film coming to the big screen in North America. With this year’s festival having a record number of films premiering, there was a considerable buzz generating around Laura Steinel’s Family.

Family is a comedy-drama that focuses on a young teenager, Maddie (Byrn Vale) looking for acceptance and love – a borrowed concept from the timeless John Candy classic Uncle Buck. Kate (Taylor Schilling) is asked to take care of Maddie while her parents go out of town to care for a family member. Kate is by no means fit to watch over anyone’s child, much less herself.

Because Kate is so self-absorbed and unfiltered in every minute of her day, she does not have the first idea of how to relate to Maddie. When she does begin to listen to stories of being harassed at school, Kate can connect to it from her childhood. It is at that point the walls she has built around herself slowly begin to chip away. What was supposed to be one night watching Maddie becomes a full week. This takes Kate entirely out of her comfort zone at work, causing her to start neglecting details.

At work, Kate is known to be cutthroat, but now that she is distracted trying to care for Maddie, it begins to backfire. The more she leans towards the nurturing side, the more Kate’s calloused exterior starts to soften.

In the middle of Kate’s failed efforts, Maddie ends up going missing and finds her identity within the Juggalo family. During the search for Maddie, Kate learns that she has made her way to the Gathering of the Juggalos. The Gathering is a music festival which has gained some notoriety and continues to be a topic of discussion in today’s pop culture.

The series of events proposes a moral decision of what is more important to Kate: working on her career or building a relationship with Maddie. By the end of the movie, you will find yourself in the feels. This production was brilliantly put together and structured. It made me quite happy to see Steinel portray Juggalos at their core, which compliments the storyline so well as finding love and acceptance in each other.

One of the things I adore about this film is how that very same love and acceptance from the Juggalos is captured in this comedy gold classic. This movie captures the essence of family, not only by blood but also by bonds. I left the theater thankful for my friends. Furthermore, it was an incredible experience hanging out with Laura Steinel and the rest of the cast. I look forward to seeing this one again.

SXSW Film Review: Blockers

Written by Tracy Fuller

A New Spin On An Adult-Teen Raunchy Comedy

Blockers is an adult raunchy comedy that revolves around three high school girls who make a pact to lose their virginity on prom night. Little do they know, their parents come together to ruin their plans.

Blockers is the directing debut for Kay Cannon. Cannon pushes the strengths of its cast while capturing the different dynamics in the 3 (sets) of parents and their conflicts.

Single mom Lisa (Leslie Mann) is having denial issues with the imminent departure of her daughter Julie (Kathryn Newton) for college. Mitchell (John Cena) is a buff dad but holds some strong feminine qualities mixed with small doses of testosterone. He tries to have a bonding relationship with daughter Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan) as if she was his son but wears a dress. Divorcee dad Hunter (Gideon Adlon) who has not been around since the marriage dissolved. He now recognizes the value of his relationship with daughter, Sam (Gideon Adlon) and tries to salvage it by making sure her prom night is a memorable one.

After the girls leave for prom, the parents stumble upon a confusing bit of emojis that they ultimately discover as the sex pact. All the parents set out to track them down and stop them from consummating the night.

What ensues as a crazy chase all over town cause a few disastrous events to occur. In the midst of all these events, the trio of parents finds a way to work through their dilemmas. Coincidently, as are the three girls.

Blockers is more on the rated R side of comedy. The film also balances teen humor with adult humor. I mean imagine parading through a hough naked and blindfolded chasing your partner down by their own “musk.”

The movie portrays what a typical environment is for today’s teen. They set out to have a great time. In doing so the insecurities of the parents is brought to light, something many parents today can relate. Even with the teen sex comedy, it highlights, in the end, some rethought decisions that lead to a better scenario for everyone.

This movie has the laughs, love, and appeal that make you think of American Pie or any John Hughes film.

While the talented and well-known talent casts the roles of the parents, the teens are the heart of the movie. These up and coming actresses sell their respective parts flawlessly.

The real predicament is whether the parents and the girls can make peace with the fact that everybody has to grow up. In the end, this movie has a bit of everything to keep you entertained. I was glad to see Cena’s acting get stretched. Also noting, Leslie Mann, who probably gives one of her best performances. I would see this movie again for sure.

