Manitoba Artists Head to Massive Music Festival SXSW

Boniface, Ghost Twin, and Living Hour to Hit the Austin Showcase Stage

Three Manitoba-based bands are headed due south to brave the creative flurry of SXSW, North America’s largest music industry event, in hopes of nurturing an international fan base. Boniface, Living Hour and Ghost Twin join other Western Canadian acts for the BreakOut West showcase on March 15.

The showcase is the latest in a series of partnered events between Manitoba Music, SaskMusic, Alberta Music, and MusicBC under the BreakOut West banner, bringing together bold music from Western Canada to expand the artists’ markets and business connections. Making opportunities for Canadian musicians to travel and perform in new regions fosters creative drive in Canada, showing musicians they can build a career on creativity.

Indie pop band Boniface start the week with the British Music Embassy showcase on March 12, playing alongside musicians from Glasgow and London, UK. Dreamy shoegazers Living Hour perform alongside acts from California, New York, and Sweden on March 13 for the Force Field PR + Danger Village showcase. Dark synth pop duo Ghost Twin join bands from Montreal for Free Trade Music from Canada on March 13. All three acts have the chance to attend concerts, conference events, and networking events throughout the week alongside people from places like China, Peru, Germany, and Australia. 

SXSW presents four festivals, including music, film, gaming, and comedy, while hosting a conference that covers 24 different tracks of programming from marketing, to coding, to licensing music, to experimental storytelling. In 2017, 167,800 people attended official music showcases at 104 different music festival stages. 

Bringing Manitoba music to new geographic areas and intensifying trade activity in existing markets is a key component of Manitoba Music's trade and business development activities. Through events like these, Manitoba Music is able to increase the level of awareness and connection between our province’s music industry and the broader national and international industry, which is vital to the career advancement of Manitoba artists and industry professionals. Over the years, Manitoba Music has presented successful showcases throughout Canada, the U.S., England, and Germany, including at major music events like The Great Escape, North by Northeast, Reeperbahn Festival, and more.

Manitoba Music's market development initiatives are funded by the Province of Manitoba, Manitoba Trade & Investment, and FACTOR through the financial support of the Government of Canada and Canada's private radio broadcasters.

Find out more about the bands and the showcase schedule at manitobamusic.com/sxsw