Whatever the weatherman tells you, this time of year the wind mostly comes from South by Southwest – or SXSW. This awesome multimedia festival consists of multiple sub-festivals geared towards stuff like gaming, film, and comedy. Luckily for us music aficionados, there’s also a lot of music.
The lineup is gargantuan, just like the stress and FOMO that come with every good festival. Whether you’re going or not, we have put together a list of top artists for you to play along with – ranging from beginner to advanced, jazz to pop, and Germany to Australia. At first sight, it may look like a random list, but the artists have all appeared in Chordify’s backstage interviews, top 5s, and live sessions. Moreover, we like their music and happily invite you to play along!
Khalid
During the summer of 2017 Khalid’s hit “Angels” was in the Top 5 of most played songs in the world. Now he’s coming to SXSW and there is a good chance he will play songs from his new album Free Spirit. Its release is planned on April 5, and his newest single “My Bad” is quite promising!
Khalid on SXSW
Play along with Khalid – Angels
Mattiel
Mattiel released her debut on Burger Records in 2017. Since then she has been touring and playing venues and festivals all over the world. We saw her backstage after a gig and asked her about her favorite instruments and chords. Read the full interview with Mattiel here.
Mattiel at SXSW
Play along with Mattiel – Count your Blessings
Joe Armon-Jones
“When did Joe Armon-Jones stop making music and when did he start making jazz?” is one of the things we asked him in 2018, during this backstage interview. Moreover, he talked about the dub influences on his music and his love for the London vibes.
Joe Armon-Jones at SXSW
Play along with Joe Armon-Jones
Dean Lewis
The song “Be Alright” from this Australian-born singer-songwriter was a hit in our Top 5 of most played songs in the world for months. And not only in his home continent Oceania but also in Europe.
Dean Lewis at SXSW
Play along with Dean Lewis – Be Alright
Gurr
One is from Nuremberg and the other’s from Oldenburg, and they became friends in Großstadt Berlin, where they started the band Gurr. They make catchy garage rock which they played at our Music & Tech Hideout during Eurosonic 2018. We have been fans ever since.
Gurr at SXSW
Play along with Gurr – Moby Dick
Small Houses
It has been a while since Small Houses was recorded by IDK. Coming from Austin Texas, Small Houses is playing a home match during SXSW. And we hope he will be playing a lot of his awesome new album Don’t Know What’s Safe.
Small Houses at SXSW
Play along with Small Houses – Staggers and Rise
Pip Blom
Dutch band Pip Blom recently won a Music Moves Europe Talent Award during ESNS. We spoke with them backstage about making a living with music, how Pip knows chords without knowing them and a lot more. Read the full interview with Pip Blom here.
Pip Blom at SXSW
Play along with Pip Blom – I think I’m in Love