SXSW Film Review: Ready Player One

Written by Tracy Fuller

Spielberg Captures The Heart of Life in Ready Player One

Ready Player One, the novel by Ernest Cline, on screen is a brilliant merger of the mind of Steven Spielberg and the adoption of the screenplay. Here is a film that any pop culture fanboy will cherish. With it premiering at this past year’s SXSW Film Festival, the anticipation was quite high.

“I didn’t make this movie just for gamers, I made this for everybody,” says Steven Spielberg.

The film is set in a dystopian trailer park, year 20145, in the city of Columbus. Within the trailer park stacks, characters like Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), a real-life nobody, resides. In the virtual reality world, the Oasis, Watts finds himself to be more than a nobody.

The Oasis is the primary way of life in the future, providing entertainment, fantasies, ambitions, and ways to achieve a certain financial status. The Oasis is a world where gaming is life. Watts bares some remarkable friendships with some of the gaming elite in the alternative VR world. He spends most of his time living strapped into his VR headset, immersed in the Oasis.

In the Oasis, Watts is surrounded by pop culture references that have become a way of life. These references stem from game creator, the late James Halliday (Mark Rylance). Following his passing, it is announced that Halliday built one final game in the Oasis known as Anorak’s Quest. The mission calls for players to find three keys through a set of smaller objectives. Upon finding all three of Halliday’s keys, they will be granted the celebrated Easter Egg. This egg will give them full power and ownership of the Oasis and its assets in both worlds.

Watts becomes the first person to receive one of the coveted keys. In doing so, he draws the attention of legendary gamer, Art3mis (Olivia Cooke). He also becomes a mark for the Innovative Online Industries CEO Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn).

The combination of Steven Spielberg, cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, and the team at Industrial Light & Magic, knock this one out of the park. Capturing the VR setting and its potential to the big screen is not an easy task. The Oasis is phenomenal; every landscape that you encounter in this film is full of pop culture references.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this film, is not the incredible visual appeal and abundant references, but also the heart that Spielberg captures in this film. The message ultimately conveys that no matter how hard you try to design an artificial life, you should not lose sight of what the real world has to offer.

Spielberg does capture Halliday’s character showing the struggle of following your heart and chasing your ambitions. Not to mention the fellowship and bonds you acquire in life. There is so much emotional overtone mixed into the story that you end up leaving the theater feeling better about life.

Q&A with Sego

Written and Photo by Nathaniel Torres

Sego, a Utah born and LA transplant band, was featured on NPR’s “The Austin 100″ and played their second official SXSW showcase this year. The band was founded by members Spencer Peterson and Thomas Carroll and has since expanded to include Alyssa Davey (bass) and Brandon McBride (synth and guitar). The band captures their audience by enveloping them in a groovy mirage. A sound I compare to a short-lived age of 90’s pop. A sort of mix between The Verve and Blur. Despite the older references, Sego stands on their own today while their crowds sing and dance to their tunes. If you needed any more convincing to take a listen just know the band’s cover of “Young Turks” was approved by Sir Rod Stewart himself.

How many SXSW have you attended/played?
Spencer: Second [as Sego]. We were here three years ago right after we started. Alyssa [bassist], this is her first time. She’s just getting acclimated to the noise.

Had you heard or known about SXSW before coming out?
Spencer: I’ve been here a bunch. I was coming with different bands for years. I’ve been to SXSW like 6 times maybe and it just continues to change every time I’m here.
Alyssa: I had always heard about SXSW. My dad actually was always pushing this other band I was in to go to SXSW. He was all about it.

Was it difficult getting an official showcase?
Spencer: It’s been relatively easy for us, in the past though. It’s interesting because you get one show and you are coming all this way for one show, but then within the month you end up picking up ten different showcases. As all these bands descend upon Austin there’s all this sifting and settling of the load. I feel like it’s hard because you have to put in some time, but once you’re kind of like in there, it really kind of pays off. You can find shows if you really push for it, even if you are not official. I’ve done SXSW [with different bands] three years in a row – not being official – and we played awesome huge shows. It was great.

