One of the brightest new stars to make a Stateside appearance at this year's South By Southwest festival goes by the unlikely name of Washington.
Megan Washington, to be precise--a sharp, intelligent singer/songwriter who grew up in Papua, New Guinea, moved to Australia, won a few distinguished music awards, and released a captivating and sophisticated album called I Believe You Liar. Her appearance at this year's SXSW coincides with the release of her American debut EP, How To Tame Lions, which serves as a fine sampler of all that makes her appealing.
Her musical background is as varied as her geographical roots: She studied jazz composition at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, then shifted over to pop, joined a few groups, then put together her own band in 2008. Since then, she won the Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition for her song "How To Tame Lions," scored two 2010 ARIA Music Awards (think the Australian Grammys) in the Best Female Artist and Breakthrough Artist categories, collaborated with distinguished songwriters like Paul Kelly, and continues to generate significant International buzz.
In Austin, Washington had the opportunity to stop by Y! Music's informal "Bedroom Sessions" set--where the true meaning of "informal" was driven home when it was determined the only functional speaker for her electric keyboard was the hotel room's actual alarm clock. No problem for her, no problem for us, and one of the best sessions we encountered at SXSW this year. Do check out How To Tame Lions--and while you're at it, check out her performance and interview below. We think you'll like it.