SXSW 2017

Film Review: Becoming Bond (USA, 2017) is hilarious, original documentary filmmaking

Getting a release on Hulu today in the US is the hilarious documentary Becoming Bond, which screened at SXSW earlier this year. It takes a look at the life and times of Australia’s only Bond, George Lazenby, in his own words. The film takes the spirit of Drunk History to deliver an original and entertaining…

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As Boo Seeka (Sydney) announce more regional shows, they reflect on their tour of America and playing SXSW

Currently touring the country in support of their new single “Does This Last”, and fresh from shows in the USA, we caught up with Sydney duo Boo Seeka. The pair have just added a slew of regional dates to their current tour, which will see them on the road until the end of June. In the interview, we talk…

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Running Touch (Melbourne) talks A Body Slow EP, his national tour and reflects on his SXSW debut

Melbourne’s Running Touch just keeps going from strength to strength, returning from SXSW in Austin, Texas a few weeks ago to release his debut EP A Body Slow. I caught up with the man himself to talk about his time in America, the new EP and the tour which is taking him all over the…

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Michael Bonfiglio talks about his new HBO Documentary May It Last: A Portrait of The Avett Brothers, co-directed with Judd Apatow

While in Austin last month, we caught up with Michael Bonfiglio, co-director of May It Last: A Portrait of The Avett Brothers (the much loved US band) with Judd Apatow. We spoke about premiering the film at the iconic SXSW festival and working with (and discovering) the band across the album three years it took…

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The Avett Brothers (USA) talk about documenting True Sadness in Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio’s May It Last

While I was at SXSW last month, I had the opportunity to attend the premiere of the new documentary May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers, which will screen on HBO later in the year. The North Carolina band were in attendance and so I got to sit down with groups three original…

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SXSW Review: Madre (Chile, 2016) isn’t the thriller you expect

Set in Chile, Madre follows wife and mother Diana (Daniela Ramirez). Pregnant with her second child and caring for her disabled son, Martin (Matias Bassi), Diana struggles daily with running the household; her husband Tomas (Cristobal Tapia Montt) is often away on business in Asia. Just as we’re about to see how much more she can…

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We meet The Muppets‘ Gonzo, Zoe & the Swedish Chef: Dave Goelz, Fran Brill and Bill Barretta

Last month at SXSW, the documentary Muppets Guys Talking: Secrets Behind the Show the Whole World Watched premiered to much jubilation. The film is exactly as the name implies: some of the team behind the original Muppets (as well as Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street and others), got together to talk about their time on the…

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The Coconut Kids bring us 5 lessons learned from SXSW

Adelaide group The Coconut Kids recently completed a successful debut run at SXSW in Austin, Texas – taking part in what is easily, one of the world’s biggest showcases of new music. For the French-inspired indie folk group, the trip took them all the way from South Oz to some of the richest areas of music in…

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SXSW Film Review: Prevenge (UK, 2017) could be the only film of its kind this decade

In 1968 we received Rosemary’s Baby. It was the film that established Roman Polanski’s ability to bring madness onto screen and placed Mia Farrow as the paranoid mother, unknowingly carrying Satan’s spawn through nine months of fear and mental ruin. It was a landmark film, exploring the psyche and anxiety of an expecting mother. In…

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Nick Offerman, Stephen Root, Zoe Graham and Director Bob Byington talk about the mysterious Infinity Baby

Earlier this month, a “slightly futuristic comedy about babies who don’t age” called Infinity Baby premiered at SXSW. While at the infamous Austin festival, before having the chance to see the film, and knowing only this small byline, I caught up with the cast – most of whom hadn’t seen the film either at this…

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Aussie Actress Ashleigh Cummings on playing the empowered victim in Hounds of Love

Hounds of Love, a genre-bending powerhouse thriller from Australian director Ben Young, has been wowing critics across the globe since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2016. And earlier this month it had its North American premiere at SXSW. Featuring a cast of familiar and new faces, the film tackles deep issues of trauma…

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SXSW buzz artist Sigrid (Norway) on the success of “Don’t Kill My Vibe”

We were lucky enough to land some time with emerging superstar Sigrid while at SXSW – in Austin off the back of the successful hit “Don’t Kill My Vibe”, the Norwegian artist took some time out from her shows to fill us in on the positive momentum the song has spurred for her. So, you’re here off the…

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SXSW Film Review: Two Pigeons (UK, 2017) is raw, unsettling, and totally intriguing

Never have I been so disgusted and intrigued at the same time but after watching Two Pigeons – Dominic Bridges‘ directorial debut – its interesting how much we take our security and privacy for granted. After all, if you found you had a squatter living with you, would you ever really be the same? Vulgarity…

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Splendour-bound Bishop Briggs (California) talks new music and a developing live show

After making waves with her breakthrough single “River”, Los Angeles based artist Bishop Briggs has been a buzz artist impossible to ignore. And now she’s coming to Australia to play Splendour in the Grass! We caught up with the emerging dark-pop Singer Songwriter while we were in Austin, Texas to talk about how her music…

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Beth Brown on her relocation to the US & the growth of indie music within the Nashville community

Aussie artist Beth Brown has called Nashville home for a little under two years now, being one of the Australian crop of musicians to have made the jump into the Stateside pool in pursuing their musical career. So while coming to SXSW wasn’t necessarily a stretch – geography wise – for Brown, the experience was still one…

