Top Indie Artists You Need To See At Austin City Limits 2022

Baton Rouge duo THEBROSFRESH (comprised of twin brothers Torrence and Thurman Thomas) offers a catalog of alt-R&B sounds consisting of soft-tinged vocals and live instrumentation. Musically, THEBROSFRESH, uplift each other through melodic synergy paying close attention to instrumental detail incorporating dreamy guitar riffs along with thumping baselines, disabusing the listener of the concept of genre while also remaining true to their rock and soul roots. Their latest single "Consequence Remains" is a great introduction to their sound for new fans. You won’t want to miss THEBROSFRESH performing live on Friday, October 7 on the Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage beginning 1:30 pm.

Hailing from London, Arlo Parks masters the art of blending genres and creating transcendental sounds. Opening up about her emotions and mental health, Parks’ lyrics dive deep into her own mortality, a constant ponderance of her purpose. As an artist who feels so intensely, she reminds her fellow gen-z-ers that the pain many of us feel is only temporary. “I know you can't let go / of anything at the moment / just know it won't hurt so / won't hurt so much forever,” she sings on the track “Hurt,“ a fan-favorite cut from her debut album, Collapsed In Sunbeams. Her set is bound to be a therapeutic experience. If you can’t catch Arlo Parks performing live on Friday, October 7 on the Miller Lite stage beginning at 5 pm, she will also be performing during weekend two on Friday, October 14.

Afro-Cuban musician Cimafunk fuses soulful vocals with Cuban and Afro-Caribbean sounds. His latest album, El Alimento features him creating his own subgenre of hip-hop blending in elements of funk, as he sings in addition to rapping in both English and Spanish. As Latin music continues to break barriers in the US, Cimafunk is an artist you’ll want to keep your eyes on, especially with his nuanced, inimitable musical stylings. You won’t want to miss Cimafunk performing live on Saturday, October 8 on the Tito’s Handmade Vodka beginning at 2 pm.

As Afro-influenced R&B and pop continue to grow in popularity in the US, Omah Lay is delivering drum-driven sounds, enticing listeners to dance through pain and heartbreak. His introspective song “I’m A Mess” dives deep into the human condition, as he vividly describes the feeling of alcoholism and distracting yourself from sadness. But throughout his upcoming 45-minute set, fans can expect to dance the hurt away and forget their troubles. You won’t want to miss Omah Lay performing live on Saturday, October 8 on the Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage beginning at 3 pm.

Houston rapper Tobe Nwigwe is bound to play an epic set in his home state. On the heels of his latest EP MoMINTS, which dropped this past August, the rapper maintains a gallant energy while he preaches the importance of positivity and purpose. He often collaborates with his wife, Fat, as they rap and sing with spiritual chemistry. This year has proven to be a big one for Tobe, as he is quickly becoming one of the buzziest acts in hip-hop, as well as making a name for himself in the realm of acting on Netflix’s Mo. If you miss Tobe Nwigwe’s first set on Saturday, October 8 on the Barton Springs stage at 7:!5 pm, he will also have a special set during weekend two on Saturday, October 15.

Hailing from Dallas, Luna Luna aims to defy the boxes in which Latinx artists are often placed. The band has come a long way from producing on GarageBand’s iPhone app and playing house shows in the Dallas area. The group has shown their evolution with an incredible project, Flower Moon. On their latest album, Luna Luna taps into a range of emotions that went fleeting in tandem with each season by way of indie rock and pop sounds, as they combatted the loneliness they felt during the COVID-19 pandemic. You won’t want to miss Luna Luna performing live on Sunday, October 9 on the Barton Springs beginning at 11:45 am.

Whether he’s rapping about financial literacy or about cold-pressed juices, Larry June his work maintains a bouncy, vibrant Bay Area energy . On his latest album, Spaceships on the Blade, June channels the vibe and flows of his West Coast predecessors, E-40 and Snoop Dogg, to create a laid-back collection of songs as breezy as a California afternoon. His creative and entrepreneurial spirit is ever-present in his works, especially given the fact that he’s put out six projects over the course of the past two years after recording at home in the pandemic. If you miss Larry June’s first set on Sunday, October 9 on the Honda stage starting at 2 pm, you’ll have a chance to catch him live on Sunday, October 16 as part of weekend two.

Queer joy, queer heartbreak, queer liberation, and queer growth are all feelings encapsulated by MUNA’s self-titled third album. After getting dropped by RCA following their second album, Saves The World, the trio signed with Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory label last year, and is back stronger than ever. One of the songs on MUNA, called “What I Want,” details the experience of the “second adolescence” LGBTQ+ go through once they finally have an understanding of who they are. “I’ve spent way too many years not knowing what / what I wanted, what I needed, how to get it and now / I’m gonna make up for it all at once,” sings lead vocalist Katie Gavin on the poppy, dance-ready album. If their latest album is any reflection of what you can expect from their set, we’re sure to smile, cry, and shake our asses. You won’t want to miss MUNA performing live on Sunday, October 9 on the Barton Springs stage beginning at 3 pm.

If you got emotional reading Michelle Zauner’s memoir, Crying In H-Mart, her music, performed as Japanese Breakfast, is sure to force you even deeper into those feelings. Even if you’ve never listened to any of her albums, you’ve certainly heard songs like “Be Sweet” and “Everybody Wants To Love You” in any coming-of-age show or movie. Her soft, indie-rock and alt-pop sounds provide comfort to those of us in our late 20s and early 30s, who are still coming of age. If you can’t catch Japanese Breakfast’s set on Sunday, October 9 on the T-Mobile stage at 5 pm, you’ll have another chance on Sunday, October 16 for weekend two’s performances.

A hometown performance from Como Las Movies is guaranteed to be legendary. The synth-cumbia quartet makes songs for Latin music fans, both young and old, by combining rhythmic Cumbia stylings, with elements of hypnotic indie-pop sounds. With rattling percussion and seductive guitars, no foot on the ground will remain stagnant. Don't miss Como Las Movies performing live on Saturday, October 15 on the Honda Stage beginning at 12:45 pm.

Having gotten his start between the honky tonks corners of Dallas and Fort Worth, Joshua Ray Walker is one of the most exciting voices in country music right now. Straying away from the typical themes of country music, Walker aims to tell more relatable stories in songs. Many of these songs inspired by his life as an only child and creating characters inspired by the people he’d meet while on the road with his trucker father. Catch Joshua Ray Walker performing live on Sunday, October 16 on the BMI stage beginning at 1:15 pm.