Author: gaby deimeke

Last night, Erez, ford. and Elderbrook brought the groove to Emo’s in Austin, Texas. Elderbrook kept the audience entranced with a steady stream of melodic beats and a strong stage presence, impressively singing while also mixing on two consoles–providing not only production but also a performance. He adjusted synth pads and played keyboards while cycling through danceable song after danceable song. One notable song mid-way through the set that the crowd particularly loved was the catchy tune “I’ll Be Around.” Elderbrook came back for an encore and closed the house with “All My Love.” Check out the photos below, taken by Gaby Deimeke.

Austin, Texas based band Woodward and Parker chatted with us about how they got started, where they gather inspiration, and the process of making their latest album. Check it out below for all the details, and links to their music at the end.

Crowdsurfer: How did you come to play together as a band?

Woodward and Parker: We started as friends in college at St. Edward’s, and for the first few years we would play music together, occasionally showing each other songs we were writing. When we were seniors we decided to try making music together as a group, but all we really had were three guitarists. So instead of looking for other people to play bass, drums and keys, Christian got a drum set, Julian got a keyboard, Alan got a bass, and they set about learning to play them as we were writing songs together. I think that really helped us get closer as friends and make the music we wanted to with each other and for each other. 

CS: What was your goal with creating your newest album, Through A Broken Window?

W&P: For a couple years a few of us rented an old house together in North Austin. We had an extra room we weren’t using, so we turned it into a recording studio.  That’s where we recorded Carriage House, and as we were approaching the last year of our lease we knew we wanted to get at least one more project out of that space we spent so much time and effort to build for the band. We also had watched ourselves mature as artists and musicians, and we really wanted to create something that would showcase that development. I think TABW accomplishes that, sonically, lyrically, and in terms of production value. 

CS: How is this sonically different from your first album, Carriage House?

W&P: Probably our biggest practical goal with recording this new album was to capture the feeling of our music when we play it live. To do that, we recorded the drums, bass and rhythm guitar for every track at one time with 8 microphones running on two audio interfaces. We also didn’t use a metronome on any of the songs because we wanted them to flow and breathe more naturally. From a songwriting perspective, this album is a lot more cohesive and explores darker themes and arrangements than on our previous recordings. 

CS: What’s your songwriting process like?

W&P: Generally our process for this album was to take outlines of songs that Bennett and Christian had written and spend hours in the studio together trying to flesh them out into a full, five-piece arrangement. Working on them all together like that was difficult and often frustrating, but I think it led us to a more cohesive artistic sound. 

CS: Where do you gather inspiration from?

Christian: I pull inspiration from small moments in my life that involve the people close to me. I really try to put parts of myself in the songs that I write. It’s very cathartic.

Alan: I find that music is a way for me to understand the external world internally, and for me to express my internal world externally. 

Julian: I was inspired by the darker themes on the album. I tried to lean into the feeling of being happy in the dark. 

Bennett: I drew inspiration from the urban environments around me and my connection to them, as well as the macabre – which can frequently have a lot in common. 

Kenny: I found inspiration by sitting out in nature with my guitar, under the pecan tree in our backyard, watching as the seasons changed. 

CS: What’s next?

W&P: You’ll have to stay tuned to find out: we’ve got a lot of things coming.

You can check out Woodwind and Parker on Instagram and Spotify:

Luck Reunion is a one-day, laid back country music festival turned musical family reunion hosted by the Willie Nelson Family and held on their private ranch in Luck, Texas, just outside of Austin. Held on St. Patrick’s day, this was the 10 year anniversary for Luck Reunion, and we thought it was a heck of a good time.

The backdrop for the music is actually an old western movie set — it was built in 1975 and served as the backdrop for the film adaptation of Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger. The biggest names in Texas outlaw music appeared, including Charlie Crockett, Vincent Neil Emerson, a surprise performance from Jason Isbell, and of course a headlining set from Willie Nelson and his sons. 

There was an open bar for all who purchased tickets to the event, along with food trucks and free Melt ice creams and Topo Chico to quench your thirst during the heat of the day. The VIP area had a Gibson guitar pop-up, a tattoo artist, signed guitars, fresh Oysters, and tintype photos. Folks sported country western fashion, with cowboy hats, boots and everything in between. 

One of our personal favorite moments were the stripped down acoustic shows from Tre Burt and Vincent Neil Emerson, held in a small chapel that held less than 50 people, and another in a two-story saloon. 

A popular choice for shopping was the little shop selling “Willie’s Remedy” and various hemp products, along with a “Weed Legal” neon sign. Across the dirt road, a barn held a display of artifacts and photos from previous years at the ranch.

It was a perfect summer day in Texas for live music and a fun day overall, a breath of fresh air and a step outside from the chaotic SXSW events this week. To end the night, Willie got a lively reaction from the crowd by singing this song during his headlining set— “If I die when I’m high, I’ll be halfway to heaven.”

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