Social Studies just about stole the night when they played a recent Austin set with buzz bands like Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Foxygen. Their closing song “Terracur” captivated the room as much as any performance of the evening as the band delivered spot-on synth-riddled pop over Michael Jirkovsky’s outstanding drumming. We couldn’t be more proud to host the band today for a show at Cheer Up Charlie’s that we helped our friends No Play Music to curate. Social Studies plays today at 5:00PM! We were able to catch up with the band for a few questions in advance of their SXSW shows. Below is a list of their SX appearances, followed by our brief interview.
Tues. 3/12 – 1pm – Morning After Party @ the Haus of Hipstamatic – 509 Brushy St.
Tues. 3/12 – 5pm – No Play Music @ Cheer Up Charlie’s – 1104 E 6th St.
Tues. 3/12 – 12mid – Antenna Farm Presents @ Valhalla – 710 Red River (Official SXSW showcase)
Wed. 3/13 – 3:45pm – BTR & Austinist Present @ The Liberty 1618 1/2 E. 6th St.
Fri. 3/15 – time TBA – East Side Tone Sessions – 301 Chicon
Sat. 3/16 – 1:30pm – Paste Magazine’s Stage on 6th – 508 E. 6th
Sat. 3/16 – 3pm – Nubase Booking Presents at the Nook Amphiteater – 309 E 6th St.
Sat. 3/16 – 5pm – Charm School Vintage – 2109 E Cesar Chavez St.
Pop Press International: Who is one artist or band you’re hoping to catch while you’re in town?
Social Studies: We usually end up catching up with a lot of our friends at SXSW. I’m hoping to see The Zombies and Metz.
PPI: Have you ever played SXSW before? how many times?
SS: This will be our third time performing at SXSW. It gets better every time.
PPI: What’s your most unbelievable SXSW memory?
SS: A couple years ago I saw a guy stage dive from the balcony of The Mohawk during Jeff The Brotherhood’s set. It’s about a two story drop onto concrete. Thankfully everyone was ok. All that free beer leads to questionable decision making.
PPI: Is there a favorite album or artist the band listens to on the road?
SS: We’ve been on the road for a little over a month now. A couple records in heavy rotation are: The Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo and Kendrick Lamar – good kid, M.A.A.D City.
PPI: What’s the best meal the band has ever had on the road?
SS: Anytime someone cooks for you on the road it’s the best meal of tour. Home cooked meals become the substance of dreams when you’re living out of a van. Our bassist, Jesse has been perfecting his own culinary road art. So we eat pretty well.
PPI: What’s one thing about Texas that’s totally different from anywhere else?
SS: I love the songs the Grackle sings. They might exist outside of Texas but I’ve only seen them there. So beautiful and otherworldly.
