Alongside tour managing NYC’s own Torture and The Desert Spiders, I abused my official music pass to do some unofficial press for Alt Citizen at the 2026 SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas.
As Charles Bukowski once said, Genius might be the ability to say a profound thing in a simple way. So, to most effectively and quickly summarize the South’s biggest, music-industry-riddled network gala of the year, I asked every musician in sight the profound, simple question: Are you having fun?
Here’s a roundup of answers and a playlist of the musicians’ songs. Read the words, listen to the music, and feel the fomo.
Rae Haas of MX LONELY (NYC)
Yo, I’m always having so much fucking fun playing music for the end of the world.
Mo Ahmad of Texas String Assembly (TX)
I’m having fun. This is the best week of the year. There’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world. I’m at peace. Everything is right for this one moment in this one place.
Charlotte Weinman of Horsepower (NYC)
I’m having so much fun. I was overwhelmed for a second. I was going nonverbal, and then I made us play 500 hertz healing tones in the car so that I could be normal again to everybody. And now I’m having so much fun.
Ryan Wax and Whit Hemphill of Water Gun rockin’ out to Rocket on 3/16 at the Marshall showcase at Mohawk.
Alithea Tuttle of Rocket (LA)
I am having the best time ever. I wish it were hot, but I’m having a lot of fun.
Victoryland soundchecking on 3/14 at the Winspear x Vertigo Vinyl day party at Cheer Up Charlies.
Julian McCamman of Victoryland (NYC)
I was, and then I wasn’t, and I am again. I don’t know how to expand on that at all. I’m having a good time in general.
Grace Ward of Victoryland (NYC)
I am. This is my first time playing SXSW. I was born and raised in Austin. I think I was socialized to hate SXSW, and be like, Fuck this, they ruined my city; caused traffic. But I’m having a blast. The weather’s great. There’s an abundance of music.
Torture and Clara Shaw McIver of Torture and The Desert Spiders hugging during TTSSFU’s set on 3/14 at the BBC Introducing showcase at British Music Embassy.
Tasmin Stephens of TTSSFU (UK)
I am having so much fun. I am TTSSFU. Is that good?
Harrison Bell of TTSSFU (UK)
I’m having loads of fun. It’s our first time in America. It’s really exciting, and everything’s very big.
Matthew Deakin of TTSSFU (UK)
Yeehaw.
Holden Clontz of In Color (TN)
I’m having so much fun. I’m discovering new bands. I’m currently at the BBC event. I’m discovering British music, which is some of the best music. I think a lot of the best music comes out of England, so this is awesome. Listen to this band. Do you hear that? TTSSFU. It sounds incredible.
Miles Laderman of In Color (TN)
I’m having an amazing time at SXSW here in Austin, Texas. A beautiful city with beautiful people, beautiful music. There’s not a lot more you can ask for in life.
Val Hoyt of In Color (TN)
I’m having a lot of fun. I’m from Nashville, Tennessee, and honestly, Austin, Texas, is probably the closest city similar to Nashville. It feels like a home away from home, but it’s way weirder and way more fucked up, and I love that more. I’m kind of jealous of everyone who lives here.
NYC music friends Max Mendelsohn, Angus Wayne, Torture, Jonah Bierman, True Jackson, and Aidan Mailley eating Halal on 3/12 on 6th St.
Jonah Bierman of The Relics (NYC)
I’m having so much fun. This is my first time in Austin. I’m with my friends and favorite people from New York. It’s a wonderful time. Music is great. Life is awesome.
Torture of Torture and The Desert Spiders (NYC)
My TM’s ass fat; eyes baby blue. Don’t ask me a single thing that she’s been talking about, though, yeah? What was the question?
Clara Shaw McIver of Torture and The Desert Spiders (NYC)
I’m having so much fun. I love High Noon. I love beer. I love hanging out with my friends. I love Austin. I love being warm. I love cowboy boots.
Father Spider hoein’ on 3/17 in the green room at Mohawk.
Father Spider
I’m having the greatest time of my week. I haven’t had this good a week since the last time I had a week here in music, but it’s mainly because of the people I’m with. Clara, Anna, Aidan, Dalton, and, of course, Marisa, who’s really just been phenomenal. I want to remember the big people and the little people, so thank you so much. It’s been a joy from start to finish.
Dai Matsumoto of Enfants (JP)
DM: I love Austin. We were here last year.
Marisa Whitaker: What are you most excited about being here?
DM: Freedom.
MW: What song or album by you guys should people listen to?
DM: “Play.”
Neil Scott of Adult Leisure (UK)
I’m having so much fun. Austin is wonderful. We’re from Bristol in the United Kingdom, and this is the Bristol of the United States.