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Electric Guest talk their first album in five years Plural and returning to the road at SXSW

While at SXSW, I sat down with Asa Taccone and Matthew “Cornbread” Compto of American duo Electric Guest, who I first caught up with five years ago at SXSW, when they were releasing their debut album Mondo. Finally with a follow-up in hand, Plural, we spoke about the time it took between releases, what it feels…

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Jonny Allen & Benji Compston of Happyness (UK) on returning to SXSW and the release of Write In

Ahead of the release of new album Write In, we hang out with Jonny and Benji from South London group Happyness. Out at SXSW recently, the lads dealt with the heat, the chaos of running about the Texan city and developing their live show for a whole variety of new crowds. Welcome to SXSW. The sun has finally come out and…

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Watch All Our Exes Live in Texas perform “The Devil’s Part” on the streets of Austin, Texas

Hot off the heels of releasing their debut album When We Fall, Sydney quartet All Our Exes Live in Texas have returned from a successful jaunt to North America, playing a string of shows at the iconic South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Austin, Texas. Though the location is indeed their namesake, they were their…

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You have to listen to “Let Me Go” by one of our favourite SXSW Discoveries: Albin Lee Meldau

We discovered a lot of great music at SXSW 2017 – and had the opportunity to catch plenty of our favourite buzz acts live for the first time. But few of my personal discoveries have sat with me quite as heavily as Swedish artist Albin Lee Meldau, who sits as runner up in two of…

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Diet Cig’s Alex Luciano & Noah Bowman hang out at SXSW and chat Swear I’m Good At This

The end of SXSW is the glorious culmination of a week of full on shows, barely any sleep and poor dietary choices, for the most part. While the hangover extends to all areas of your body, the time spent exploring different parts of Austin and connecting with bands from all over the world is well worth it….

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Agnes Obel on the ups and downs of performing at SXSW & the development of her live shows

Agnes Obel‘s time at SXSW brought with it some shows that had us reeling with emotion. The artist is no stranger to the way SXSW likes to roll, yet for many people seeing her for the first time at the festival, they were definitely treated to a one-of-a-kind experience. We were lucky enough to catch some…

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Nic & Christian of Sydney’s Food Court dish up some goss from their US trip and offer tips for SXSW debutants

Sydney’s Food Court are currently continuing their domination of North America, having had a fantastic debut at SXSW recently. While their time abroad has the band slaying in Canada at the moment, Larry caught up with Nic and Christian at the Aussie BBQ in Texas to find out how their US trip had been treating them so far. Welcome to…

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Josh Cashman talks touring the US with Tash Sultana and more at SXSW

Catching up with Josh Cashman, we’re landing time with the Melbourne musician just off the back of some incredible shows with one of Australia’s most exciting new exports, Tash Sultana. Cashman’s arrival in Austin, Texas for SXSW brought with it a run of shows and exposure that undoubtedly left him hungry to get back into touring back home. It’s…

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Throttle talks international touring and time spent at SXSW

For DJ and producer Throttle, North America is just getting a taste of his style and shows – for those lucky enough to see him perform at SXSW, the young gun came through blazing, leaving excited chatter in his wake. As he eyed up over a month on the road through the US, we scored some…

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SXSW Film Review: A Bad Idea Gone Wrong (USA, 2017) steals all the right notes

A Bad Idea Gone Wrong is Jason Headley’s full feature length debut and I must say, Headley gives a simple concept a fantastic tune up. With this Comedy/Drama, two down on their luck thieves, Marlon (Matt Jones) and Leo (Will Rogers) land their next heist opportunity, a fancy mansion home while the owners are away….

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Australian Director Emma Franz talks about her poignant documentary Bill Frisell, A Portrait at SXSW

Australian Director Emma Franz‘s poignant documentary Bill Frisell, A Portrait premiered earlier this month at SXSW in Austin, Texas. The film is, as the name suggests, a portrait on the much loved musician Bill Frisell, both in his own words and through interviews with iconic artists like Bonnie Raitt and Paul Simon. I sat down…

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Director Robert Mockler talks about his debut feature Like Me and Terry Gilliam at SXSW

One of the films that made a splash at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Austin, Texas was Robert Mockler‘s directorial debut Like Me. A film that was set around society’s obsession with social media, I sat down with the director to talk about the kickstarter campaign that made the production possible, its…

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We sat down with Director Mark Webber and his family to talk about Flesh and Blood at SXSW

Director and Actor Mark Webber premiered his new film Flesh and Blood at SXSW earlier this month; a docu-style film which stars his own family and blurs the line between fact and fiction. I sat down with Mark, his mother Cheri Honkola, brother Guillermo Santos, and actress Madeline Brewer (Orange Is the New Black) to talk…

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Director Tommy O’Haver and writer Irene Turner on why we’ll love to hate Netflix’s The Most Hated Woman in America

Just released on Netflix, the biopic The Most Hated Woman in America is the true story of iconic Atheist activist Madalyn Murray O’Hair, starring a brilliant Melissa Leo in the title role. The film had is world premiere earlier this month at SXSW and while there, I sat down with the film’s director Tommy O’Haver…

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Adelaide’s The Coconut Kids reflect on their first SXSW, look ahead to BlenheimFest and more

Adelaide outfit The Coconut Kids recently made their American debut at the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas. I sat down with Julian and Ash from the group while in Austin to talk about what took them to the iconic event, the experiences they’ve had over there and what’s coming next for…

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