How was your travel out here?
Spencer: We are trying to make a loop of it. A lot of out-of-state bands will try to make a route into and out of SXSW; which makes it tough touring in and out of SXSW because all of a sudden it means every band is routed on the same timeline and the same place.
Alyssa: I found that with a friend of mine; their band played here. They did the same thing and made a tour out of it. You’re already going out there so do some shows on the way and do some shows on the way back.
Spencer: It kind of creates a weird road culture where all these little towns that normally don’t get big bands are overwhelmed. All these bands need a place to play. Places most people haven’t heard of get decent shows leading up and coming away from SXSW. This place moves like a small little economy outside of Austin just because of so much cross traffic.

What are your feelings on the atmosphere? Were you well received?

Alyssa: The people here are into music because clearly they’re at a music festival but in a different way. It’s an appreciation. Here it’s a little different because you’re seeing so many bands that you don’t know that you’ve never heard of, so it’s like new ears every time.
Spencer: Yeah the whole attitude is different. It’s still cool.

Badges are quite expensive and the word is that artists do not really make a profit. What are your feelings on this?
Spencer: I think everybody treats it like a loss. I knew one band that actually made money on a show…and it blew my mind. We pay out just to get here, just get the opportunity. Personally, I go into it assuming that it’s just a wash. You can offset the loss a little bit by booking some shows in and out and making it more purposeful.

Does the festival open doors? What are the benefits of getting out here?
Spencer: Yeah and close some. Most people here are here with a purpose and have some industry clout. We had a crappy show and it turned cool people off on us. They were at that show and they were actually kind of high rollers. So, we learned the hard way you should never mail in a show, ever…especially at SXSW because you never know who’s out in the audience. It’s not like a random tour stop. Whether [it’s a] label or PR people, I feel like every time I’m out here I meet people I forge friendships with and relationships with.

What were some other things you got into while you were here?
Alyssa: Barbecue!
Spencer: I feel like I got to get some barbecue while we’re in town.

Will you be doing SXSW again or coming back our way sometime soon?
Alyssa: I hope.
Spencer: We have nothing in the books as of right now but I feel we come out here about every once a year, year and ha alf. So yeah, we’ll be back soon.

Sego is well on their way making the tour back home where the brisket is lacking. They are making sure to stop in their origin city of Provo, Utah where they say they always receive the warmest welcome. Sego’s music can be found on Spotify where you can also listen to their Audiotree Live set. They are also on social media if you’d like to give them a shout out. Just don’t expect it to compare to acknowledgment from Sir Stewart.

Q&A with Bad Pony

Written and photo by Nathaniel Torres

Broadening the scope internationally I spoke with Bad Pony, a five-piece from Down Under. Bad Pony has now traveled to North America twice and is the recipients of Australian Music Week’s prize of 2017. The band is the result of Jarred and Sam’s need to break out of their previous band’s bluesy genre. Searching for their own sound, they poached a few other front men from different bands, divided the percussion responsibilities, and now showcase their individual talents as Bad Pony. They brilliantly stitch together an array of genre sounds and tempos within their music, dropping bass and transitioning to a bluesy upbeat one song and then exposing their Aussie roots and relating it to a funky soulful chorus the next. I had the privilege to speak with the entire band which along with Jarred on vocals/percussion and Sam playing guitar/percussion also include Mark on bass, Cron on guitar and Isaac on synths/percussion. This was the band’s first SXSW appearance.

Had you heard or known about SXSW before coming out?
Mark: Of course!
Jarred: It’s been a dream of mine just to come and see music here. When I was growing up I used to see bands who were quite low-level, then they’d come here and they’d blow up. It seems like a whole world of promise and potential.
Sam: The idea of SXSW in my head is I get to see all these bands that I’ve dreamt about seeing for so long and then walk into a random pub and stumble upon something brilliant I’ve never heard before.

How was your travel out here?
Isaac: We flew into LA. That was killer.
Mark: It’s about 24 hours, in transit, to get from home to Austin so that was two days of our lives spent super excited and anxious.
Jarred: If we could have come straight here that would have been amazing. LAX is like my idea of hell. It’s my least favorite place in the world.

What are your feelings on the atmosphere? Were you well received?
Isaac: The crowds here are just so welcoming. Just really, really up for a good time.
Jarred: Everyone has been so nice to us and looked after us. Even the accommodation we stayed at, the dude gave us a great deal.
Sam: He just wanted Australian beer.
Jarred: He gave us three extra units in his house for a six pack of beer!

