CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE ACTS WE CAUGHT AT SXSW!
AUSTIN, TX- There are voices that stop you in your tracks. Not with vocal fireworks or acrobatics, but with a quieter kind of power. Billianne’s voice is like that. I’m not even sure what recording introduced me to her music, but I remember exactly how I felt. It was the sound of someone holding something delicate with two hands: gentle, but rooted. A voice that invites you in, then leaves a mark.
I think the song might’ve been “No Wonder.” There’s a moment when she sings in an ascending line “Pulling the thread and I’m tearing the seams” that’s followed by a soaring “I’m ready to go.” It hit me like a gut punch, all vulnerability and strength wrapped up in one ascending line. I paused. Rewound. Listened again. And that was it: I had to see her live.
Her SXSW set was, frankly, too short for my liking. I wanted more. But what she did offer in that brief window was enough to confirm everything I’d felt. Her performance was subtle and stripped down, leaving space for the weight of her lyrics and the nuance in her tone. She doesn’t demand attention. She earns it with every word.
Billianne’s latest single, “Mode I – A COLORS SHOW,” released July 3rd, gives an even deeper glimpse into the more delicate side of her soul. The lyric “Everything I thought I knew was true / Everything is changing except for you” carries a sense of regret, floating in a melancholic hush. It’s another example of how her songwriting invites quiet reflection while still packing emotional force. The track is part of her forthcoming album Modes of Transportation, and if it’s any indication of what’s to come, we’re in for something beautifully introspective.
There’s a duality in her voice that’s hard to put into words. Light, but not weightless. Soft, but not breakable. Like a porcelain shell protecting something fierce. Her performance at SXSW didn’t just showcase her vocal ability., It pulled you into her internal world. Even in a chaotic setting like a music festival where you have to walk from venue to venue in heat of the Texas sun, she created a space of calm and focus, like she was singing just for you.
She’s the kind of artist whose music stays with you after the final note. I’ve got a handful of playlists reserved for late-night listening or those moments when I need to slow down and breathe. Billianne’s music lives in all of them now.
I’ll definitely be seeing her again when she hits Los Angeles on September 10th at the Moroccan Lounge. And if the universe allows it, I’ll be there with my camera too. (Hey, Billianne—need a concert photographer?)
Follow Billianne on Facebook, Instagram and X.
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE ACTS WE CAUGHT AT SXSW!
******************
LIVE CLIPS
