San Antonio's music scene has never needed Austin's permission, but this March, it's heading there anyway. A wave of local acts is taking puro energy straight to South by Southwest, March 12-18, and we caught up with three of them.
DeShaunJay
Rapper DeShaunJay says he embraced music as soon as he learned how to walk and talk.
“It's been another language to me,” he says. “It's been something I've been involved with in one way or another for as long as I can remember.”
In high school, he became more serious about writing and performing songs, later founding the Flourish Gang and releasing projects like Phone Calls, a series of intimate albums focused on the ups and downs of relationships and personal growth. The most recent release, Phone Calls 4, like all his work, was self-engineered.
“When it comes to my process of making music, I'm very private,” DeShaunJay says. “If you're not involved in the process, you're not going to see too much unless I'm actually finished, unless there's something I've recorded…I'm going to sit there, and I'm going to give every line thought,” he added. “I take my time. I try to let [my music] speak to me.”
Although he has a closely-held process, he is still dedicated to growing San Antonio’s music community. In 2021, DeShaunJay was elected a brand ambassador for MVP Vibe, a locally based, Black- and woman-owned social network platform designed to connect musicians, vocalists, and poets.
As he works on a fifth installation of Phone Calls, DeShaunJay says his musical journey is still a learning process.
“When I first started releasing music, I was completely open to the fact that I don't know everything,” he said. “I'm still figuring things out.”
March 12, 11:40 pm, Rivere, 1501 E. Seventh St., Austin
Ryley Hall is making her SXSW debut.Photo courtesy of Ryley Hall
Ryley Hall
Future pop star Ryley Hall draws inspiration from various genres and musicians, particularly superstars such as Michael Jackson and Selena Gomez. Like her heroes, she is a multi-hyphenate, singing, acting, doing voiceovers, and working behind the scenes.
“I take [music and acting] very seriously,” she says. “I just go with what's in front of me in the moment, but music has been the most consistent thing for me.”
While Hall performed with choirs and in school plays in her preteens, she began writing original music with Chelsea Guy in high school. Together, they wrote Hall’s debut album, Moments. Strumming a guitar she received as a sweet 16 gift, she built a name playing local acoustic shows.
The performances drew the attention of local rock musician and producer Michael Morales, who helped Hall to further shape her sound. Since then, she has developed an emotive approach to songwriting.
“Whenever I'm getting ready to write a song, I usually go with what I feel in the moment and let everything come out,” Hall explains. “Sometimes, I start with a vocal melody, try to finish it, and then try to figure out what chords go with that melody to build the structure.”
Hot off the release of her latest single, “F U,” in February, the singer will be making her SXSW debut, where she hopes her music will resonate with a worldwide audience.
“[This music is] like a state of emotional release and being able to connect with others,” Hall says.
March 14, 8 pm, Shangri-La, 1016 E. Sixth St., Austin
Mypilotis (aka Chesca Umeno) will play a showcase March 16. Photo courtesy of Stilltone Creative
mypilotis
Chesca Umeno, the voice behind sunny indie rockers mypilotis, received her first guitar from her mother as a young child. Soon, Umeno taught herself guitar tabs online, played along to records, and then took private violin lessons — becoming a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and “homemade producer.”
“I've made my music here and there simply out of pleasure and enjoyment, and I'd just jam in my room for hours until four in the morning at times,” she says.
Umeno learned even more about DIY music production and full-band arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdowns sparked a resurgence in bedroom pop, a genre marked by lo-fi, bedroom-recorded sounds. Similar indie artists inspired her to create a one-person band, initially recording before branching out to songwriting.
But the music didn’t really click until her father’s sudden, unexpected death.
“Music helped me with processing those complex feelings I haven’t experienced before and turning them into something tangible,” Umeno says.The artist’s musical process usually involves her randomly stumbling on a favorable chord progression or riff while jamming alone on the bass or guitar.
“Once I have the meat for a catchy ear-worm, I'll continue to add more phrases and layers around it — almost like building blocks,” Umeno adds.During her SXSW show and a later performance at La Semana Alegre during Fiesta, Umeno will be joined by some friends for the full performance sound — Joey Gonzalez on lead guitar, Edgar Betancourt on drums, Sophie Kurihara on bass, and JJ Herron on keys.
Even though she recently toured Japan, she still has butterflies about her first appearance at the Austin showcase.“I'm a bit nervous though, being a small guy at such a huge, world-renowned event that's considered the premier destination for creative professionals, but ultimately I just want to have fun with this with my best friends/bandmates while we're there, and see where things go," she says.
March 16, time TBA, Shangri-La, 1016 E. Sixth St., Austin
Other San Antonio artists
Two other San Antonio musical acts will have official SXSW showcases on March 18: Latin/cumbia artist La Coreañera at Mala Fama, 422 E. Sixth, and reggae band Dub Gideon at Flamingo Cantina, 515 E. Sixth. Admission to SXSW musical showcases is open to platinum or music badge holders.
