To our wonderful community of EQ Music Blog readers, we are thrilled to share some exciting news! You may have heard that the prestigious SXSW festival, which annually captivates audiences in Austin, Texas, marks its debut in London this June.

This event promises to be Europe’s largest, and most dynamic cross-sector networking opportunity, uniting tech innovators, creative visionaries, and influential business leaders to shape the future.

But here’s the secret we’ve been eagerly waiting to unveil. We are beyond excited to reveal EQ Music is showcasing some of our favourite emerging artists at this inaugural SXSW London festival.

We are co-curating the event EQ Music presents Poptronik, on the 3rd June 2025, 7pm at Jaguar Shoes in Hoxton. We’re excited to showcase an incredible lineup of talented independent artists who we’ve been championing here on the blog.

Get ready to experience the mesmerizing sounds of dark-pop senstaion, Nic Billington, the multi-talented wunderkid singer and producer, Lostchild, the evocative and punchy storytelling of singer-songwriter Myylo and the vibrant retro/electro vibes of Sophie Grey.

Prepare for an unforgettable experience as we bring fresh talent to the forefront!

Admission to this event is by festival pass only – Buy festival passes HERE.

Keep an eye on the blog for further SXSW London updates.

Check out the first wave of 100 artists announced HERE

The post EQ Music Presents Poptronik at SXSW London 2025 appeared first on EQ Music Blog.

From IMBD:

A 21-year-old construction worker in New Mexico joins a community of queer rodeo performers in search of their own version of the American dream.

When that is the synopsis of the film, you know it immediately gets put to the top of my must-see list. So, very appropriately, National Anthem was the very first film I got to see at SXSW this year.

All I can say is that this magical little slice of cinema is a pure delight. Charlie Plummer can do no wrong in my book. I became an instant fan of his in Lean On Pete, so to see him lead this insanely talented troupe of queer and trans actors was a joyous thing to witness. Cowboy hats off to the director Luke Gilford on having his first feature debut at SXSW too. I see a bright future for this daring new director and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does next.

Peep our Boys On Film review below…

But wait, there’s more!

Although I don’t quite know if there is an official trailer out for this film yet, there is this great cast interview from The Hollywood Reporter to tide you over until we get that first trailer drop.

Watch out for this one LGBTQ+ film fans, this movie is a compelling look at the importance of chosen family and how community ultimately plays a fundamental part in who and what we are as humans…

The post Boys On Film @ SXSW: National Anthem appeared first on EQ Music Blog.

If you thought Flamin’ Hot Cheetos were just some corporate snack creation, you my friend are wrong. Flamin’ Hot tells the true story of Frito Lay janitor Richard Montañez and is the directorial debut of Eva Longoria.

Flamin’ Hot by far was one of my favorite movies as SXSW this year and I can’t wait for you all to experience this feel-good, comedic fresh take by this mostly Latino cast and crew, heralded together by your favorite desperate housewife and mine, Eva Longoria.

Peep our Boys On Film review below…

I love this movie so much and can’t wait to see it again either in cinemas or on a streaming service. Bravo to SXSW and the Film & TV festival for programming such a delightful, inclusive and relevant film this year. To give you a better feel for what to expect with Flamin’ Hot, here’s a clip…

But wait, there’s more!

Check out this interview from The Hollywood Reporter with Eva Longoria and the cast!

The post Boys On Film @ SXSW: Flamin’ Hot appeared first on EQ Music Blog.

Who knew a movie about the addictive little video game Tetris would make such a smash hit of a film? Certainly not me! But I have to say, that when I first saw the trailer for Tetris on Apple TV+ I was intrigued.

Peep our Boys On Film review below…

Tetris proves that Apple TV is committed to high quality content that delivers on the level on HBO Originals. Taron Egerton gives the performance of his life as lead actor in this “stranger than fiction” true life story.

Stream this movie now. You won’t be disappointed. Here’s the trailer.

And because we love all things Tetris, make sure to check out the single from the film from K-pop girl group aespa called “Hold On Tight” which perfectly soundtracks the intensity of a thrill ride Tetris truly is.

