March 2026
There is so much good music being made in Austin that it can be hard to keep up. To help you stay on top of it, we’ve pulled together some of the best new releases from local artists. Here is the new Austin music you need to know from The Band of Heathens, Bayonne, Bill Callahan, and more. Hear all of these songs on-air at KUTX 98.9 or online at KUTX.org.
The Band of Heathens – “Take The Cake”
Released via BOH Records on February 20, 2026
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It would be hard to talk about the Austin music scene in the 21st century without dedicating an entire chapter to The Band of Heathens. Spawned from a long-running residency at the now-defunct West 6th Street club, Momo’s in the mid-aughts, the band quickly won over music fans in Austin and beyond with their energetic live shows and southern-fried take on Americana music. Now, 20 years on and with a few lineup changes behind them, founding members Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist are back with Country Sides, a melting pot of American musical influences. Bouncing organs bring a little Gulf Coast swagger to their single “Take the Cake,” as they call for us all to check the rampant materialism and selfishness of the age.
Bill Callahan – “The Man I’m Supposed To Be”
Released via Drag City on February 27, 2026
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Like a still-life portrait of the soul, Bill Callahan’s new song, “The Man I’m Supposed To Be,” manipulates shadow and light through spare instrumentation and his inimitable baritone to wrestle with universal truths. Unapologetically moody and brooding, Callahan’s stream-of-consciousness lyrics capture the struggle to be a better person by reflecting on his own moments of weakness. Heavy stuff, for sure; but like a talented painter, Callahan uses these darker moments to shift his perspective and reveal a brighter, more optimistic outlook. The song’s instrumentation mirrors this struggle between the light and the dark with discordant saxophone runs and distorted electric guitars before building into a muted crescendo that finds Callahan giggling in the face of death.
Bill Callahan is currently performing songs from his new album, My Days of 58, on a special tour of select US record shops before hitting bigger venues later this spring.
EddieAngel – “PAYASO”
Released via DechicoWorldz on February 26, 2026
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Native Austinite EddieAngel is a relative newcomer to the scene, with a 2024 debut EP and a handful of singles—including last month’s sizzling R&B number, “PAYASO.” Translated to “clown” in English, the track features frontman Angel Estrada playing the part of a fool in love, highlighting his absolutely searing vocals. Earnest, yearning, and dripping with desire, it’s the kind of performance that makes you want to hold someone special, close your eyes, and sway to the music. Punctuated by soaring guitars and tastefully restrained drums, this is easily one of the best love songs to come out of Austin in a long time. As a preview of his upcoming Chicano Blues EP, EddieAngel is set to make waves in 2026.
*This track hits even harder for us here at KUTX, knowing it was produced and recorded by our very own audio engineer, Rayna Sevilla!*
Bayonne – “Multiphase”
Released via Nettwerk Music Group on February 6, 2026
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It is hard to believe that Austin-based aural explorer Bayonne got his start picking the banjo with friends in the city’s folk scene. While that might not be the background you’d expect for someone voted Best Electronic artist in this year’s Austin Music Awards, those bluegrass jams continue to inform the delicate layers of instrumentation, introspective lyrics, and hypnotic melodies that have become his trademark.
Bayonne’s new single, “Multiphase,” was several years in the making; growing out of an unused synth loop that eventually inspired the beautiful, piano-centered track we get to share today. It is a somber, if hopeful, song that explores the multitude of emotions when faced with the unimaginable loss of a loved one. With hundreds of thousands of streams in the few weeks since its release, Bayonne is obviously reaching fans far beyond his hometown.
Bayonne takes his new music on the road this spring in support of fellow multi-instrumentalist Kishi Bashi.
Whereabouts – “Swings”
Released via Sasquatch Studios on February 13, 2026
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With just three singles to their name, all released in the last month, Austin four-piece, Whereabouts, are definitely the freshest faces on this month’s list. The new single, “Swings,” falls somewhere between groovy jangle pop and full-on prog rock. Combine those already heady sounds with esoteric lyrics examining the duality of the human experience, and you’ve got the recipe for some seriously thought-provoking music. It’s also pretty dang catchy.
Whereabouts brings the third eye vibes to Swan Dive on Thursday, April 9th.
Pretty Something – “Little Tiny”
Self-released on January 23, 2026
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Another first-timer on the KUTX airwaves, producer, engineer, and musician Joe Durniak relocated to Austin from NYC in 2019 after ten years with his indie rock outfit, Cultfever. Durniak spent the intervening years mixing audio for a variety of TV and film projects, but now, he’s back in front of a microphone with a solo EP under his Pretty Something moniker. The record’s first single, “Little Tiny,” evokes early-2000s Architecture in Helsinki or OK Go, with punchy electric guitars, whimsical synths, and quirky lyrics that have us rooting for Little Tiny by the end of the song’s immensely fun 3 minutes.
