Rising artists were invited to a masterclass by Converse to gain the practical knowledge needed to capitalise on showcase opportunities.

Is there a shoe brand more synonymous with music than Converse? Since a wave of punks adopted the Chuck Taylor as their footwear of choice in the ’70s, their basketball boots and various other silhouettes have remained firmly in the upper echelons of our cultural zeitgeist. Just ask Tyler, The Creator, Charli xcx, Billie Eilish or the many other superstars who regularly slide their feet into the canvas and suede of the iconic cleats. And how can you forget the images of Kurt Cobain and his grunge counterparts tearing through their sets in dive bars: flannel shirts, ripped jeans and a battered Chuck to complete the look of timeless, countercultural cool.

It’s why Converse created Rubber Tracks – born out of the brand’s desire to give back to the communities who have embraced Chuck for generations. Originally launched as a free recording studio, Rubber Tracks has evolved to reflect today’s creative landscape, with a renewed focus on providing access, opportunity, and guidance for rising talent across music and music-related industries. At SXSW last week, Converse hosted the masterclass ‘How to Get Showcase-Ready’, inviting emerging artists to hear from experts on how to grasp opportunities like SXSW – not only in terms of performance, but also how being resilient and unequivocally yourself can go a long way.

Panellists included Adem Holness (Head of Music, SXSW London), Jamie Shaughnessy (Agent, Bashy, Sinead Harnett, Durand Bernarr), Lucy Murphy (Sony Music) and Muyiwa Olarewaju OBE (Station Director, Premier Gospel), who talked in detail about how artists can find their community, collaborate with each other, and the importance of having a team you can trust to navigate the complexities of the music industry.

 

As for who rolled through, rappers Deema and Luke RV were seen mixing with shoegaze revivalist Hongza and rising R&B queen JADA. They were just four of 20 artists who came along and asked about being independent, the value of having a manager, and whether prioritising a live agent is more important.

 

If you didn’t make it down, you can learn more about Converse Rubber Tracks here.