SXSW 2012

The John Steel Singers are one of the most well-known alternative acts in Australia. With five members traversing across instruments like explorers, the Brisbane natives bring another dimension to the experimental pop aesthetic with an accomplished brass section on trombone and trumpet amongst the staple guitars, bass and drums. They were voted by national youth station, triple j, as unsigned band of the year with the Unearthed J Award in 2008. Their debut album ‘Tangalooma’ was produced by Robert Forster of The Go-Betweens and mixed by Nicolas Vernhes (Deerhunter, Fiery Furnaces). The album garnered huge support with triple j, receiving feature album, and single ‘Overpass’ coming in at #52 in the Hottest 100 of 2010. The band has trekked the country with their own sell-out headline shows and supported some incredible bands on tour such as The Polyphonic Spree, The Morning Benders and The Dodos; as well as playing festivals such as Splendour In The Grass, Big Day Out and Laneway Festival. They were recently in the states for CMJ in NY and have returned again for SXSW. They’ll be touring the west coast with He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister and Bad Weather California; playing the Tree Fort Music Festival in Boise, Idaho; and they’ll jumping into the studio with LA producer Thom Monahan (Vetiver, Little Joy, Au Revoir Simone) while in the country.