But wait, there’s more!

Check out the red carpet footage from the Tetris premiere at SXSW below!

The post Boys On Film @ SXSW: Tetris appeared first on EQ Music Blog.

If there was a theme to this year’s SXSW Film & TV Festival, it definitely was the story of “products”.

From the story of the creation of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, to the Blackberry and even the cloak and dagger escapades of the creation of Tetris – SXSW knows what is going to capture the zeitgeist in 2023.

I was lucky enough to get into Air, the closing night film of SXSW this year and let me tell you – it’s an absolute gem of a film. Being able to be in the room with Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman and the rest of the insanely talented cast was such a treat – I’ll never forget it.

Peep my review below…

Directed by Ben Affleck, Air is probably the greatest product marketing story ever told about the greatest basketball shoes ever made by the legend, Michael Jordan.

Correction: And yes, I’m fully aware I made a mistake in saying that it’s being distributed by Apple TV, I had Tetris on the brain. But hey, you try seeing 20 movies in 10 days and then wake up at 9am to do reviews. The exhausted look on my face and my puffy eyes says it all.

Air is being distributed through Amazon, hitting cinemas first, but expect this drop on Amazon Prime Video sometime soon after it’s cinema run.

Need more convincing to go see this in the cinema? Here’s the trailer.

Peep the red carpet footage of the stars on premiere night. You might even catch a glimpse of me making my way into the cinema. LOL.

The post Boys On Film @ SXSW: Air appeared first on EQ Music Blog.

OK EQ Music family, I think I’m finally ready to start reviewing films after spending three weeks away from home, catching as many SXSW and BFI Flare films as I could this year.

And I do have to say, SXSW 2023 certainly had a lot of surprises.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all (and probably my favorite SXSW moment of all time) was being rewarded with an advance screening of John Wick Chapter 4 with Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski introducing the movie and sticking around for a lively Q&A afterwards.

In this Boys On Film review, we discuss the process of getting into these SXSW “special presentations”, why watching Keanu Reeves kick-ass for almost 3 hours is great escape therapy and what the future might hold for the John Wick franchise. Is it the end of an era?

But wait, there’s more…

Here’s the complete Q&A from SXSW – if you’re a fan of John Wick or a mega-fan of Keanu Reeves, you’re gonna wanna watch this footage as it’s the perfect accompaniment to this amazing action film.

The post Boys On Film @ SXSW: John Wick Chapter 4 appeared first on EQ Music Blog.

No SXSW music festival would be the same without the familiar face of Laura Bettinson putting in an appearance. She previously performed her special brand of visionary alt-pop at the Austin festival, on more than one occasion, under the stage name of FEMME. She has since undergone a rebrand. Her former moniker FEMME is out and lau.ra is in, but also along with covering vocals, these days she is turning her hand to production and DJing more. Intrigued by the new direction she is taking, when covering SXSW this year. We knew we had to check out her mini online showcase as we were wanting to learn more about her whole new sound for ourselves.

Lau.ra performed as part of the British Music Embassy lineup for the 2021 virtual edition of SXSW. At first, we had some reservations, but we needn’t have worried about how a DJ set would pan out when transferred to online streaming. Taking both from her previous SXSW experiences and her live performance work as FEMME, has ensured Lau.ra is a dab hand at connecting with an audience. If anything from behind a deck set-up, she proved herself to be super hot and powerfully engaging. Her beat-making is juicy. She flips super heavy basslines out, similarly as fast as we might cook up a batch of pancakes. lau.ra is without a doubt a production force to be reckoned with.

With no hesitation, we had to find out more. We put our correspondent on the ground in Austin, Javi Lopez on the case. Here’s the interview Javi filed in.

EQ: Can you tell us about the music that inspires you? 

I’m inspired by any music that turns unexpected corners. I like big filthy basslines and UKG garage influenced beats. I’m also a sucker for a really, catchy vocal hook. If tracks have all three of those elements I’ll usually fall in love at first listen. I’m inspired by producers that push the envelope and don’t just churn out paint by numbers house music. I like to be surprised.

