Welcome back to The Club List, a newsletter about making a business out of what you love.

It’s SXSW season! For readers who haven’t experienced this whirlwind, it runs March 7-15 in Austin, TX, and it’s evolved to function as the first big "exhibition hub” of the US conference season for tech and music both (with some critical room for film, too). I’m going on Saturday and staying through the end, which is my longest visit to date (and this is my 10th SXSW). Looking forward to seeing many of you down there!

This newsletter usually includes me writing about a current issue I see in creative marketing in-depth, for independent creators and growing companies alike. This ain’t a normal issue! This week’s edition is mainly focused on SXSW, and if you’re in music or tech, your inbox is currently exploding. So, we’ll get back to our usual format after SXSW concludes.

Anyway - what’s got me down there, you’re asking? Well. I have a couple of clients onsite, and I have quite a few bands I’m excited to hear besides. (And that’s not even getting into some of what else I’m doing. Find me, and we’ll talk about it!) This is my short primer for clients I’m repping, and for clubs you’ll find me in. Bonus: new Club’s Choice playlist!

A2IM

I’m about to make your SXSW visit much, much more indie. Grab the Indies Take SXSW calendar, compiled by the A2IM team, for your handy cheat sheet to the independent music industry at SXSW this year! If you’re already an A2IM member (as I know quite a few of you are), make sure you RSVP to the Thursday breakfast at Parkside presented by Downtown, and check your inbox for the access code. The breakfast is members-only, but the calendar itself is for everyone. Take it. It’s right there.

For more info, and to join: a2im.org

Great Comet

If Superchunk happened right now but also was as comfortable and real as a fresh set of Carhartt coveralls, that record would probably sound like Great Comet. The brainchild of PNW-based singer/guitarist Aaron New, Great Comet’s debut album All These Wasted Days is crammed to bursting with heavy guitar power-pop right to the pleasure centers. But what if I told you that his upcoming material is a little less distortion and a little more open-road, introspective alt-country? Let’s put it this way: if you’ve ever laid out under a night sky and thought about both the fragility of the human experience and the hugeness of the cosmos, Great Comet is for you. It just depends on how you’re viewing the sky that evening.

Aaron will be at SXSW from Tuesday on, and he’ll be hopping on the occasional solo bill. If you want to see him live and stripped-down, you know who to call.

Looking for: Distribution, radio, booking | Official Website

Club’s Choice, Vol. 3

Are you trying to figure out which SXSW artists on the official (and unofficial) schedules are a must-see? Enter Club’s Choice, Vol. 3: SXSW 2025. It’s the latest entry in my curated “best-of-the-next” playlist series, and it’s for you. 40 top-tier acts from Brooklyn and Austin to Australia and Bulgaria, all of which I intend to see during SXSW for no more complicated reason than “I think their stuff is brilliant and could become a next big thing right now.”

The magic of SXSW is that, even at the off-the-grid unofficial shows, you can find your new favorite act anywhere. Please go see a new artist you didn’t know if you’re there, especially if I didn’t already tell you about them. Trust your ears. They got you this far already. And when you’re done, leave some space for these choices.

Spotify | Apple Music

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One Thing You Can Use Today

Are you in the entertainment/music/tech/etc industry and going to SXSW?

Are you the sort of person who isn’t going, but tends to go to other free parties elsewhere that require access?

If the RSVP is open and it’s not a members-only thing, always ask for a +1.

You never know who you might be rolling to a show with somewhere, or whose night you can make by taking them along to something you’re doing. So many people show up to conferences and festivals without a clear plan, just to take in the sights. These people are often there for the right reasons and just don’t know how to move within these spaces yet.

When you see me in the streets in Texas next week, I’ll probably have a +1 to anything I RSVPed to. Just ask. You never know where it might lead.

And if you wonder why I do this - and why you should too, whether you’re an artist checking this kind of thing out for the first time or an industry pro - remember that access is currency.

Track of the Week

Back next issue - listen to Club’s Choice, Vol. 3! 40 of ‘em in there!

Thanks for reading! And now, an image of me in the club…

The Club List is a newsletter from MeInTheClub.com. All issues are available at TheClubList.net. To inquire about marketing services for your work, contact [email protected] and include "Services” in the subject line.