Meet the SXSW Band: Puppy Angst
After releasing their debut album this past year, Puppy Angst are ready to venture into Austin for SXSW, so we wanted to make sure that you were prepared to get to know the band. They give us a little insight into what you can expect in their performances, with a sly wink that there’s something brand new in the works. Check out what they had to say!
Whats the name of the band/group? Where are you from?
Were called Puppy Angst & were based in Philly!
Describe your groups sound using only adjectives or superlatives.
Alyssa: Gazy fuzzy dreamy jangly poppy; Best dressed
Dan: Fuzzy bright sometimes dark
Pauli: (our sweet new synth player & BG vocalist!): Most likely to succeed, prettiest eyes (all of us)
Eric: Class clowns; Most likely to over analyze everything
What was your most recent release? Any planned releases for 2023?
Our first full length album Scorpio Season came out in October 2022. Were currently cooking up a little something new, but Im not sure if I can give any more details just yet!
Why play SXSW? Whats the draw for the band? What about this festival will bring you to Austin?
Were hoping to get our name out there to a wider audience and it seemed like a good chance to do so. It also just seems like a fun time to be down in Austin for a couple days since a lot of our friends bands are going as well. Were glad to have an excuse to tour all the way down to Texas and play in so many new towns for the first time.
There are tons of bands coming into town, but if you could create your own perfect festival, who would you have playing? Would it have a sick name? Where would it take place? Feel free to disregard the rules of time and space.
Alyssa: I would die to see a lineup with some of my longtime favs: My Bloody Valentine, Chapterhouse, Fleeting Joys, Cocteau Twins, The Cure, New Order, Ringo Deathstarr, Kero Kero Bonito If I had time to really think about it the list would be enormous, but those are the first that come to mind. I dunno what Id called it, but itd be in Philly right by where I live sometime in the spring so I could walk there! I love walking to and from a show!
Logan (our wonderful fill-in bassist for this tour!): Meat Loaf and Gwar battle set with Hoobastank, Diarrhea Planet, and Skrillex all playing their discographies in full
Pauli: Broken Social Scene, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Crooks & Nannies, Future Teens, Carly Rae Jepsen
Eric: Willie Nelson, Wilco, Manchester Orchestra, Lucinda Williams, Bright Eyes, Neil Young
What has everyone in the band been listening to, or, what plays in the tour van/car/bus?
Alyssa: Some of the artists that recently come to mind are Animal Collective, Beach Bunny, Ethel Cain, Trementina, Candy Claws, THICK, Lucid Express, greenspace It changes a lot though, I go through phases. Im excited to see what we all gravitate to in the tour car!
Dan: Im making a playlist of the bands well be playing with at and on our way to South By!
Logan: Why Bonnie, Public Body, Militaire Gun, and Webbed Wing
Pauli: Emmylou Harris, Lana Del Rey, Yaeji, Chelsea Wolfe, and Now Now
Eric: Codeine, Pile, Guy Clark, Idles
Obviously you have seen or heard about the issues coming up this year about fair pay for artists at SXSW? Care to offer any insight or comment?
Im glad there’s finally some pushback in the industry at large about how severely artists are underpaid, especially when theyre just starting out. We made the choice to do SXSW this year knowing we would probably lose money on this run with the hope that our shows on the way down and back would help us break even. To be fully transparent, we also opted for wristbands over the band payment so we could actually attend the festival were playing and get to experience it; itd be kind of a bummer to get all the way down there and then not really get to attend festival stuff between our two official showcases (which are on the 13th and 17th). Im fortunate that everyone coming on this tour is down for the situation and able to make it work. Speaking for myself, its definitely really stressful being a barista as my day job and thinking about potentially having to front money if things go wrong on the tour, but Ive been trying to save up some extra cash before we leave and just hoping for the best. If SXSW offered a higher payment along with the wristbands, it would definitely take a huge weight off my mind.
Weve been seeing more and more artists get into the food and beverage game, whether its pierogies from Pavement or Deftones beer. If you ever got into the game, what would be your food or beverage and what would it be called?
Alyssa: I think it’d be funny if we collabed with Chex Mix to make our own Muddy Buddies; Id call it Puppy Angst Puppy Chow. As a beer enjoyer, a Puppy Angst beer would be sick, too.
Dan: Puppy Angst seltzer would be pretty on brand.
Alyssa: ^Yes, we could call it Puppy Pop!