From live music to live streaming, how was the process of adaptation in a pandemic world for you? 

Ironically, despite a global pandemic and shut down of live events and touring in the UK I’ve had one of my best years ever for releasing music. I’ve always had a studio in my home in London so my workflow was not disrupted when the world shut down. I carried on as normal and was able to produce more new music than ever before without the distraction of travelling for meetings, shows or shoots. I’ve had a ton of BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music support for all my releases these past 12 months which I’m incredibly grateful for but I’ve missed dancing and the opportunity to DJ the songs I’ve been making to audiences.

We love the sound of “Get Creative” (w Nova), but we want to know what is a favourite song of yours?

My favourite song of my own is hard to pick because I love each new one more than the last but I’m very proud of “Wicked” feat. Eliza Legzdina. That song came together very quickly and when I pulled that bassline out of the bag I knew we’d written a monster tune that was absolutely massive and fairly unique. My favourite song of all time by another artist? I wouldn’t be able to pick just one.

What are some of your goals in your artistic journey?

I’d like to be able to share the music I’m making with as many people as possible across the globe. If I can bring them some joy and a desire to dance that’s what drives me. Every year I’m able to continue to exist as an artist professionally brings me great pride and I hope to be able to continue on this path till I’m old and grey (but still making dirty beats).

Any parting words for EQ Music readers?

Get your vitamin D and turn your favourite tunes up just one notch louder than you think is acceptable.

Thanks, lau.ra, that sounds like sound advice to us, you’re a girl after our own heart.

If you like unpredictable, club flavours stick with lau.ra. We feel we know with, this girl, she will keep on with the trailblazing. Forge ahead and show both the realms of DJing and music production, that the ladies have got this down, as good as the fellas.

Connect with lau.ra
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/femmehq
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lau_ra_lau_ra
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lau.ra.lau.ra.lau.ra/

The post SXSW 2021: Emerging Artist: lau.ra appeared first on EQ Music Blog.

We wanted to pick back up with LA-based indie-pop savants Magdalena Bay. We covered their blissful, shimmery synth-pop track “Story” for the blog, spring 2020. Turned out it was kind of a bittersweet release, for these buzz-accumulating emerging artists. Instead of celebrating the launch of the sparkly EP “A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling” the duo were also, due to appear at SXSW. Suffice to say we all know what happened next. You could say the EP release was quite the wild ride. Happily, things are beginning to get back on track in Magdalena Bay land (now working on a new album with announcing going on tour with George Clanton and Vitesse X). And thus, since hitting its, one-year, release anniversary feel it prudent to show a little more appreciation of both Magdalena Bay, and the glistening EP which quickly became our first quarantine album.

All in all, “A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling” evokes sun-soaked summer grooves throughout. Boasting dreamy vocals aplenty and softly soothing melodies. With the sun starting to make an appearance again, we’ve had good reason to pull the EP out some more for multiple listens. When it comes to gelling with just one track “Story” has the edge. We were kinda glad to see that it eventually got its moment to shine at SXSW when the festival transferred online for 2021. “Story” was included in the mini-set along with the EP tracks “Venice” and “Good Intentions.” We loved this performance and how Mica and Matthew upped the game on their usual DIY stylings. And feel maybe because of this, they had an advantage when being moved to livestream.

Connect with Magdalena Bay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/magbae/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MagdalenaBay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magdalenabay/

The post SXSW 2021: Emerging Artists: Magdalena Bay appeared first on EQ Music Blog.

You might have noticed our Boys On Film picks at SXSW this year in our previous post. Well, consider this a bonus post! There is so much good film content at SXSW that it’s hard to collectively agree on films, so I’ve put together a list of extra films from SXSW that I personally recommend in addition to our Boys On Film picks.

Please seek these films out when they make their way to you via on-demand or theatrical. I got quite a bit of joy from these features which consist of a short-to-feature film, a heartfelt indie crowd pleaser, a riveting documentary about a girl obsessed with dominos, the joyous biography of indie film legend Kevin Smith, a gripping drama about the aftermath of a school shooting and a bonus hot doc about donuts from last year’s festival which didn’t quite get the attention it deserved at the beginning of the pandemic.

