Exclaim!’s 5 Breaking Canadian Artists You Need to See at SXSW 2022

A who’s-who of emerging Canadian artists are heading to Texas for this year’s SXSW. As Canada’s authority on all things music, here are Exclaim!’s picks for must-see artists playing SXSW.

Ada Lea

With its silvery, see-sawing groove and sobering account of a lousy party, “damn” was one of Exclaim!’s favourite songs of 2022 — it’s the perfect entry point for Ada Lea's vivid, detail-rich songwriting.

GRAE

Toronto’s GRAE knows her way around moody electropop hooks. Last year’s Permanent Maniac highlighted her love of the Cure, while the upcoming Whiplash continues to evolve her dreamy netherworld of sound.

Kiwi Jr.

Sub Pop signees Kiwi Jr. channelled the lackadaisical charm of ’90s college rock on 2021’s Cooler Returns, delivering singalong hooks wrapped in deceptively complex song structures.

Ouri

Unclassifiable sound sculptor Ouri seamlessly combines airy R&B vocals with electronic abstraction and neoclassical flourishes. Her album Frame of a Fauna was one of our favourite overlooked Canadian albums of 2022.

Leif Vollebekk

Combining melancholic folk balladry with smooth soul, Leif Vollebekk’s 2019 album New Ways is a vibrant collage of colourful sounds. “Watching beautiful movies can feed your dreams,” he said in an interview with Exclaim!

Photo provided by Exclaim!