A2IM IS PROUD TO PRESENT THEIR 2023 SXSW SHOWCASE
SPOTLIGHTING RISING INDEPENDENT ARTISTS

THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF INDEPENDENT MUSIC FRONT AND CENTER
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15 AT SEVEN GRAND FROM 8 PM - 2 AM

A2IM SERVES THE INDIE MUSIC COMMUNITY THROUGH ADVOCACY, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY BUILDING – JOIN US FOR AN EVENING OF PERFORMANCES FROM BABY ROSE (SECRETLY CANADIAN), DEVON GILFILLIAN (FANTASY/CONCORD), OVERCOATS (THIRTY TIGERS), KATE DAVIS (ANTI-), TITA (COSMICA ARTISTS), AND IGUANA DEATH CULT (INNOVATIVE LEISURE).

"Being an independent artist is a labor of love. It’s shown me that I’m way more capable than just creating and playing music, when it comes to getting the vision across. You get to play by your own rules and measure success in your own way. Sometimes it’s difficult to sustain and justify the costs vs the gain, but then I remember that life is short and for me, to not live in my truth is far greater a cost in the long run. I will make it, and it will be with integrity."
– Baby Rose (Secretly Canadian)

“As an independent artist, I get to create the music and art that best resonate with me and my fans. The music industry has shifted so much in the past 20 years. The biggest gatekeepers are now the ones in your mind - insecurities, fears, and limitations. As an independent artist, I can face those gates and with the right mindset and support, hurdle them.”
– Devon Gillfillian (Fantasy/Concord)

“It's a special thing to be independent. It's hard enough to be an artist as is - we are so grateful to the team at Thirty Tigers who supports our vision and also would never stand in the way of it. The more independence we can create in the music industry, the less power to the labels and large corporations!”
– Overcoats (Thirty Tigers)

“Being an independent artist means you’re actually sharing yourself. No filters or expectations that impede you from your own truth. It’s the real life human perspective that I think is so powerful in art, and why indie labels have been important and enduring, because they carve out a space for this within the business. There’s so much rejection when art doesn’t fit into a box, on top of this being such a vulnerable pursuit, but the power lies in finding a supportive community all after the same thing… liberation.”
– Kate Davis (Anti-)

"To be an independent artist is to be an entrepreneur. We constantly risk everything we have, especially money and time, and we always try to bring something new with our art. Our job is to invite people to have an experience with their emotions, co-create with us and find what is inside them through our music. I have discovered that being independent is to learn that our work is a product that has to resonate in a very specific market for our message to be reached. The impact of innovation and refreshment that an emerging artist brings to a scene is extremely important because without them everything stagnates and everything would be monotonous."
– Tita (Cosmica Artists)

"We always wanted to make the music WE want to make. Being with an independent label gives us 100% freedom in expressing ourselves exactly how we want to. It encourages us to push our own boundaries and keep developing ourselves as musicians and songwriters. Communication with our independent label is always face-to-face with our representative, which makes it very personal and human. Having a good mutual relationship based on musical interest and not just money works extremely motivating for us."
– Iguana Death Cult (Innovative Leisure)

A2IM is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization headquartered in New York City that exists to support and strengthen the independent recorded music sector. Membership currently includes a broad coalition of nearly 500 Independently-owned American music labels. A2IM represents these independently owned small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community. In doing so, it supports a key segment of America's creative class that represents America's diverse musical and cultural heritage. Billboard Magazine identified the Independent music label sector as 37.32 percent of the music industry's U.S. recorded music sales market in 2016 based on copyright ownership, making Independent labels collectively the largest music industry sector.