Potato Dreams Of America

Hands down this is by far my favourite film at SXSW this year. Adapted from the critically-acclaimed short film Little Potato, which you can watch below, Potato Dreams Of America tells the true story of an American-obsessed gay Russian boy who dreams of going to America and living his best gay life. This film is adorably cute and funny and it’s so outrageous that this is is the true story of the director. Truth is stranger than fiction as they say. With great performances all-round including appearances from Lea DeLaria and Jonathan Bennett who plays Jesus Christ, Potato Dreams Of America is one film you won’t want to miss. Please give director Wes Hurley a huge round of applause here.

This film is so fresh, it doesn’t even have a trailer yet, but visit the website to learn more about it and watch Little Potato below as a pre-cursor to the feature film.

I’m Fine (Thanks For Asking)

Homeless Danny is skating through life – quite literally. However she’s a mom that will do whatever it takes to take care of her daughter and get her the apartment they deserve. Living in a tent off the highway, Danny spends the day doing delivery orders to make ends meet. Needless to say, she meets a cast of characters that try to stand in her way of achieving the goals she desires. This film is full of heart and I loved it. It’s sad and happy all at the same time and I hope I’m Fine (Thanks For Asking) gets some attention this year as it’s one of best selections from SXSW this year.

Lily Topples The World

Lily Hevesh is the domino toppling queen – no question about it. I literally knew nothing about her until I curiously watched this documentary. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this film. The film tells the story of Asian-American Lily who is as smart as a whip and throws away her advanced college ambitions to pursue being the face of domino toppling. She builds a brand empire online and now makes a living doing corporate events and YouTube videos all centered around her insane domino creations. She even has her own brand of dominos that she designed and developed with a toy company.

Lily Topples The World is an impressive documentary and right after watching it, you’ll want to buy a set of Havesh5 dominos and subscribe to her YouTube channel to see what she builds next…

Clerk

Make no mistake, I’m a big Kevin Smith fan, so to have a full documentary at SXSW about the indie film legend himself…let’s just say I was more than thrilled and was bursting with fruit flavor before I hit the play button. You might have thought that Kevin Smith led a charmed life after breakout indie hit Clerks established him as a name. Well, Clerks is just part of the story and this film delves into the hits and misses that Kevin Smith has had along the way in becoming a pop culture icon. It’s not always been a bed of roses. From his headline making recent heart attack to interviews with his closest friends and family, Clerk is a must-see if you are as fascinated by the jort-wearing mogul as I am.

The Fallout 

Wow – what a film! What can we say here other than The Fallout way exceeded our expectations. Telling the story of the aftermath of a school shooting and it’s effects on the survivors, The Fallout is one of the year’s best films in my opinion. With wonderful performances by Jenna Ortega and rising star Maddie Ziegler, this character piece film really delves deep behind the emotions that our young people feel after surviving trauma that often goes unnoticed to the rest of us after the CNN and Fox headlines fade away. To be honest, I was expecting a teen angst film here mostly, but what The Fallout delivers is a tour de force examination into the psyche of today’s teenagers who are taking the hits for one of the biggest systematic problems in America right now. Gun control needs to be on the forefront of everyone’s mind after watching this fantastic film. Bravo to the director Megan Park for making such a bold film.

The Donut King (SXSW 2020)

And a bonus film! Although The Donut King was not included in the 2021 SXSW Film lineup, it was in the 2020 set of films that many did not get to see due to the pandemic ruining a lot of the 2020 festival screenings. Janet Pearson and her team did the best they could to make some screenings available online in March 2020 and I was lucky enough to get to view The Donut King as part of that diverted plan. This wonderful documentary tells the story of an unassuming immigrant named Ted Ngoy who built a donut empire that rivals the biggest donut chains including Dunkin Donuts, Winchells and Krispy Creme. You’ve seen all those independent donut shops in strip malls right? But have you ever considered that most all of them have one thing in common in Ted Ngoy? Yeah, me neither. The Donut King is available to stream on-demand now and I highly suggest you watch this joyous rags-to-riches to rock bottom story. The Donut King is one of my favorite docs of the past few years and proves that if you have the ambition to achieve the American dream, you can do it and lose it.

