credit: Claire Hodgkins
Deadbeat Girl at Low Down Lounge
Deadbeat Girl, or Val Olson, is a 20-year-old indie-alternative singer-songwriter from South Florida, currently residing in NYC. Growing up as a hispanic queer kid in a conservative town, they write spontaneously, from a place of stark authenticity.
They launched their debut single “Another Day” in November 2022 after spending the pandemic writing music. The song, about their battle with mental health, flooded the artist’s social media inboxes with stories of the record saving lives. Following the single, the artist’s debut EP entitled “What Will It Take?” released in March 2023. The record arrived as a coming of age moment, navigating self acceptance and heartache. The release, now surpassing 1.5 million streams on Spotify, has support from fans and critics alike.
Deadbeat Girl just finished a global tour last Fall with artist Ari Abdul in cities throughout North America, Canada, UK and Europe. Additionally, the pair performed together at Lollapalooza. Their single “Make Me Cry” manages to feel effortlessly cool, with over 2 million streams on Spotify.
They create songs inspired by the music they grew up with. Deadbeat Girl is “not just a musician, but a lover of music.”
Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.