If you're looking for encouragement to take the leap of faith into solo travel, here it is. If UK jazz, new midwest bands, or the Texas indie hip-hop scene intrigues you, this article is also for you.

This Spring Break, I passed on my friends' invitation to take a trip to Big Bend National Park, and instead made the 15-hour drive to Austin, TX for South By Southwest 2026. I traveled solo as a student with intentions of meeting as many people as possible. This goal was more than met: by the end of the week, I had met many other like-minded student programmers, industry professionals, and indie artists starting their careers. Although I heard from locals that SXSW isn't what it once was, the festival + conference still provided loads of meaning to me as a young professional in music. 

From the get-go, the talent was fantastic. Lola Young's vocal talent cannot be understated, and the production level of the SXSW crew amplified her talent to a level of realism I've rarely experienced live. She was supported by Susannah Joffe, Saint Harison, and Sofia & The Antoinettes; all of which were exceptional. Saint Harison was my surprise artist of the night, he's an unassuming talent out of the UK with an amazing R&B voice, be sure to check his stuff out. 

By chance, in the Lola Young pit, I met the student programmers at WUD Music up at UW-Madison. SCOPE and WUD Music have recently booked the same tours passing through the Midwest, most recently Lip Critic and Dan English. We would connect later in the week, big ups to the team at Wisco!

On night 3, after witnessing an amazing performance from Dave Guy and Stro Elliot of The Roots, I headed up to Stubb's to try and catch a DJ set by St. Vincent. By random chance, I ended up standing in line next to a member of WVAU radio's team at American University. After chatting, I learned that they also helped out on Tinashe + Teezo Touchdown at UMD, the show that was SCOPE's inspiration for Iowa Homecoming 2025. It felt like everywhere I turned, I kept meeting people I had a connection to through independent music. We caught the last couple songs of Alanis Morisette's set (it was fun), and stayed for St. Vincent. To give an honest review, you can skip a "St. Vincent DJ Set". It felt like one of Obama's playlists with just anything thrown in there, no cohesion at all. Rhett & Link were in the crowd, so at least that added to the experience.

Throughout the fest, I attended panels featuring music industry professionals from around the world. This year's topic-at-large was, you guessed it, Artificial Intelligence. As one of SCOPE's resident Tippie students, I'm more partial to the technology than most, but the blind support of AI still irked me. I was encouraged by companies like Lemonade AI, who work with artists to create high-quality models of their sound, and then split the profits with artists 50-50. Music is employing AI like the rest of the world, so it feels like it's either get on the boat or get left behind. 

The festival's vibe felt like a buttoned-up version of Mission Creek Festival. We were able to see high-quality artists on the front edge of music in intimate, alternative venues. Most artists stuck around after their performance to talk and connect with those at the concert, as well. Combining high-level art with professional development and innovation is (I think) what Stop/Time Festival will bring to Iowa City at the top of next month. 

SXSW's programming revolves around independent bookers at each venue, so showcases usually aren't up to SXSW themselves. One programming group, Audiofemme, booked two nights of female groups doing new things in music. My personal favorites from them were Amy Gadiaga and Morgan Munroe, both artists from the UK. 

British music was heavily represented at the fest, as Austin is home to a venue known as the British Music Embassy, a home for British music in America. There, I experienced my first live drill-rap concert, from a rapper called Novelist. We sometimes poke fun at UK drill-rap, but I have to say I was impressed with the lyricism and emotional intent behind his music. Definitely give his work a listen. 

Closer to the end of the fest, I had the opportunity to see Thelma and The Sleaze, a Nashville band featuring Chloe Weidl, a SCOPE alumni, on drums. The girl-group's performance is full of excellence in guitar, drums, and bass, and features lots of innuendo. Also on the bill was Milwaukee's Social Cig, a gimmicky skate-rock project featuring props like cigarettes made out of pool noodles. Closing out the night was Marijuana Deathsquads out of Minneapolis, a project akin to Lip Critic, featuring an electronics table and FOUR drum kits! 

If you're looking for artists to add to your playlists, here are my recommendations from SXSW 2026:

Hip-Hop: Pierce Washington, Jaxs, Novelist

R&B: Morgan Munroe, Carissa Cruise, JayDon, Grace Sorensen

UK Jazz: Knats, Zola Marcelle, Amy Gadiaga

Midwest Rock: Social Cig, Marijuana Deathsquads

Throughout the fest, it felt like I kept meeting the most impressive people I could have ever thought of meeting, all through making conversation through the people I found right next to me. I met volcanologists, R&B critics, VC-funded founders, and of course lots of talent buyers in Texas. Another student shoutout goes to KTSW at Texas State, their coverage tapped into the unofficial side of SXSW, as Austin seems to host a live show on every block during the fest. 

If you go to SXSW in the future: 

• Be 21. Many venues with your favorite artists are 21+
• Reserve your spot in sessions way ahead of time. I was kicking myself for not reserving mentorship sessions from professionals at companies like WME and BandLab after they filled up.
• Bring a bicycle. Like our festivals in Iowa City, SXSW takes place at venues all around town, so remaining mobile to see what you want to is important.
• Bring business cards and update your LinkedIn profile. Even if it doesn't matter that much to you, it might be the only way you end up connecting with someone.

I couldn't recommend this type of solo travel enough. When my car broke down in Stillwater, Oklahoma on the way back, I had some time to kill, so I found a DIY show to attend, and met the kids on their scene. It's about the mentality of going where the wind takes you. There's so much independent art out there, I would highly encourage traveling around to go out and see it. 

-Elliot Baughman, SCOPE's Assistant General Manager