Angue Wayne, True Jackson, and Max Mendelsohn relaxin’ on 3/17 at Torture Tuesday at a house in West Campus.
True Jackson (NYC)
I’m having the best time. This is so fun. I needed this Torture Tuesday. I was saying that no one does enough hanging while we’re here; we’ve been doing too much moving.
Jon Coley (UK)
Oh, yeah. It’s great out here. Really good fun. It’s one of the most friendly cities I’ve ever been to. Fantastic space. What Torture runs is always fun to do, wherever you end up. It’s always a laugh. You meet new people, new things.
Brian Cropp of No Stupid Questions (NYC)
Oh, yeah, I’m having fun. I’m having the best time – I just met up with you guys.
Mer Marcum (NYC)
I’m in God’s country. Country road, take me home. Yeah, I’m having fun. It’s fucking Austin, Texas.
Gabriel Seiler, Ryan Wax, Whit Hemphill, Joey Tea, and Gaby Mitford of Water Gun drinkin’ beer on 3/16 at the Marshall showcase at Mohawk.
Gaby Mitford of Water Gun (NYC)
I’m having a really good time. I love Texas. So much. I love Texas.
Joey Tea of Water Gun (NYC)
I’m having the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.
Whit Hemphill of Water Gun (NYC)
I’m having as much fun as Godzilla at the thickest bitch party ever.
Gabriel Seiler of Water Gun (NYC)
I don’t know. I think fun’s a subjective term. It depends on how you define fun. If you define fun as having a good time, then absolutely. But if you define fun as having a bad time, then no, I would not be having fun. Personally, I describe it as having a good time, and that would mean that I am having fun. Overall, with the universe of fun, you think about the inverse property of Newton’s fourth law, which not a lot of people know about. But if you’re having fun, then it means you’re having fun. Very complex topic, a lot of nuance there. The inverse property would be, if you’re not having fun, you’re not having fun, and I can’t really relate to that right now. I am certainly having a blast, to say, as the kids say it. The kids from 20 years ago.
Dalton Harts, Torture, and Aidan Mailley of Torture and The Desert Spiders getting their photo taken on 3/17 in the green room at Mohawk.
Torture and The Desert Spiders (NYC)
Marisa Whitaker: Torture and The Desert Spiders. We’re at the last show I’m seeing, so truly the last show that matters. Can you tell me, altogether, are you having fun?
Dalton Harts: Yeah.
Torture: Yeah, I’m having fun.
Aidan Mailley: Yeah, dog.
DH: I had a really fun time.
MW: How was your Chipotle?
DH: I would never speak of such things.
T: I like Mohawk a lot. That was really fun.
AM: Mohawk was so much fun, I almost wanted to give myself a mohawk.
Torture of Torture and The Desert Spiders, McKenzie Iazzetta of Trophy Wife, and Julia Von Dutch of The Dutch Kills bein’ blondes on 3/15 at the Grillo’s Pickles party at Hotel Vegas.
Julia Von Dutch of The Dutch Kills (NYC)
I’m at SXSW in Austin, Texas, with all my favorite New York City bitches, and we’re all having fun. I got a Modelo in my hand. Life is good.
Alec Berry of The Dutch Kills (NYC)
I’m having so much fun at SXSW. There’s been so many good shows, so many good bands, so many good people. It’s also just so novel to see my friends from New York in a different place. I geek out every time someone I know walks into the room. It’s such a delight and a celebration of so many talented people.
Archer Carr of Boxxer & The Dutch Kills (NYC)
I’m having so much fun. Austin is amazing. I’m so grateful to be here. What am I supposed to say? Shoutout Dutch Kills. New music coming soon.
Torture of Torture and The Desert Spiders (NYC)
I’m having the best time of my life. I love fucking playing with my friends. There’s literally nothing cooler than having fucking Tasmin, the fucking Dutch Kills, Archer, and fucking Max Lavinsky all at a fucking table with me and Marisa and my fucking bandmates from England and America. There’s nothing fucking cooler in the world than getting to hang out with my friends, who I love. I am the most grateful, happiest person in the world.
Firas Isat and Steven McElwee of Glaze peacin’ on 3/17 in the green room at Mohawk.
Steven McElwee of Glaze (ATX)
Every day I get to wake up and look at my friend’s beautiful face. I’m having a good time.
Firas Isat of Glaze (ATX)
I’m having so much fun. Holy fucking shit. This is fucking amazing. I feel like I’m blossoming as a young man. I’m a 19-year-old man with many hopes and dreams. I’m actually 33. In my head, I’m 19. My blonde locks are growing. They’re gonna turn into black locks because I dyed my hair blonde. But maybe when I’m 22, I’ll achieve something. I’m really looking forward to that.
