Managing SXSW:

An Interview with Roland Swenson

by Imani Evans

ADA: How long have you been involved with the SXSW festival, and in what  capacities?

Swenson: I'm one of the original group of people who organized the first SXSW in 1987. Initially my title was Director and then became Managing Director. I've worked on most areas of the event, particularly in organizing the music panel discussions and the marketing of the overall event.

ADA: What do you consider to be the most significant changes in the festival during the time you have been involved with it? “Changes" encompasses everything from the festival's actual offerings, to the way the festival is promoted, what it understands its mission to be, how it is perceived by the public, etc.

Swenson: Obviously, the growth in the stature and size of the event is the most significant change. Our first year featured 700 delegates and 120 acts. This year we'll host 6000 delegates and 1000 bands. In the early years we were largely perceived to be a regional event and now we're known around the world. But the basic idea has remained the same - SXSW is a place for artists and the companies they work with to promote their careers.

ADA: Being a novice to SXSW myself, in conversations with others I have often encountered the opinion that SXSW doesn't feature as much diversity(stylistic, ethnic, idiomatic) as one would wish for. Have you also come across this opinion and, if so, what is your position on it?

Swenson: In terms of the different styles of music, SXSW is very eclectic. We host most every style of music, to one degree or another. But of course SXSW is primarily know for booking rock bands and AAA acts. It's been a challenge from the start to go beyond that perception and draw in a more ethnically diverse group of artists and delegates. But we've made some progress recruiting black and Hispanic artists. We've hosted a number of large

concerts featuring many top Tejano and Norteno artists, and we've made serious inroads into the worlds of hip hop and dance music. Certainly, we've hosted music from many different cultures and countries; everything from Siberian throat singers to Algerian rai acts.

ADA: Another thing that I have managed to extrapolate from conversations with various people about the festival is a desire for a more organic connection between the festival goings-on and the struggling musicians who make up the Austin local music scene. The opinion has even been expressed that the festival, though a "cash cow" for the city, has become artistically barren. Do such opinions find their way to you often, and what is your feeling about them?

Swenson: I've found that many artists whom we choose to turn down to perform at SXSW  consider the event to be lacking in artistic integrity. In 2002 we hosted 305 Austin acts in our festival which makes the suggestion that we've become "disconnected" from the Austin music scene laughable.

ADA: What do you consider to be the most pleasurable, stimulating or rewarding aspect (s) of your job?

Swenson: Working with the incredible group of people that labor tirelessly each year to make this incredibly complicated event come off is the best part of my job.

ADA: Okay, now what do you consider the most trying part of your job?

Swenson: Dealing with people who have a very limited understanding of what SXSW does  except in regard to their own agenda.

ADA: What problems, issues or concerns are foremost on your mind heading into the festival? Are there any particularly thorny matters you find yourself having to troubleshoot frequently?

Swenson: Of course, this year the apparent upcoming war in Iraq is creating some fear and uncertainty, especially for the people who will travel here from overseas.

ADA: In your opinion, is SXSW living up to all that it can be? Do you ever ponder, or is it an on-going issue, what you and others involved with the festival can do to make it even more relevant to more people?

Swenson: SXSW is constantly in a state or re-inventing itself. If we become complacent then we will perish. There's always a need for improvement.

ADA: When I asked you what aspect of your job you consider most trying you responded with, "Dealing with people who have a very limited understanding of what SXSW does except in regard to their own agenda." I was just wondering if you could go into further detail--for instance, in what sense do you mean "deal with" such people, and can you give me any examples of the "agendas" that you refer to?

Swenson: Two examples spring to mind:

1. Bands who get turned down for SXSW often don't seem to understand that we have 6000 acts who want to play, and we only have 1000 slots, so a lot of good bands get turned down. We frequently receive bitter complaints from bands that we turn down who say that SXSW slots should just be for local, unsigned artists. We receive equally bitter complaints from bands around the state and country complaining that there are too many Austin artists given  showcases. The out-of-towners don't understand that because SXSW is in Austin, and because many of the acts we bring to town are unknown here, that we need Austin artists to help bring in audiences. Bands from Austin often don't seem to understand that if SXSW only featured Austin bands that many fewer visitors would attend, which would mean that SXSW would not be a very effective event. Unknown bands don't always seem to understand that if we didn't book some acts that are well known, that many fewer people would travel to SXSW and they would not have nearly as good a chance of being seen by someone who might be able to help their career.

2. We are often embroiled in battles with major labels over bigger artists who want to play at SXSW to promote themselves to the press, radio and booking agents in attendance, but they want to play a small venue. They want to create a mob scene with lines down the street, because they want to make a handful of VIPs feel important when they walk into a show that most people can't attend. If these well-known artists want to demonstrate that they really care about their fans, they should play an appropriate sized venue so people will be able to see them.

ADA: It is our understanding that SXSW is a private company. Given that fact, I'm curious as to what the experience of your company has been in dealing with Austin's public sector (city government, police dept., community organizations, or what have you). What kinds of help does the city provide, and what issues continually arise? Who needs/requires/asks for what?

Swenson: This is a very big question that I can't entirely answer. But our relationship with the City is primarily that of a customer. We pay for the Convention Center, Auditorium Shores, street closures, softball fields, security, permits, taxes etc. We actively try to coordinate our program with the police and fire departments, and the city bureaucracies with varying degrees of success. SXSW is a very big and complicated event.

ADA: Is there anything else you would like to add about the festival or the work that you do?

Swenson: It'll be better next year.

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