Local Texas Bands Releasing New Music, Bands From Out of Town Coming to Your City on Tour – We Have It All for You in This Month’s #TexasTunes.

#1 Wednesday

Wednesday, the Asheville-based quintet who combine the wailing skuzz of 90s shoegaze and classic country twang, will be coming through Austin on May 1 at Mohawk. Their highly anticipated new album Rat Saw God was released on April 7 via Dead Oceans.

The band, who was recently named Billboard Magazine’s Must-Hear Indie Artist of the Month, has shared 4 songs from the album, two of them “Chosen To Deserve,” and “Bull Believer,” received the coveted Best New Track distinction from Pitchfork, who also called them “one of the most compelling indie rock bands in America.” The other two singles, “Bath County” and “TV in the Gas Pump,” have been praised by the likes of Rolling Stone, The FADER, and NPR who predicted “Rat Saw God may be one of the biggest [albums] of 2023.” 

#2 Arden Jones

Rising California singer/songwriter/rapper/multi-instrumentalist ARDEN JONES is performing at Antones in Austin on May 15! Arden’s live show is always overflowing with fun, energy and good vibes.

Known for an irresistible pop approach that bottles the sunshine of an endless California summer with elastic rhymes, radiant hooks, and euphoric, piano-laced beats, Jones has already earned over 211M worldwide streams for such hugely popular tracks as last year’s acclaimed vnclm_ x Atlantic Records debut single, “rollercoaster,” as well as the viral hit, “Parallel Parking.”

#3 Ruston Kelly

Ruston Kelly is heading out on tour this month! He’ll be stopping in Austin on May 20 to play at Stubb’s.

Ruston released his third album, The Weakness, on April 7 on Rounder Records. He’s shared two singles so far – the title track “The Weakness” and the most recent “Mending Song.” 

The Weakness is a blisteringly honest but profoundly hopeful album revealing our vast potential to create strength and beauty from the most trying of experiences. This tour is a celebration of the new album & his journey of making it.

#4 The Backseat Lovers

The Backseat Lovers will be coming through Austin on May 17 at Moody Amphitheater.

They are touring in support of their new album Waiting To Spill (out now on Capitol Records). The album made a big splash on the charts, coming in at #1 Alternative New Artist Albums, #2 Heatseekers Albums, #4 Current Alternative Albums, #6 Current Rock Albums. #9 Vinyl Albums, #9 Internet Albums, #18 Current Album Sales, #21 Billboard Album Sales and #24 Billboard Top Alternative Albums. Waiting to Spill is the follow-up to the group’s acclaimed 2019 debut, When We Were Friends, which racked up over 340 million global streams and featured the top 20 Alternative hit “Kilby Girl.”

#5 Ruthie Foster

Ruthie Foster is playing at the Haute Spot in Cedar Park on May 5. Her new album, “Healing Time” is out now. 

Ruthie Foster’s ninth studio album represents a new high water mark for the veteran blues artist—a collection of songs possessing pure power, like a tidal wave of musical generosity. Healing Time finds Foster pushing her boundaries as a singer and songwriter more than ever before, creating a truly live-sounding atmosphere with the help of her band, who sound refreshingly loose and lived-in throughout these 12 songs. We’ve all been in need of some healing in recent times, and Foster’s latest provides a guide for how to move through the world with equal parts compassion and resolve.

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Cover Photo courtesy Tijs van Leur, Unsplash

Gracie Watt is a regular contributor to Texas Lifestyle Magazine and a graduate of St. Edward’s University in Austin, with a degree in Journalism. Watt is also a Lifestyle Producer at NBC-affiliate KXAN’s Studio 512. When she’s not writing, Watt enjoys singing, playing the guitar and doing volunteer work.