Each year when festival lineups come out, there’s a flurry of excitement. Festivals pack all your favorite artists into a whirlwind three days, so of course they’re a music lovers’ dream come true! Whether you’re a Erykah Badu fan or Billie Eillish junkie, this year’s Austin City Limits lineup has something for everyone. But one of our favorite things about festival season is how easy it is to find our new favorite artist simply by stumbling upon their set, and Austin City Limits is known for its ability to launch rising artists into the big leagues. This year, don’t find yourself lost in the fine print of the lineup poster, B-Sides has you covered. Here are our favorite rising or underrated artists whose sets you won’t want to miss at Austin City Limits this year.
Friday
- Tkay Maidza – T-Mobile Stage 5:00-6:00
As soon as I heard Zimbabwe born Australian artist Tkay Maidza’s collaboration with Kari Faux on their track “Don’t Call Again,” I was floored. Maidza has a gorgeously interesting voice, airy and light while still carrying a hefty soul to it. Maidza’s music is truly boundary pushing, forming connections between genres seamlessly, as only someone born to be a musician can. Her 2020 EP Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2 showed the range of energies she can tap into, going from spirited dancehall on “24k” to a tongue in cheek blend of indie and R&B on “PB Jam”. Maidza is one of those artists I think everyone will love, and can confidently say that her set will be a highlight of the weekend.
- Claud – VRBO Stage 1:45-2:30
Honestly, Claud is making bedroom pop relevant again. The nonbinary artist just released their debut album Super Monster via indie breakout star Phoebe Bridger’s Saddest Factory Records this past February, and I fell in love with the sweet songwriting and fresh production on the record. Claud began by making the lofi indie tracks that were characteristic of the bedroom pop movement we’ve all become familiar with. But on Super Monster, they showed the true reach of their talent, transforming our ideas of what bedroom pop really meant, favoring crisp production yet maintaining the likable youthfulness of the sound.
- Joy Oladokun – Lady Bird Stage 2:30-3:15
Joy Oladokun’s music spans the genres of folk, R&B, pop, and rock, and always carries a fresh perspective and keen lyrical ear. Oladokun often draws from her experiences as a queer woman of color, creating portraits of her emotional world that draw you in and wrap you in her warmth and hopefulness. Growing up in Arizona, she would listen to country and folk music as well as Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill. This unique musical foundation has given her a deep sense of melody and truly remarkable songwriting skills. Oladokun’s set will be filled with the uplifting, sincere songs that have become so dear to us, and we can’t wait to hear her preach.
Saturday
- Katie Pruitt – BMI Stage 3:20-4:20
Nashville transplant Katie Pruitt tackles tough subjects in her songs that are profoundly human, singing about everything from religion to mental health to the trials of modern love. If you’re a fan of folksy country women like Brandi Carlille or Kacey Musgraves, you’ll love Pruitt’s songwriting and contemporary focused roots-country sound.
- Payday – Miller Lite Stage 12:05-12:50
At the age of just 16 years old, young Payday was already garnering attention for her eccentric, bold style of rapping, where she weaves tales about everything from getting a manicure in Walmart to alphabet soup. She began making music at age 12, where she would surf the internet for beats that she could spit some clever rhymes over, inspired by boundary pushing artists like Charli XCX and Tierra Whack. Now, she’s taking the stage at Austin City Limits with a set that is sure to turn everyone in the crowd into a new fan.
- Remi Wolf – T-Mobile Stage 3:20-4:20
Remi Wolf should hardly be a new name by now, with her monumental rise in 2020 after a string of bopping singles like “Photo ID” and “Disco Man” positioning her as the next major breakout artist. Remi Wolf has an incredible sense of humor and brings every ounce of her personality onto the stage and into her songs. This set will be the perfect place to dance your heart out and laugh until your stomach hurts.
- Amber Mark – Lady Bird Stage 12:50-1:35
Amber Mark is truly a global citizen. She was raised across Europe and Asia, and is now based in New York. Her experiences across the globe exposed her to vast swaths of new sounds from genres across the world which she translates into her genre-bending songs. Mark writes and produces all of her songs herself, saying, “I enjoy working alone because I can be my most creative. There’s no compromising”. That independent spirit and unified vision gives her music a tremendous feel of decisiveness and personal exploration that is as fascinating as it is catchy.
8. AG Club – Miller Lite Stage 3:20-4:20
AG Club is a fast-rising hip hop group that emerged from the Bay Area. Lead vocalist and in-house graphic designer Baby Boy spits verses with such a fun energy its hard to tear yourself away from their records, and rapper/writer Jody Fontaine has an immensely fun style of wordplay. This group has the fun comradery of some of our favorite hip-hop collective such as Brockhampton and Odd Future while developing their own unique sound which is fun and filled with swagger.
Sunday
- Marc Rebillet – T-Mobile Stage 5:30-6:30
Marc Rebillet has become as much of an internet personality as he is a musician, with his Twitch streams featuring improvised electronic songs with hilarious lyrics garnering thousands and thousands of viewers. Rebillet has tended to distribute most of his material on Twitch and YouTube, but has cultivated a devoted following of fans who recognize his insane musical talent beneath the comic exterior. Rebillet began playing piano at the age of four, studying classical music until he was fifteen. Rebillet has always banked on Internet humor, and had a series of viral moments throughout the years, but his musical skills have always made his shows as enriching as they are funny. No two shows are alike because of his extensive improvisation, but in my opinion that’s half the fun!
- 070 Shake – Tito’s Stage 4:30-6:30
Rapper and singer 070 Shake is one of the most unique and enthralling figures in contemporary music. Growing up in New Jersey, she came up with the 070 Crew, whose breakthrough hit “Trust Nobody” was picked up by Kanye West’s Def Jam-supported Getting Out Our Dreams Label when she was just a teenager. Since then, she’s grown her own artistry to make absolutely enchanting hip hop tracks, and was even featured on “Violent Crimes” and “Ghost Town” on Kanye’s Ye.
