Last year I joined the cavalcade with my band Abbot Kinney to Austin for the music orgy bacchanal that is SXSW and was a correspondent for KFOG radio in San Francisco. It was a blur of hustling from show to show, trying to find friends in the crowd and a stomach virus that seems like a common occurrence at a 6th Street bar that will remain nameless. I ultimately was able to try some incredible barbecue and fall in love with South Austin but it was by no means what everyone was raving about. This year I decided to return to the festival again as KFOG’s correspondent, this time as an attendee so I could observe how bands make it work for them. I saw vetted acts like White Denim, The Rocket Boys, Bonnie Bishop, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, Welshly Arms and Geographer demonstrate that the festival is finally receding from mega stardom bands to it’s international talent discovery roots and learned these 5 essential things that I think all bands should know before attending SXSW.

— Jared Swanson

The Peach Kings at the NoiseTrade Showcase at Swan Dive

1.Get tight and write good songs. After hearing band after band, it gets clear fast that the outfits who make the festival year after year know what the verse, chorus, and bridges are and are committing fully to them. They’re playing loads of shows and rehearsing constantly like it’s… well a job. But you want to write the melody that people are humming as they drowsily devour breakfast tacos.

The Brooklyn Vegan Showcase at Cheer Up Charlies

2. Have a substantial reason to attend. If you’ve got the money to burn for a vacation, have at it but most bands are operating like gambling addicts working with a short stack of chips. You probably only have enough money to place a couple bets a year and you should make sure that when you do, the payoff is worth the risk. Austin is not the place to go all in. SXSW is expensive: flight, exorbitant Airbnbs, delicious but overpriced food trucks, and a week off work. You likely won’t sell much merch or get paid. If you’re going, you better have a legitimate reason beyond adding it to your resume. Find a sponsorship, align yourself with a couple fantastic showcases, radio interviews, get real publicity. That’s pretty much what the festival is for. And that leads me to the next point.

Members of Geographer Duncan Nielson and Cody Rhodes and producer Andy Freeman

3. SXSW is not a final destination, it’s a tour stop. Life is a journey not a destination. So you got some great publicity and everyone is jealous that you went but if that’s where it ends, then it’s a waste of an expensive trip. The bands making the most of the festival were mid tour and promoting something big, like the release of a new album. Build it into a larger plan.

The coveted official artist wrist band

4. Tag along with a seasoned alumni. This year I had the pleasure of being taken under someone’s wing who has been attending for 8 years. That meant I was meeting the locals and fast tracking to the coolest events. Don’t exhaust yourself trying to see every band on your list cause it’s not happening. Buy a regular a beer and listen closely for gold cause this isn’t their first rodeo.

Balanced Breakfast meeting

5. Go deep not wide. My SXSW 2016 mentor said this and it stuck with me. It’s never worth it trying to meet up with everyone, play every show, catch every band. Invest in the people and events you care about most and build those relationships. It will ultimately pay off more in happiness and sustainability. This year felt like a reunion of my international music family and it’s that community aspect that has got me hooked enough to already begin making plans to do it all again next year!