Badges are quite expensive and the word is that artists don’t really make a profit. What are your feelings on this?
Isaac: We are just artists man. We just play. We don’t know the business side of it.
Jarred: We’re happy to be here – we didn’t have to pay a $1,000, so we’re happy.
Sam: I did.
Jarred: No, we did. We did.
Mark: Much more actually.

Does the festival open doors? What are the benefits of getting out here?
Sam: We had people see us two days ago who were just walk-ins and that’s one of the biggest benefits. They have no idea that you’re about to play and catch your set. Then, 15-minutes later they’re organizing an interview with you.

What were some other things you got into while you were here?
Sam: Everyone I worked with was like, ‘Man you’re going to Texas. It’s all about the barbecue sauce and the meat. And it was absolutely about the barbecue sauce and the meat. It was everything I hoped it would be and I fell in love

Will you be doing SXSW again or coming back our way sometime soon?
Isaac: In a heartbeat.
Jarred: No brainer.
Isaac: As soon as possible.
Sam: All it takes is an email.

Bad Pony, who easily spent the most time and money (out of the bands interviewed) to get out here, expressed extreme gratitude for the opportunity not just to play but to see other bands performing. They were recently picked up by Arow Agency and say they never take too much time off from touring stating that they easily become bored when not on the road. The band is high spirited on and off stage expressing there’s nothing better than getting to tour around the world with their best mates. Bad Pony’s music can be found on Spotify but make sure to check out the acoustic videos on YouTube made during their stay here in Austin. For a more in-depth interview including Mark’s SXSW reaction story and Isaac’s PSA keep a lookout for the full video interview.

Q&A with Löwin

Written by Nathaniel Torres
Photo by Sarah Vasquez

I spoke with Sara Houser (vocals) of Löwin, an Austin band that debuted SXSW in 2014. The band regularly plays at establishments such as ABGB, Hotel Vegas and Barracuda. They feature a female vocalist who’s soothing croons accompany a unique blend of guitar melodies and hooks over a solid low end. Löwin played seven shows this year and their members have been performing unofficial shows for the festival every year since they started calling Austin their home.

Was it difficult getting an official showcase?
Sara: I’ve played SXSW [unofficially] pretty much every year that I’ve lived in Austin, but this is the first year that any of the bands I was in actually made it as an official artist. I think [unofficial shows] are the case for a lot of Austin-based bands. From what I understand Austin-based bands are kind of last to be considered. We were lucky that we fell into a booking agency that helped usher us into SXSW as an official artist.

What are your feelings on the atmosphere? Were you well received?
Sara: All the shows we played were amazing. The crowds at SXSW are always refreshing because people are engaged and they’re moving around and dancing – not like your typical Austin crowd who have seen and done everything. People are generally out to enjoy themselves. It’s not their run-of-the-mill show.

Badges are quite expensive and the word is that artists do not really make a profit. What are your feelings on this?
Sara: I think a lot of show-goers maybe don’t take into consideration that most of the shows that we’re playing that week are free; meaning we don’t get paid to play. We had a couple of shows that did pay us…not a lot. But all four of us had to ask off work, which for Chris and I…SXSW is a huge money-making week. We didn’t go into it hoping to make a lot of money. We were just hoping to reach a fan base that, otherwise, wouldn’t have seen us…and that’s what’s cool about it.

Does the festival open doors? What are the benefits of getting out here?
Sara: Exposure for sure. We used it as kind of a testing ground for all of our new material that we’re going to be releasing, shortly now that SXSW is over. We connected with lots of great photographers and lots of new fans – but as far as did we have anybody walking up to us after a set waving contracts at us, no. Being an official SXSW artist is a great thing on a resume for any band. There is a level of legitimacy it brings to the table.

Even for the local veterans of SXSW there was more to learn about the festival stating that reaching out to the industry side of the festival could unlock further potential for the band. You can catch Löwin at Barracuda March 30 and keep a lookout for that new material to be released. Until then, they have a few singles available on Spotify. Just hold down the “o” on your phone keyboard to get “ö”.

Photos of SXSW 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Photos by Tracy Fuller

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