SXSW x The Pad Presents: Thistle + Balter + Beattie

SXSW x The Pad Presents – 1pm, Weds 4th June – Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes – London

Balter: 2pm – 2.30pm
Just fresh from their GCSE’s, Balter have been creating a huge buzz in and around Northampton, with packed out shows and support slots with the likes of Courting and Alfie Templeman. The band have had heavy support from BBC Introducing and play a select number of festivals this summer, including Isle Of Wight. Imagine Aztec Camera being bottled up in 2025, amongst a flurry of youthful exuberance and shimmering guitars and you’d get somewhere close to what they sound like.

Listen: Someday – https://tinyurl.com/3bf7j4dw

Thistle.: 3pm – 3.30pm
Forged in a garage in Northampton, and armed with lo-fi, introspective yet hardcore sound, thistle are fast turning heads in the short time they’ve been together. Fusing elements of shoegaze, indie rock, and hardcore, the band draws from a broad spectrum of influences, from Pavement and Caroline Polachek, to Sublime Effect.

Listen: Wishing Coin – https://tinyurl.com/4ctnb8u6

Beattie: 4pm – 4.30pm
Rising singer-songwriter and producer Beattie channels the rich influence of the past into a forward-looking style with diaristic lyrics. Her raw, journal-like lyrics explore young adulthood: navigating city life, losing innocence, and ending relationships, elevated by her poetic phrasing.

Listen: London – https://tinyurl.com/bdcuwuwa