SXSW Interviews 2026 – Congratulations

One of the big reasons I love SXSW is that it brings in a bunch of talent from abroad who are trying to make connections while here in the States. You also get a good glimpse at what’s going on everywhere else, which we might not always be tied into with US press and what not. So, here we are with another great act with a lot of buzz, Congratulations.

ATH: Whats the name of the band/group? Where are you from?

Were called congratulations, were from the UK and we live in a sunny seaside city called Brighton.

ATH: Give us a short pitch for your band, describing sound, ambiance or whatever you feel like.

If Prince did metal. Our music is very danceable, very pop, with lots of vocal hooks but can get pretty heavy, especially in our live shows. We like A TON of different artists and we blend as much as we possibly can, trying new combinations of sounds.

ATH: What was your most recent release? Any planned releases for 2026?

We just released our debut album ‘Join Hands’on Friday February 13, out on Bella Union. Weve been working on for 2 years, and were thrilled how its come out. Theres something for everyone.

ATH:SXSW is often called a sort of initiation which can lead to increased exposure. As a band, why did you choose to play the festival? Whats your aim for the week?

We’ve toured the UK and Europe extensively, now its time to break into new territories. We want to be in front of as many promoters and bookers who might keep us in mind to join their bills and festival lineups. We want to play in front of as many people as possible.

ATH: What has everyone in the band been listening to, or, what plays in the tour van/car/bus?

We all have very different tastes, which can lead to disagreements in the van, so Ill give you 4 different albums from each of us – Leah (vocals) would pick something by Enya, James (drums) would pick The Crux by DJO, Greg (bass) would pick Harvest Moon by Neil Young and I would pick Breakup Song by Deerhoof – all quite varied!

ATH: If you’ve had a chance to check out any of the artists coming into town for the festival – Anyone you are excited about trying to see during the week?

We have a lot of friends on the lineup this year, I definitely will be catching ARXX and Adult DVD, two of the best live bands I’ve seen, I would recommend them to anyone.

ATH: Disregarding the constructs of space, time, and availability – If you could construct a power group of artists to make the supreme, all powerful super group of a band, who would be in it? Pick as many members as you like. Who is on vocals, drums, guitar, etc.? All submissions will be judged with a winner awarded during the festival.

What a fantastic question. I’m not sure the genre of this band, but I’m sure they’d find their style. There’s a lot of singers here, but think of the harmonies!

• Paul McCartney (70s Wings Era) on Bass and Vocals
• Sheila E on Percussion
• Stewart Copeland on Drums
• Joni Mitchell on Guitar and Vocals
• Stevie Wonder on Keyboards
• Stevie Nicks on Vocals
• Prince on Guitar and anything else he wants to play

ATH: Any road survival or SXSW survival tips for newbie bands? What are some must haves to survive the road?

It’s really important to have hand sanitiser and tissues, you have to stay clean and healthy on the road. we drink these sachets of medicine called Lemsips which are good to drink if you feel run down. And get a portable speaker for dressing rooms to get hyped before a show. Dont forget a book as theres plenty of downtime.

ATH: What concerns do you have as a band or a human or both? In regards to music, the world, really – where does your mind tend to wander these days? How do you refocus?

It’s really tough out there at the moment to be a smaller band. Theres little to no money in it, so that means we and everyone we know has a day job at the same time to pay the rent. People are being priced out of being a musician – Im not pretending it used to be super lucrative for everyone but it is harder now than it ever has been, you have to have a lot of money from somewhere to be able to take all the opportunities. I know bands that have had to say no to life changing tours as it would put them in debt! Very sad.