“There was a huge contrast between the individual gigs. Some were great, but with others I had to dig into my bag of tricks to get attention. I gave them cover songs to sing along and trash-talked them into coming forward. At another, people were very noisy at first; “And they were just talking to each other.” But eventually they sat on the floor in a semicircle in front of me and listened. “The nicest concert in Austin was at the Presbyterian Church. “The crowd really came there for the music. But at SXSW, people from artist agencies and record labels come together to network. Conferences, lectures and concerts are held on 50 stages throughout the city throughout the day. You just want to chat in the evening at the club and music is not the priority.
Additionally, SXSW is no longer just a music festival. As popularity increased, a film festival and an interactive media festival were merged.
It was different in New York at the “New Giant” festival. This is also a showcase festival, but much smaller, focusing solely on music and specifically the indie scene.
“There I immediately had people's full attention, which was initially missing at some of the shows in Austin,” Oska says. “However, SXSW was an amazing experience – just crazy! You're eating a burger, looking out the window, and there's a guy standing in the street in front of you with two cobras. Festival time is a big party and people are very eccentric.
Next album
Oska has also already performed some songs from the next album in the United States. It won't be released until early 2025, but by then eight songs from it will be gradually released. “These songs reflect the freedom I feel now,” she says. “I gave up my apartment in Vienna and moved in with my mother because I'm only in Austria for a very short time. I recorded the album in London, where I was on and off for weeks and months. It's quite liberating to be able to go anywhere, wherever Time without having any obligations here.
Of course, this is not entirely true with regard to obligations. From April, Oska will tour Austria with Christina Stuermer, and from August 21 to 25, she will appear at the opening act of Coldplay's four concerts at the Ernst Happel Arena in Vienna – at the express request of the British stars. B. chocolate
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