7 Must See Artists at SXSW 2025
***Support for KUTX at SXSW 2025 comes from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s – Beats, Bites, and Flights & BetterWay Blood Testing***
King Cruff
Peforming KUTX Live at Scholz Garten Wednesday, March 12th 10am
Jamaica-reared and Canada-based MC, King Cruff, was born Solomon Marley-Spence. And before you read any further, yes, he’s Bob’s grandson, and part of the large, and ever-growing Marley dynasty. Now that that bit of hard-hitting music journalism’s out of the way, we can talk about King Cruff, who has resolutely blazed his own path under the King Cruff moniker with a blend of dancehall reggae, pop and contemporary afrobeat on his recent debut EP, What Have I ‘Don. Montreal-based production duo Banx & Ranx lend a hand on standouts like the dancehall banger “EASY!” as well as the dreamy, pop-inflected closer “WAY WE KNOW.” King Cruff may come from a famous family, but he chose his name just like he’s choosing his own creative road forward.
*Official SXSW Showcases*
- Mar 11, 2025 – King Cruff at Coconut Club Rooftop
- Mar 13, 2025 – King Cruff at Mala Fama
Honeyglaze
Peforming KUTX Live at Scholz Garten Saturday, March 15th 9am
Anouska Sokolow and her band Honeyglaze spring from the versatile and fertile South London music scene. At first glance another indie rock guitar trio, Honeyglaze seems to buck the scene’s innovations. Yet Sokolow is one of those rare prodigies. Climbing out of adolescence, their second album, Real Deal, reflects unease and an unsettled existence. Emphatic and plain spoken, Sokolow’s work on “TMJ”, “Safety Pins” and the album’s showstopper, “Don’t”, show a brittle and acute self-awareness, and her brilliantly askew guitar work provides all the needed punctuation.
*Official SXSW Showcases*
- Mar 11, 2025 – Honeyglaze at Radio Day Stage at Rivian Park
- Mar 11, 2025 – Honeyglaze at Seven Grand
- Mar 13, 2025 – Honeyglaze at Valhalla
- Mar 13, 2025 – Honeyglaze at Central Presbyterian Church
- Mar 15, 2025 – Honeyglaze at British Music Embassy @ Palm Door on Sixth Patio
Sofie Royer
Peforming KUTX Live at Scholz Garten Thursday, March 13th 10am
Sofie Fatouretchi Royer, aka Sofie Royer, is an Austrian-Iranian musician and producer. She guested on Lewis OfMan’s latest record Cristal Medium Blue, on Toro Y Moi’s album MAHAL, and recently opened for Lana Del Rey, Air and LCD Soundsystem. Sofie’s third album, Young-Girl Forever, was released in November 2024 on Stones Throw Records.
*Official SXSW Showcases*
- Mar 13, 2025 – Sofie Royer at Shangri-La
Cardinals
Peforming KUTX Live at Scholz Garten Wednesday, March 12th 9am Public Radio Day Stage, March 14th 1pm
In recent interviews, the Cork, Ireland group Cardinals spend time saying what they’re not – the latest post-punk Fontaines phenomenon – without a lot of articulating what they actually are. So it goes with a lot of young bands. With one EP and few singles to their name. They’re still figuring things out. Cardinals are bursting with talent, and while they lean into actual singing and melodies, their noisy guitar underpinnings make them sound, well, a bit post-punk. It’s easy to understand why Fontaines‘ Grian Chatten calls them his new favorite band. Singer Euan Manning commands their material, and they’re not afraid to go quiet at times, even a bit vulnerable. The six minute “If I Could Make You Care” shows this, moving from a whisper to a howl: “If I could make you care / Or run my fingers through your hair / Or tell you how it feels / I wouldn’t dare.”
*Official SXSW Showcases*
- Mar 11, 2025 – Cardinals at Antone’s
- Mar 13, 2025 – Cardinals at The Velveeta Room
Freak Slug
Peforming KUTX Live at Scholz Garten Thursday, March 13th 11am | Public Radio Day Stage Friday, March 14th 12pm.
Freak Slug, the alias of Xenya Genovese, originally a painter and visual artist, emerged with the 2020 EP Videos, featuring the viral hit “Radio” (15M+ streams). The Manchester England musician released her debut album, I Blow Out Big Candles, this past November on Future Classics. Influenced by ‘90s acts like Ride, Mazzy Star, and Stephen Malkmus, Freak Slug focuses on mood and raw self-expression, blending nostalgia, dreamy textures, and experimental elements, reaching beyond her lo-fi production to explore a more widescreen canvas.
*Official SXSW Showcases*
- Mar 12, 2025 – Freak Slug at British Music Embassy @ Palm Door on Sixth Patio
- Mar 13, 2025 – Freak Slug at Mohawk Indoor
Ali
Performing Public Radio Day Stage Friday, March 14th
Three-piece musical project originating from Jakarta, Indonesia. With all lyrics written in Arabic, Ali incorporates Middle Eastern culture with elements of 70’s Indonesian psychedelic funk, cinematic soul, afro beat, and disco to create a new groove and sound to the contemporary and vibrant Indonesian music scene. John Paul (Drums) and Arswandaru (Bass/Vocals) are joined by Absar Lebeh on guitar to complete the trio.Self described ‘Middle Easten Beats with South East Twists’, Ali released their latest EP Patterns on Feb. 21st.
*Official SXSW Showcases*
- Mar 13, 2025 – Ali at Las Perlas
- Mar 15, 2025 – Ali at Lamberts
Wes Denzel
Performing SXSBreaks, Wednesday, March 12th
Wes Denzel, a rapper, songwriter, and producer from San Antonio, has opened for Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q. His 2021 album I Was Almost Happy earned him KUTX Artist of the Month (Feb. 2021). Most recently, Denzel’s music was featured in an Austin FC commercial with Matthew McConaughey and we can expect a new album in 2025.
*Official SXSW Showcases*
- Mar 12, 2025 – Wes Denzel at Lefty’s Brick Bar
