Live In Studio 1A

Jay Som: “What You Need” [Live In Studio 1A]

It’s been six years since we’ve had a full Jay Som album, but Melanie Duterte has remained ambient. She kicked-off the early 2020’s as one half of the side project Bachelor alongside Palehound (El Kempner); produced music for Lucy Dacus, Jeff Tweedy, and Hatchie; and worked as both a producer and live band member of one of the biggest supergroups of the decade so far, boygenius.

Turning the lens back on herself, Duterte, as Jay Som, released Belong back in October. It’s a confluence of her years behind the board and as a musician, absorbing the processes of the songwriters around her in the interim years. A bit grittier, more reflective, and with a pop-punk edge of tension, it’s a marked growth for Duterte. She brought the full band to Studio 1A last week ahead of her show at Brushy Street Commons.

J’cuuzi: Fame by Death [Live in Studio 1A]

Today, we’re thrilled to highlight our July Artist of the Month, J’cuuzi. The Austin-by-way-of Atlanta punk duo, made up of Gorge Bones and Trey Razeldazl, have an insatiable appetite for the stage and pushing the boundaries of how they use it. They released their debut EP, SLUDGEcontent, in July, with their style that they’ve dubbed “pop-vantgarde.”

They brought their brand of indulgence with a live performance of “Fame By Death” in Studio 1A ahead of their July release, and we’re bringing it back to warm up the winter months!

If you want to see them command the stage live, they’ll be performing at the Holiday Hootenanny at Radio/East this weekend, alongside Shannon & The Clams, tUnE-yArDs, Rubblebucket, and many more. Learn more and get your tickets here.

Variety: “Subtropical” [Live In Studio 1A]

Rhys Woodruff has been a sterling songwriter throughout his adult life, with the single caveat that he has had very little interest in singing his own songs. Sure, his oscillations between art punk and post punk have led to some of the coolest songs heard in Austin clubs for years, but it took more than a tad of cajoling for him to take the mic into his own hand. His fellow bandmates in the trio Borzoi played a little friendly hardball (you know how guys show love and support of each other), and now with his own group Variety, Woodruff is reaping the benefits of getting out of your own way and embracing the full monty.

Variety’s debut album, Subtropical, is Woodruff turning inward and tying precious, intimate details and broad strokes of his life to parts of Texas’s natural beauty. The manifestation of this conduit is an album that, on its head, is an interesting, if not sometimes meditative, listen, but also an invitation to his soul. And as the band name implies, this has been the start of something new, but not necessarily static. What comes next is sure to be just as enticing, regardless of the pivot.

Variety plays arguably the biggest show of their career to date this Saturday at Radio/East for the annual Holiday Hootenany, sharing the stage with Shannon & the Clams, tUnE-yArDs, Rubblebucket, and a swath of local gems.

Anastasia Hera: “Ambitions” [Live In Studio 1A]

Austin R&B and hip-hop artist Anastasia Hera is busy lady. This year alone, she released her album Way Outside; played our Scholz Garten show during SXSW; and her deft lyrics, sultry vocals, and smooth, earwormy beats led her to become our February Artist of the Month. All while running her non-profit CAKE (Creativity, Abundance, Knowledge, Education), a non-profit empowering and educating women pursuing music careers.

To pair nicely with the cloudy wintery weather outside, we’re revisiting her Studio 1A from February to cuddle with you all cozy like.

Next of Kin: “Jekyll & Hyde” [Live in Studio 1A]

To say Next of Kin have had a successful year would be an understatement. After almost two years of anticipation, our April Artist of the Month released their debut Ep Homemaker in May, punctuated by two sold-out shows at the Continental Club. Since then, they’ve made their ACL Fest debut, modeled for Austin FC’s Live from ATX capsule collection, and were invited to dig through the archives of Texas Monthly.

Next of Kin is rounding out their triumphant year with a New Year’s Eve show at Antone’s joined by Nane, TC Superstar, and Quentin Aspire, presented by KUTX.

Gus Baldwin & The Sketch: “Itch” (Live in Studio 1A)

Every December, we celebrate the year’s class of 11 Artists of the Month by filling your airwaves, throwing back to Studio 1A’s and My KUTX DJ sets, and giving the year a proper Austin music sendoff. We’ll also be revisiting some of the Studio 1A songs here on Song of the Day, which means you get another chance to grab a free download of these live tracks.

We’re kicking off December with our March Artist of the Month Gus Baldwin & the Sketch, who released their debut album, The Sketch, at the beginning of 2025. After playing shows with Frankie & the Witch Fingers and Hinds during SXSW, the quartet hit the road twice, including their November stint opening for Mississippi band Bass Drum of Death on the southwest and west coast leg of their tour and frontman Gus Baldwin releasing his debut solo album in October.

Ahead of their next show next Saturday, December 13th at Chess Club, we’re revisiting their raucous, high-octane Studio 1A session.

Judy Blank: “Cosmic Kids” (ft. SUSTO)

Growing up in the Netherlands, Judy Blank fostered an early love for classic American cinema. She’s married that love with her stamp of DIY-indie eclecticism, sometimes leaning more Americana (something she honed during her brief time as a Nashvillian) and sometimes dreamy indie-pop, but always poetic, seemingly effortless, and marked with that signature Dutch wit and brutal honesty. Now calling Austin home, Judy Blank is our November KUTX Artist of the Month, and she stopped by Studio 1A to perform songs from her new album Big Mood and was joined by fellow Austinite and SUSTO frontman Justin Osbourne on “Cosmic Kids.”

KUTX’s Artist of the Month program is powered by PNC Bank.

Jane Leo: “Goldmine” [Live In Studio 1A]

After a year or so of releasing individual dance-pop candies, Austin’s Jane Leo released their sophomore album Creature of Destruction in September. One of the tracks on the album is “Goldmine,” a slightly more subdued song from the art-pop duo, but still dripping with energy and that funky “Imma dance here in my own little circle, in my own little world” energy. Bouncy, sexy, and more vintage than much of what we’ve heard in the past, “Goldmine” is a cheeky reminder that even if you go to Jane Leo show to dance with one foot in the future, they’ve got plenty of tricks up their sleeve to subvert expectations without losing an ounce of their allure.

Jane Leo stopped by Studio 1A to perform songs from Creature of Destruction ahead of their show tonight at Empire Control Room with New Constellations.