Rob Gration & Zach Lount of King No-One (UK)
Rob Gration: I fucking am having fun. I just met Marisa and Clara for the first time. Fucking cool shit, man.
Zach Lount: I rented a Lime scooter, and where the underpass is, there’s a ramp going up. Instead of it being concrete blocks, like in the UK, they have ramps going up from the floor to the underpass. And if you go up them fast enough, you can go all the way to the top of them and come back down. I’ve done that about eight times today. Obviously, I’m not playing any gigs today.
RG: I jumped off a curb earlier, and there was a passerby. On a scooter, I should say, and there was a guy walking towards me. Obviously, it was a very underwhelming thing to do. Well, the guy made a massive reaction. He was like, Oh my god, that was sick! He really made me giggle, and off I went into the sunset, and I fell off my bike.
Ross Cullen and Ben Goddard of Chalk posin’ on 3/15 at The Dead Rabbit.
Ross Cullen & Ben Goddard of Chalk (IE)
Ben Goddard: We’re having such a great time. It’s great to be here. We just played the hottest show of our lives. It’s currently 36 degrees out. We just did a show with no fans, as in the wind fans. There were people there. There were some fans, human fans. We’re currently very sweaty and a little bit overstimulated.
Ross Cullen: You were looking for a hat at the moment to protect your face. But there’s only cowboy hats.
BG: Yeah, and I didn’t want to drop like a 100 bucks on a cowboy hat. I want a nice baseball cap. We just chugged through, but we’re having a great time. We’re excited to get some Terry Blacks barbecue. We’ve got a great show tonight at the British Music Embassy. Mike, our great friend, is currently getting us some frozen margaritas, so things are looking up. And we’re doing a great interview, so happy days.
Marisa Whitaker: Are you having fun?
RC: No. [Laughs] I’m having a good time. I’m having a lot of fun.
Balaclava performing on 3/13 at Howdy Gals’ backyard kickoff in South Austin.
Dylan Joyce of Balaclava (NYC)
I’m having a great time, but it’s just begun, so I can’t wait to have an unknown amount of fun.
Angus Davis of Balaclava (NYC)
Yes, I am having fun. This is my first time in Austin. It’s kind of weird, but it’s cool. It’s real flat. Where I’m from, there are a lot more hills. It’s cool.
Steve Salerno & Arif Hama of Balaclava (NYC)
Arif Hama: Absolutely. This is our first night here. We played one show earlier. It was the best show ever.
Steve Salerno: I want to live in Texas now. I’m done with New York.
AH: Every show is going to be even better. All the bands we’ve seen are fucking amazing, too. DD Island, Torture, Moonkill. Then there’s that band with the xylophone.
SS: I forgot the name of them, but they were sick.
Poppy Dodgson & Zoë Zinsmeister of Grandmas House (UK)
Zoë Zinsmeister: Yes, it’s been incredible. We’ve had the best time. We’ve had so many tacos, margaritas. Music, it’s amazing.
Poppy Dodgson: I’m literally having the time of my life. I love margaritas. That’s a common theme.
ZZ: And tequila shots.
PD: And free pour. It’s not like that in the UK. In the UK, it’s like half the amount for seven pounds, so we love it here. And we’re having a nice time playing our shows.
Maxine McCormick of The Dutch Kills and Max Lavinsky of Boxxer & Partisan Records goofin’ on 3/16 at the Rocknite showcase at Hotel Vegas.
Max Lavinsky of Partisan Records & Boxxer (NYC)
I literally don’t know what’s going on or where I am or who I am, frankly, but I’m having the best time ever. God bless Austin, Texas.
Maxine McCormick of The Dutch Kills (NYC)
I’m having a fucking blast. Austin is full of all of my fucking best friends. Everyone is here, having a good fucking time, listening to each other play. I’m loving it. I’m gonna skinny dip at Barton Springs later, but in case that’s illegal, no, I’m not. Cracks out for Dutch Kills.
Hannah Pidduck & Clara Townsend of Arxx (UK)
Hannah Pidduck: I’m on margarita two, so yes, I’m having a very good time.
Clara Townsend: I’m in shorts, and it’s 10 p.m., and there’s no jacket on, so –
HP: I’m actually on margarita three.
Christian Pace, Georgia Jaffe (manager), and McKenzie Iazzetta of Trophy Wife recreating Weekend at Bernie’s on 3/17 at Torture Tuesday at a house in West Campus.
Christian Pace of Trophy Wife (NYC)
I am having so much fun. I got to hang out with my friends in Bloodsports. I got to get a bunch of free records at the Marshall event at Mohawk. I’m meeting so many cool, new, awesome people. Yeah, that’s it.