Winspear is co-hosting a showcase this year with some of their artists and others that they’re friends with. Although I have some idea of acts I’m excited to see, SX isn’t where I find new acts to sign.” We’ve worked discovery and A&R activities into our lives in a more consistent and seamless way. He said, “I think A&R is a more fluid concept these days, at least on the indie level that we’re on. He focuses on the ‘repertoire’ part of Artists & Repertoire - on retaining their existing roster, especially after not being able to see their artists for a few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jared Jones of Winspear says that for him, SXSW is less about discovering new acts to sign and more about spending quality time with artists currently on their roster, as well as members of the greater music community. Jessica said, “I listen to SX artists and playlists as I’m working and if they’re able to grab my attention while I’m focused on something else, I know I want to see them and I add them to my personal playlist.” Use SX as a community-building opportunity Bands from all around the world play the fest, allow yourself to be surprised.”Īll three of the industry pros we spoke to make playlists of select artists who they want to see or the ones who stand out as they’re researching. Allow yourself to attend shows of artists you’ve never heard of or stumble upon random pop-up shows. If a show is too crowded or sounds awful, I know where to try next at that time.
I have a plan A and plan B - a backup schedule - when attending SX, that’s the type of person I am. Artists’ schedules are packed, things might not go exactly as planned and that can be a good thing. She added, “Have a plan, but stay flexible and be ready for serendipity. Jessica Clark, A&R and Project Management at Joyful Noise Recordings, who previously worked with Belmont Bookings in Amsterdam, suggests having a tight list of what bands you want to see, where and to reach out to those acts in advance. SX is a great time to find the lesser-known acts who demonstrate dedication and are putting in the work to build their careers.” He added, “Though having an itinerary is helpful, also allow yourself some flexibility to stumble upon the unexpected and have conversations with new people - who knows who you’ll discover.” Who are the talented acts who aren’t getting a ton of buzz? The buzzy ones will have industry people flocking them. Joseph Aldulaimi of OneRPM suggests that if there are certain acts you’re already interested in seeing, to consider which of their showcases will allow you to have time to talk to them - which will be more low-key? He says, “Try not to chase the industry hype wagon. It’s never too early or late to browse what official and unofficial SX shows are happening and create an itinerary for yourself. We talked with A&R pros Joseph Aldulaimi, A&R at OneRPM Jessica Clark, A&R and Project Management at Joyful Noise Recordings and Jared Jones, co-founder of the record label Winspear about how they approach A&R at SXSW.
With so much excitement, it’s easy to be overwhelmed, not know where to start, or to lose focus when you’re there.
With so many shifts in the industry over the past few years, none of us know exactly what to expect this year, making it all that much more exciting. It’s that time of year when the industry gets together to enjoy warmer weather and too many tacos at the Big Spring Conference in Austin, TX also known as SXSW ( South by South West Music Festival).