The Austin 100: Jade Bird

By Stephen Thompson

Published March 1, 2018 at 6:00 AM EST

Hometown: Smallfield, England

Genre: Americana

Why We're Excited: Young country singer Jade Bird titled her debut EP Something American, and it sure sounds like truth in advertising — but she's from the U.K., not Nashville or Austin. She showcases remarkable songwriting chops throughout the EP, not to mention a sound that splits the difference between vintage country and the dreamier approach of modern acts like First Aid Kit.

SXSW Schedule:

March 13: KCRW Showcase at Elysium (705 Red River St.)

March 14: Latitude 30 (512 San Jacinto Blvd.)

March 16: KUTX Showcase at Four Seasons Hotel (98 San Jacinto Blvd.)

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Stephen Thompson

Stephen Thompson is a writer, editor and reviewer for NPR Music, where he speaks into any microphone that will have him and appears as a frequent panelist on All Songs Considered. Since 2010, Thompson has been a fixture on the NPR roundtable podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour, which he created and developed with NPR correspondent Linda Holmes. In 2008, he and Bob Boilen created the NPR Music video series Tiny Desk Concerts, in which musicians perform at Boilen's desk. (To be more specific, Thompson had the idea, which took seconds, while Boilen created the series, which took years. Thompson will insist upon equal billing until the day he dies.)

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