North Texas Daily

Every March, visitors from around the world make the trek to a “weird,” longhorn-obsessed city for a week of music, art, film and performance.

Of course, we’re talking about SXSW 2019.

The annual festival kicks off this Friday, and will feature big celebrity names as well as smaller hometown favorites in an array of musical genres. Among them, a handful of Denton musicians are set to perform this year. To get a glimpse of Denton in Austin, here’s a quick guide to the local artists who will be hitting the stage soon.

1. Sad Cops

Emo-indie rock band Sad Cops is a longtime Denton favorite that just  come back from its U.S. tour. The band has likened their music to “suburban rock” and is a hard act to follow on any stage. The group is comprised of lead vocal Grayson Harris, lead guitarist Mills Chaiken, drummer Nathan Fox, keyboardist Colin Wheeler and bassist Christian Meyer. Catch their show at 10 p.m. on March 14 at the Sheraton Backyard and at 8:45 p.m. on March 15 at Hotel Vegas.

2. TOMKAT

TOMKAT, with its jazz/rock/electronic sound, has recently garnered national attention from lead vocal Katrina Cain’s performances on reality singing competition, “The Voice.” Cain, along with guitarist Andrew McMillan, bassist Mike Luzecky, drummer Jonny Harmon and synthesizer Trenton Hull also happen to be alumni of UNT’s College of Music. They play at 1 a.m. on March 12 at Cooper’s BBQ.

3. E.B The Younger

Midlake’s frontman Eric Pulido has marked a lifetime performing the band’s signature folk rock sound. Now, he’s exploring new territory under the moniker E.B. The Younger, a solo project set to debut his album,”To Each His Own” this Friday. You can find him at 8 p.m. on March 14 at Palm Door on Sabine and at 11:30 a.m. on March 15 at Flatstock Stage Austin Convention Center. Maybe you’ll even run into Jason Lee.

4. Two Medicine

Another member of Midlake, producer Paul Alexander is hitting the stage this year with his ambient sound set to embody “luminous space and mindful grace.” Alexander released his debut LP in November of last year, and has been making steady waves with his psychedelic, dream pop aesthetic. He performs at 9 p.m. on March 14 at Palm Door on Sabine.

5. Jessie Frye

Jessie Frye is a Denton native who easily blends pop and rock together, and with her latest album “Fantasy”, has been dipping her toe into retro wave as well. In the past, she has performed for the Bernie Sanders rally in Dallas and with artists like Beck and Flyleaf. Catch her live at 8 p.m. on March 16 at Lamberts.

6. Claire Morales

Known for her raw lyrics and folk rock sound, Claire Morales has been dubbed “Denton’s best young singer songwriter”  by D Magazine and was included in in Rolling Stone‘s “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know” list. Morales is no stranger to the stage. She has been performing since she was 13 years old and released her debut LP “Amaranthine” in 2015 and her full-length album “All That Wanting” last year. Check out Morales’ gig at 9 p.m. on March 14 at The Hideout.

7. Bonnie Whitmore

At age 8, Bonnie Whitmore was already touring with her family to smalltown bars and gigs around Texas. Since then, Whitmore has developed her own country music sound mainly centered around love and the rise and tide of romantic relationships. She performs at 11 p.m. on March 15 at the Saxon Pub.

Featured Image: Claire Morales by Ellie Alonzo.