Ben Kweller Announces NoiseCo SXSW 2024 Showcase

For the second year in a row, Ben Kweller is set to headline a SXSW showcase featuring artists from his music collective, The Noise Company (NoiseCo). On Friday, March 15th, Kweller will be joined at Mohawk (912 Red River Street) by labelmates, including Brendan Benson (The Raconteurs), Ash, Los Yesterdays, Me N Adam, and more.

Showcasing the creativity and passion that fuels NoiseCo, the music presented will span genres, from the indie rock that Kweller is known for, to the psych-folk of Connor McLaren, to the 3rd wave ska of Bite Me Bambi, and the 90s-influenced alternative of Austin-based LCLS (pronounced “Locals”).

Considered one of the great alt-rock-underdog debuts of the early 2000s, Kweller's Sha Sha was voted one of the top 50 albums of 2002 by Rolling Stone. To commemorate the 20th Anniversary, Kweller released a Deluxe Edition including demos, B-sides, live recordings, and other rarities, as well as archival photos and in-depth liner notes, and spent much of last year on the road, including several performances supporting Ed Sheeran.

In the midst of what was otherwise a celebratory time, Kweller was struck by tragedy when his teenage son, Dorian, passed away in a car accident. NoiseCo's 2023 SXSW showcase (also at Mohawk) was set to be the debut performance for Dorian, who released music under the moniker ZEV. Instead of canceling, Kweller chose to use the showcase to pay tribute to Dorian.

Continuing to honor Dorian, the Kweller family has created the 501(c)(3) organization Zev United to support young musicians and skateboarders. In addition, the city of Dripping Springs just broke ground on a skate park to be named after Dorian, and on Sunday, February 25th, an exemplary musician or group under the age of 18 will be honored with the first Zev Award at the Austin Chronicle's Austin Music Awards ceremony, where Kweller is also nominated in the Musician of the Year category.

Complete with a newly-built studio, NoiseCo HQ is a creative retreat featuring artist lodging and recording facilities situated on 30 acres of pristine hill country land. As the company continues to grow, they aim to operate in the tradition of Motown, Sun, and RCA, supporting every aspect of an artist's career from the earliest seeds of development through to legacy and catalog maintenance.