Crime fiction and nonfiction author and blues musician, Jesse Sublett has been an influential figure on the Austin music scene since the late 1970s, when he founded The Skunks. Since then he has played with ex-Go-Go's and ex-Rolling Stones, published critically acclaimed crime novels and nonfiction novels, television documentaries, films and plays. His latest work is Grave Digger Blues, an ebook published in the Kindle format and also an enhance iBook for the iPad, with over 100 original photos, graphics and drawings and an hour of audio, with original blues theme songs and audio chapters, and a 52,000 word post-apocalyptic noir novella.

SXSW 2018 takes place March 9-18, 2018. SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries.

The South River Trio is based in San Antonio Texas. The trio is Karen Wells singer/songwriter,Sean Palen singer/songwriter and Eric James Guerra on Drums and Percussion. Guerra moves effortlessly from drums to guitar and is a co-songwriter with Wells and Palen. These three friends have teamed up to create high energy foot stompin Texas Americana music! Palen and Wells share the stage and there vocal stylings have been compared to the Civil Wars! When Guerra, Palen and Wells break into three part harmonies fans have compared them to a modern day version of  Crosby,Stills and Nash! Guerra is in the Drivers seat on Drums and Percussion and keeps the band super charged making there live performances high octane an edgy Texas Style!

Kevin Higgins spent the first half of his life in El Paso, purchasing his first guitar with money earned from running carnival rides and grooming horses.  He lived on the streets, worked in luxury hotels,  chauffeured dignitaries, battled his indulgences, managed nightclubs, and hammered nails in the hot Texas sun before finally taking the great leap of pursuing his own music. A poet possessing a penchant for imagery, this New Folk Finalist and 2001 Kerrville Folk Festival Main Stage performer creates music which carries listeners from distant horizons to the very depth of the human soul.  Americana-uk.com posted, "All the best singer songwriters come from Texas...Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, Butch Hancock, Joe Ely, Nanci Griffith, Willie Nelson.  The names go on, and now there’s one more to add to the list...Kevin Higgins."

Collecting five Texas Music Awards (2005-2012), having his song “Company Time” placed in the politically provocative film A Day Without A Mexican and EMI Records soundtrack, Higgins has been hailed as “a gifted songwriter” (Denver Post) and Flanfire blogger Duggan Flanakin's comparisons best sums up Kevin's writing, "gentler than, say, Steve Earle, more serious, say, than Robert Earl Keen, and much more hopeful than, say, James McMurtry. " 

Barbara Malteze, (often compared to the late great Texan Janis Joplin), shares lead vocals with Higgins, and adds keyboards to the palette that he offers up.  "Barbara has the kind of voice and delivery that causes me to stop…turn around and say,  'Now who is that!'" enthused Dr. Kathleen Hudson, Executive Director, (Texas Heritage Music Foundation).  Music critic Lana Hughes, (MissLana.com) agrees, "I was absolutely amazed at the emotion Barbara expresses throughout her performance. Her vocal range and strength are incredible…like gravel and silk. It’s a voice that could launch a thousand ships." Two-time Texas Music Awards' winner of "Female Vocalist of the Year", Barbara's singing beautifully complements Higgins' songwriting. "When two individuals this talented come together, the end result is pure magic..." (CountryStarsOnline.com) 

John DiTucci is following