Two People. No gimmicks, no irony. A name that reflects a lack of artifice in the music and the vision of the people behind it: Phoebe Lou and Joey Clough, kindred musical spirits who have been doing this since they were 15. With support already from from the likes of Gorilla vs Bear, XLR8R and Stereogum, their appearances at SxSW will be their first in the US. Like all good projects, this one started with a manifesto. “Let’s aim small and let it be big,” the pair wrote in a lengthy document guiding the recording process of debut album First Body, out via Liberation Records (Vance Joy, Julia Jacklin) and Terrible Records (Solange, Blood Orange) January 2019. Phoebe and Joey weren’t exactly sure what kind of music would come out of those early sessions in 2015, but they were clear on how they wanted to do things. Their art would be sustainable, long-term, and almost entirely self-made. It’d be guided by bold visual cues, DIY principles, and artists that emphasise the empty space between notes as much as the notes themselves; artists such as James Blake, Caribou, and Jamie xx. “The music, above all else has to move you, physically and emotionally,” they wrote. And it does.

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.