The post EQ Music’s Top SXSW 2021 Film Recommendations appeared first on EQ Music Blog.

Although Covid-19 once again ruined our plans to be on-the-ground in Austin, TX this year for SXSW, we have to take our hats off to the festival’s film programming team for making this year’s online curation of new films truly world class. Janet Pearson, your team knocked our socks off once again.

Normally, we’d break our SXSW coverage up into multiple posts, but this time you are getting our Top 5 SXSW film recommendations in one mega post this year. These are the films that Phil and Raj highly recommend from the festival that you should definitley be on the lookout for.

There is a lot to unpack, so let’s get right into it…

Swan Song

If you’re a fan of indie gay classics such as Edge Of Seventeen and Another Gay Movie, you won’t be disappointed with Swan Song by director Todd Stephens. Full of heart, humor, fabulosity and shade, Udo Kier delivers a wildly camp performance as an over-the-hill gay hairdresser who escapes his nursing home to fix up the hair of his most fabulous and wealthy client (played by Linda Evans) who has passed. This film will leave you howling and there even is a Robyn moment that will uplift the soul.

Swan Song has a limited theatrical release on August 6th and will be released on VOD August 13th.

Introducing, Selma Blair

To be honest, we really didn’t know too much about the life of 90s/00s actress Selma Blair. Yeah she kissed Buffy in Cruel Intentions and she was Hellboy’s main gal in the first iteration of the franchise, but other than that, did any of us really know the girl with that oh-so-familiar glamorous face? Introducing, Selma Blair dives into the daily struggles of the actress’ life as a mother with multiple sclerious (MS) a disease that effects the central nervous system. This film is powerful and telling and pull the curtain back on living with a disease whilst having a career in the public eye. If you weren’t a fan of Selma Blair before, you’ll most certainly will be after watching this touching documentary.

Femme (short film)

Femme is THE best short film we’ve seen in a long time and is written and directed by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping. Shot in London’s Shoreditch and starring Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) and Harris Dickinson (Beach Rats), Femme tells the story of what can go wrong when you know you shouldn’t get into a drug dealer’s car – but you do anyways. For an 18 minute film, Femme packs a massive punch and needless to say, both Phil and Raj were blown away by the artistry displayed in this anxiety-inducing mini movie.

Femme is currently making the film festival rounds, but if you have a chance to catch it – you must.

Paul Dodd’s Deadly Lunch Break (with interview with director Nick Gillespie)

Who doesn’t like a good British bloodbath with a twist of comedy? There is something to be said about movies like Shaun of the Dead and Prevenge – it’s good, bloody fun isn’t it?! Well if you like those films like Phil and I do, Paul Dodd’s Deadly Lunch Break will not disappoint. The premise: Poor unlucky Paul Dodd – all he wants to do is make it to his big telly variety show audition so he can finally dazzle us with his dance routine and gain fame and riches…but he’s just having a really bad day it seems. This film is full of faffy comedy that you just can’t help but love. You’ll laugh out loud at this one and wonder why we don’t engage in a little murder over our lunch breaks when we have a bad case of the Mondays.

Them

If you haven’t binge-watched Them yet on Amazon Prime video, what the hell are you waiting for?! We are loving this renaissance period of black storytellers in the horror genre ever since Jordan Peele opened Pandora’s box with Get Out. If you like Jordan Peele’s work, you’ll really dig what Little Marvin is doing in the television space with Them. The premise involves a Black family who moves into an all-white Los Angeles neighbourhood (early Compton in Los Angeles) where malevolent forces threaten to taunt, ravage and destroy them. There is one episode that is so horrific that it haunted me for days. This television show is powerful stuff and you can’t deny the genius that has gone into making this anthology series. I can’t wait to see what season 2 brings us…

The post Boys On Film Do SXSW 2021: Top 5 Film Recommendations appeared first on EQ Music Blog.