It's March, so Madness is on the mind.
For a lot of folks, the madness is NCAA Basketball and the road to the Final Four. The music industry, however, deals with its own insanity this month, as a near-immeasurable amount of talent arrives in Austin, Texas for South By Southwest.
SxSW has become a haven for fledgling and fringe acts alike, all of them crowding into venues to play showcases populated by the industry's best and brightest talent scouts. The festival can serve as a launch point for new and stagnant careers alike, as PR firms and labels search for fresh voices and sounds to fill out their rosters. South-by can be a little overwhelming for anybody, let alone the brave souls that attempt to organize and book shows.
That's why it was such a pleasure to sit down with friend and singer/songwriter Jamie Kent (of Jamie Kent & the Options ), who we've kept tabs on since he set out to forge his way into the music industry a little over two years ago. Kent has risen from driving up and down the Eastern Seaboard with just his guitar and ukelele and giving away music, to putting together four national tours with his band, recording two full-length records, and producing an impressive compilation album featuring artists from his hometown of Northampton, MA.
Now, Jamie Kent & the Options will join five other impressive acts from that same college town in Western Massachusetts at the Northampton Comes to Austin Party at SxSW this year. When we spoke recently via phone interview, Kent talked excitedly about the quality of the bill.
Kent's own organization, The Collective Music Group, is serving as the umbrella organization for the showcase in Austin. With Kent as it's head, the young company has already released a compilation album called The Valley Rising, with the same aim to exhibit the great talent emanating from the area. Three of the six acts on the bill are also featured on The Valley: indie-folk group the Sun Parade, singer/songwriter Joshua Meltzer, and the jazz-jam stylings of Jamie Kent & the Options. The above groups are joined by seasoned folk-veterans Winterpills, the pleasing blues of Haunt, and the well-traveled and diverse rock stylings of Billy Keane.
"There are three common threads for the entire bill. Location [every act bases itself in Northampton, MA], everyone is working as a full time musician, and each group features excellent songwriting and production value on their records", said Kent. When asked if there were any standouts in style or talent, he added further, "Everyone meshes really well."
Kent got the idea to put a showcase together after he and the Options stopped in Austin in March of 2011 to play a few non-showcase gigs. "Sixth Street was an overwhelming explosion of sound coming from every direction. People kept moving in and out, it was insane," observed Kent. "That's why we chose Maria Maria. It's off the beaten path a bit, but still notable, like Northampton."
The bill is a smattering of popular genres, echoes of which can be heard all over alternative radio. Kent believes that the Pioneer Valley (which includes Northampton and Amherst along with a few other small New England towns along the Connecticut River) is just a rich a place for cultivating music as it is for crops. "Northampton is on the map for music," he explains. "A lot of national acts stop through here, and people already know about it as a destination." The showcase at SxSW is his way of showing the rest of the country what happens every night in Northampton while bigger acts pass on through. "It's a great scene, with huge national potential".
Journalistic integrity aside, I have to agree with him. But hey, it's where I grew up. Decide for yourself with links to all the bands below. And of course if you're in Austin next week, RSVP for the showcase if you can.
Jamie Kent
The Sun Parade
Winterpills
Haunt
Joshua Meltzer
Billy Keane
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