Open wide, Texas, we are coming in.

Much to the uneasiness of the Lone Star State, Monster Children is crash landing for the second year in a row to put on The Monster Children Showcase at SXSW 2025, presented by Fat Tire. At the infamous Mohawk in Austin, TX, at 8PM on Wednesday, March 12th, The Monster Children Showcase at SXSW will present some of our favorite bands from Australia, Ireland, and the USA - Gurriers, Radio Free Alice, Dune Rats, Catcher, Surely Shirley, and Sunflower Bean - for an eclectic night of dancing, thrashing, and responsible alcohol consumption. Get the fuck up it.

Meet our artists:

New York trio Sunflower Bean—vocalist and bassist Julia Cumming (she/her), guitarist and vocalist Nick Kivlen (he/him), and drummer Olive Faber (she/her)— have made a name for themselves as one of the city's quintessential indie rock bands over the past decade since forming in 2013. What started as a project of three high schoolers soon turned into a band with chart-topping releases, sold-out tour dates, international festival slots, wide-spread critical acclaim, and three remarkable full-length albums under their belt.

Known for their improvisational live performances the band has toured the world extensively, as both headliners and as support for artists such as Beck, The Strokes, Cage the Elephant, Interpol, Courtney Barnett, The Pixies, The Kills, DIIV, Courtney Barnett, Wolf Alice and more. They have also performed at major festivals like Glastonbury, Governors Ball, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Reading & Leeds, and Summer Sonic.

Catcher is a band from New York City.

RFA*

Band from Naarm/Melbourne

Surely Shirley, a project where two become one. By twins Jenaya Okpalanze & Anisha Okpalanze. A South Coast based duo who have grown up with a love for old time classics, thanks to their early introduction from their grandparents filling the house with beloved tunes of the past. Writing ideas in their early teenage years to recording full compositions, they bring to you a project infused with timeless harmonies and elements of that feel good doo-wop sound. Drawing influence from the likes of The Beach Boys to The Del-Vikings and a heavy dose of nostalgia. The two combine their minds to bring you their much anticipated debut single ‘Honeymoon Island’ followed closely by an array of singles and a larger body of work.

As the end of the first quarter of the 21st century inches ever closer, our planet precariously teeters from one crisis to the next. Rather than passively sit back and watch, Gurriers are launching a searing counterattack on the malaise of the modern age with a forthcoming album of raucous reflection, Come and See. Come and See explores many themes, be they the end of the world, the disenfranchised youth of Dublin, emigrant friends, the rise of the far right, desensitisation to violence, a pope struggling with belief and love amongst other things. With songs noting how modern narcissism is fuelled by an addiction to online personas (“Des Goblin”), about the disillusionment of contemporary youth (“Dipping Out”), and tongue-in-cheek anthems mourning the rise of the far right (“Approachable”), Come and See is no ordinary debut, but an exhilarating statement of intent by five people fed up with tiptoeing politely around the chaos.

Dune Rats formed in Brisbane, Australia during 2011 when two stoner buds, guitarist/vocalist Danny Beausa and drummer BC Michaels, decided to make a bunch of lunkheaded punk noise together. Dune Rats recorded their self-titled debut album in 2014, releasing it on their own Ratbag Records imprint.

Their second album, The Kids Will Know It's Bullshit, was produced by FIDLAR's Zac Carper and opted for the same no-nonsense, all-fun approach. It was released on Ratbag in early 2017.

2020's Hurry Up and Wait debuted on the Australian album charts at #1 as well as scoring an ARIA nomination for Best Rock Album. They set out on a tour that ended with a sold-out show in Melbourne on March 7, 2020. Their timing was excellent, as the COVID-19 pandemic put Australia into lockdown just a week later. Touring was put on hold, and after taking a break for a few weeks, they headed to Eden, a small fishing community in NSW, where they isolated together and worked on songs.

Determined to make an album that was typical rowdy fun in Dune Rats tradition and not a typical introspective "lockdown album," the guys delivered Real Rare Whale in 2022, which scored another #1 Australian album on the ARIA chart, and had the band nominated again for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album at 2022 ARIA awards.

Now, the band return with new album ‘If It Sucks, Turn It Up’ out Aug 9, 2024; a rollercoaster of good times, hard truths, 90's nostalgia, and stoner pop fuzzy goodness.