Speedy Wunderground - SXSW EP

Released: 17/11/23

The EP features contributions from Enumclaw, Revival Season and alexalone.

Enumclaw are an already much-tipped American indie-rock band from Washington DC. They're signed to Luminelle, a Fat Possum imprint, and have recently wowed UK crowds with sets at Wide Awake and with a headline performance at Moth Club.

Revival Season is a collaborative hip-hop duo featuring rapper Brandon 'Bez' Evans and producer/multi-instrumentalist Jonah Swilley and signed to Heavenly Records, the revered independent label who helped Speedy Wunderground find their feet when they first started. The duo performed an incendiary live set at Speedy's SXSW showcase at Sellers Underground performing alongside The Lounge Society, Heartworms, Miss Tiny (featuring label boss Carey himself), Warmduscher and Been Stellar.

alexalone are an experimental noise-rock trio local to Austin itself, signed to the much-loved US label Polyvinyl, whose debut album ALEXALONEWORLD saw the group pick up significant praise from the likes of The FADER, Stereogum, Paste and more. "Unpacking My Feelings" is the band's first release since last year's cover of "Rainbow" by Japanese doom titans Boris.

 The 12 vinyl version also contains a fourth vinyl-only bonus track, Savage Gary (Dan Carey)'s The Grackle'.

Ahead of a planned trip to the US for this year's festival, Dan Carey and Pierre Hall from the label approached a number of artists they admired playing there, asking if they might be interested in recording something for Speedy while they were all in the same place. Progress was made, management conferred, dates lined up, Enumclaw and Revival Season confirmed to put sounds down but - as always with Speedy - there's room for spontaneity.

On the evening of their arrival Carey and Hall, who at this point were some distance from central Austin and the festival itself, heard loud music coming from inside a barn, down a beaten track, on their walk back to their Airbnb. The natural conclusion was to investigate and see who could be making it - so, still holding the plastic bags full of beer and milk they had been transporting back to their digs, they entered and watched said noise-makers.

Following a short conversation later that evening, their prized barn discovery, alexalone, were the next band confirmed to record for them on that trip, heading into the makeshift Speedy studio with Carey a couple of days later.