Up-and-coming Korean musicians will showcase a wide range of genres at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) and The Great Escape music festivals.

They will perform in this year’s “Korea Spotlight,” which consists of annual showcases for Korean talent hosted by the state-run Korea Creative Content Agency at SXSW and TGE. 

SXSW’s “Korea Spotlight” on March 16 will be headlined by artists such as chart-topping R&B solo artist Crush, soulful songstress Lee Hi and co-ed quartet KARD.

Independent acts, including electronic band Cifika, Busan’s rising rock quartet Say Sue Me and promising hip-hop act DPR Live will also perform at the 32rd annual SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.

Meanwhile, emerging rock bands like 3rd Line Butterfly, Billie Cater, ADOY and Say Sue Me will participate in the K-pop showcase at TGE, an annual music festival held in Brighton and Hove, England in May.

“This is my first time participating in SXSW, and I really wanted to stand on this stage,” said Crush at a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday to introduce the participating musicians.

Crush, one of the most famous R&B singers in the scene today, revealed that he is working on his new album and plans to perform a new song at SXSW. He also said his goal is to expand his career in the US -- the reason why his upcoming albums, including the next one, will feature English songs.

“I made many of my new songs while in the US. I will work hard to prepare for the performance,” he added.

Having participated in SXSW in the past, 3rd Line Butterfly said it believes the festival will bring hope to Korean musicians who dream of overseas promotion.

“While performing overseas won’t get us a load of fans immediately, I think we will be able to move one step further. If such opportunities continue, maybe Korea will see various styles of music that target overseas fans.”

Rookie hip-hop musician DRP Live, who has recently gained a lot of attention for featuring in Suzy’s single “Holiday,” also expressed his excitement, saying that participating in SXSW was one of his goals. Crush and Cifika were reportedly chosen by SXSW’s head James Minor himself, who met the artists at last year’s Seoul International Music Fair.

Having toured extensively around the world with its dance-hall sound, KARD also said that it plans to put up a performance that everyone can enjoy together.

This year’s SXSW will be held from March 9 to 18 at Belmont Austin, while TGE takes place from May 17 to 19 in Brighton.

(lotus@heraldcorp.com)