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Photo by Katie Anderson

Meet Tom A. Smith, a a singer/songwriter/producer being watched not only by us, but Sir Elton John as well. Hailing from Sunderland in the UK, Tom is gearing up to bring his explosive live show to BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in May. His new single “SFX” is a bold anthem that is sure to instantly capture your ears. He recently appeared in Austin and we caught up with the rising star for 10 unforgettable moments from SXSW 2026: 

1. When we arrived at the festival the first thing we did was check out the block party. Everyone was really chatty there and got to meet some fantastic and talented people there throughout the weekend, and who doesn’t like free stuff!
2. On Thursday evening we headed over to the Moody Theatre to catch Lola Young. I’m such a huge fan of her last record. It was the first time I caught her live set. She was excellent. Her voice and songs are fantastic and the venue was the perfect place for it.
3. On Friday afternoon I headed over to Waterloo records to do an acoustic set. It was the first time I performed on stage in the States and it was great. It is such a cool place. The stage was part of the original Austin city limits stage and the shop has so much history. It was amazing to meet and chat with the people who came along and made for a great intimate show.
4. We played the British Music Embassy stage for the first time on Friday night and it was incredible. I expected about 30 people to be there considering it was the first band show we had ever done in the US but it was packed out. People knew the words and it was such a great way to properly kick off the weekend for the band.
5. On Saturday night we played Las Perlas. This was such a memorable set for me, the venue was excellent and it was great to see some of the fantastic bands that were also playing the stage that night. It was a Saturday so everyone was up for it and it felt so intimate and it was packed out. I love those shows where everyone feels on top of each other.
6. We did a set at Valhalla on Sunday afternoon. It was such a cool venue and probably my favourite venue I visited during my time in Austin. A proper dive bar and the stage was excellent and the venue filled up really quickly and the set went really well again.
7. Our final show of the weekend was late Sunday afternoon at the BME stage again. I think it's the most fun I’ve had on stage in my career so far. The place felt like it had a real buzz before the show and it was packed out even before I was on. It was a very proud moment for me and the band, to be on the other side of the world and people are enjoying what we are creating, that means so much. What a way to close our trip to SXSW.
8. I also caught King No-one’s set on Sunday at the BME stage and they were fantastic. Great stage presence and such a cool performance. It was the first time I’ve seen them live and they were great.
9. MT Jones on Monday on the Radio Day stage blew me away. Such a fantastic voice and classic sound. It was a perfect afternoon set.
10. I managed to catch the legendary Los Lobos on Monday too, at the Radio Day stage. They were there to promote their new documentary and play some songs. They are such fantastic musicians and hearing La Bamba live was incredible.