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April 2, 2024

The Watters: “Set to Cruise”

By: Jack Anderson

Prayers for rain resonate all throughout the Lone Star State year-round…even in April with a once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse on the horizon. So without wanting to entice a cosmically inconvenient drench, let’s dip our toes into The Watters.

This Americana soul love affair is teeing up to hit the two-decade mark, but the bond between husband and wife Daniel and Jenna Watters goes all the way back to grade school. After soaking up all that Los Angeles, Denver, and Nashville had to offer, the Sedona, Arizona pair eventually planted themselves here in Austin, where they’ve since gone on to play pretty much every venue within the city limits. And despite a rap sheet that includes opening for Michael McDonald and Devon Gilfillian, landing local grants and national songwriting awards, completing two full-lengths and an EP, and a recent leap into parenthood – The Watters aren’t slowing their flow anytime soon.

No, next Thursday The Watters roll out their third LP Duality, with a release show at Sagebrush 8PM that same evening with Tomar and the FCs and Rent Party. They’ll also be doing their thing out at Utopia 3PM this Saturday if you wanna catch the full band against a gorgeous natural backdrop. Either way, the new tunes off Duality are about to drop like April showers for just in time for a summer-ready, lake-lovin’ playlist. And like the rest of Duality, “Set to Cruise” makes for smooth sailing with channel-deep mixing and ocean-spanning arrangements that favor instrumental virtuosity and group momentum. So cop your captain’s hat, climb aboard, and don’t plan on disembarking anytime soon.


Episodes

May 19, 2026

BOO85: “Funny Story”

Many horror stories become our favorite laughbale memories thanks to the gift of time, and Austin alt-rock pop group BOO85 (boo-eighty-five) articulate this well in their new single “Funny Story,” where the mantra is “sit with it, laugh at it, relinquish it.” Emphasized with layered, catchy pop-rock hooks, Go-Go’s -like vocals and harmonies and enough […]

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May 15, 2026

Her Mana: “Starlight”

Picture this: you’re crusing around Barton Springs listening to your favorite radio station wink wink, and the fuzzy pulse and twinkly synth sparkles of Muse’s “Starlight” flood your car. Suddenly, inspiration strikes. So goes the story for Emilie Basez, one-half of Austin world-folk duo Her Mana. Like a long-term relationship response to the original’s falling […]

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May 12, 2026

Street Peach: “Cloud 12”

Austin-based Lani Thomison, aka Street Peach, is fresh off an Ari Lennox after-show at Stubbs and returning to Song of the Day with her latest single, Cloud 12. Produced by Chris Beale of Magna Carta, this song muses on the soaring highs of a romantic relationship in her unique alt-R&B style. With a warm guitar […]

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May 11, 2026

Danny Malone: “Leaves”

It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from Danny Malone. Following a bit of a hibernation period, the Austin-based singer-songwriter (and former Sonic Guild grant recipient) had a prolific songwriting year in 2025, penning over 60 songs. As he puts it, his inspiration was “a long battle between my ego and my spirit, and the […]

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May 8, 2026

Lola Bates: “Madonna Gold”

Dark, broody, and effusing forest witch energy, LA’s Lola Bates lays it all out on the table in her debut album Love and Power. A deeply intricate and intimate exploration of keeping the scales of being and sharing yourself in balance, Bates strikes piano keys like plucking heart strings, emphasized by her lush vocal harmonies […]

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May 4, 2026

Son Rompe Pera: “Reptilo”

Mexico City’s Son Rompe Pera, widely considered to be part of the impetus behind the cumbia-punk movement, have spread that gospel across 20 countries since 2019 (including a set at our SXSW Scholz Garten show in 2023 and a stop by Studio 1A last year). The group is currently on tour (their show last weekend […]

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April 29, 2026

Gran Moreno: “Aztlán” [Live In Studio 1A]

KUTX’s Artist of the Month Program is powered by Austin FC Raised in Mexico and newly transplanted to Austin, brothers Ricardo and Christian Rodríguez craft songs that feel like sonic mirages—equal parts groove, grit, and atmosphere. Their music lives at the intersection of distortion and introspection, where hypnotic riffs, heavy rhythms, and emotionally charged melodies […]

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