US / THEM

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Gus Baldwin & The Sketch to play 11 SXSW shows this week, Spring 2026 tour starts in April

"Genre-agnostic quartet with classic rock energy and brassy punk politics... channeling the raw energy of punk." -- Austin Chronicle

“ARTIST OF THE MONTH, March 2025: Infectious garage rock energy. A furious mix of ferocious guitars, a technical knock-out rhythm section, and lyrics that would make all of the legendary Beat Poets howl in approval.” — KUTX

“Noisy, fuzzy punk with a distinct pop sensibility… Full of energy and anger while also managing to be a lot of fun.” — New Noise Magazine

“Gus Baldwin has evolved into a bonafide heir to Texas rock’n’roll... The venom of 70s proto-punk, the chiming, desperate hooks of 80s power-pop, the psychfuzz of 60s, and the busted-heart of 90s indie rock.” — It’s Psychedelic Baby! Magazine

Austin band Gus Baldwin & The Sketch kick off a slew of SXSW performances around Austin, TX today -- 11 shows in fact. See all dates and times below. The local faves are riding a year of breakthroughs, winning the 2026 Austin Music Awards in the category of Best Rock Band, being Artist of The Month on Austin NPR radio station KUTX, and featured in a cover story in the Austin Chronicle.

Gus Baldwin & The Sketch kick off their Spring 2026 Western U.S. tour on April 9th. All shows are listed below, tickets are HERE.

Gus Baldwin & the Sketch was the Artist of the Month for March at local NPR affiliate KUTX. Read the interview HERE. The band was also featured in a front cover story in alt weekly paper the Austin Chronicle. Read the feature story HERE.

Gus Baldwin is a 20-something singer/songwriter/ex-hippie/part-time punk hailing from Austin, TX. He splits his time constantly performing as a one man garage band, or with his band The Sketch, and as a frequent collaborator with other local acts. His music spans an array of time periods (80s power-pop, 60s psych, 70s proto-punk, 90s indie rock), and his forthcoming self-titled debut solo full length showcases the immensity of his talents in making all of those influences sound fresh and new.

The debut full length by Gus Baldwin & The Sketch, titled simply The Sketch was released earlier in 2025 to much critical acclaim: Austin NPR affiliate KUTX’s Artist of The Month in March, a front cover story in Austin Chronicle and Best Punk Band nomination, as well as personal invitations to support Jack White and tour with Bass Drum of Death in Fall 2025.

While The Sketch continues to tour the US (and soon the EU) and write, Gus’ solo album serves to fill in the shades and background that made him. To wit: After a stint holding down drums for Dallas surf punk legends Sealion in high school, Baldwin went on to form the psych-pop combo Acid Carousel, which he led for 6 years and 20-ish releases before departing the band on Halloween night 2021. Quickly releasing a string of solo titles on his own GetWithIt! Records imprint, including the EPs THRILLER II, and Live Bugs, as well as a slew of singles, Gus established himself firmly as the godson of Texas rock 'n’ roll. Teaming up with former Acid Carousel bandmates, and other friends, Gus formed The Sketch in 2022 with bassist Lucas Martins, guitarist David Rawlinson, and drummer Trey Gutierrez.

Gus Baldwin is available on LP and download, released on October 24th, 2025 via Permanent Teeth.

The Sketch is available on LP, cassette and download, released January 31, 2025 via Permanent Teeth. Orders are available HERE.

GUS BALDWIN & THE SKETCH - LIVE 2026:

03/11 Austin, TX - Hotel Vegas - SX Soundcheck (9:45pm)

03/12 Austin, TX - Hotel Vegas - 15th Anniversary Party (6:45pm)

03/13 Austin, TX - Marriott Downtown - Flatstock Stage (2:30pm Gus Baldwin SOLO - Official SXSW showcase)

03/13 Austin, TX - Tweedy’s (5pm)

03/14 Austin, TX - Hotel Vegas - Fiesta Destructo (2:15pm)

03/15 Austin, TX - House Park Mini Ramp (1:45pm)

03/18 Austin, TX - Radio Day Stage - KOOP/KLKT (5pm)

03/18 Austin, TX - Chess Club (11pm - Official SXSW showcase)

03/20 Austin, TX - Factory on 5th (8:15pm)

03/21 Austin, TX - Hotel Vegas - Spring Break Boogie (8pm)

04/09 El Paso, TX - Rosewood

04/10 Albuquerque, NM - Sister

04/11 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive

04/12 Grand Junction, CO - Copeka Coffee

04/14 Salt Lake City, UT - International Bar

04/15 Boise, ID - TBA

04/16 Yakima, WA - Bearded Monkey

04/17 Seattle, WA - Clock-Out Lounge

04/18 Portland, OR - Swan Dive

04/19 Eugene, OR - John Henry's (w/ Sexfaces)

04/21 Chico, CA - Duffy's Tavern

04/22 Reno, NV - The Alpine

04/23 Sacramento, CA - Torch Club

04/24 San Francisco, CA - Kilowatt (w/ The Okmoniks, Moms With Bangs)

04/25 Santa Cruz, CA - The Crepe Place (w/ Jonny Manak & The Depressives)

04/26 Palmdale, CA - Transplants Brewing Co.

04/28 El Centro, CA - Mexca

04/29 San Diego, CA - The Tower Bar

04/30 Long Beach, CA - Alex's Bar

05/01 Los Angeles, CA - Non Plus Ultra (w/ Sexfaces)

05/02 Phoenix, AZ - Linger Longer Lounge

05/07 Austin, TX - Austin Psych Fest - Mohawk (w/ Frankie & The Witch Fingers)

On The Web:

linktr.ee/gusbaldwin

instagram.com/buddy_gus

gusbaldwin.bandcamp.com

permanentteethrecords.bandcamp.com

Artist: Gus Baldwin

Album: Gus Baldwin

Record Label: Permanent Teeth

Album Release Date: October 24, 2025

01. Hello

02. Full Regalia

03. St. Sinner

04. Depression

05. West Korea

06. Cherrywood

07. Azie Morton

08. The Pesticide Song

09. Credit Card

10. Whatever Happened (To My Granddaddy’s Gun)?

11. Happy Mondays

12. Aesthetifuck

Artist: Gus Baldwin & The Sketch

Album: The Sketch

Label: Permanent Teeth Records

Release Date: January 31, 2025

01. Part I

02. Part II

03. Part III

04. Itch

05. Steady on It

06. Luxury Television

07. Slacker’s Prom

08. (She’s Gone) Arigato

09. Beautiful Delilah

10. What the Freaks Say

11. Sympathy for Sunday

Bronco Forte share new single "Sixteen Lanes" from upcoming album (All Hail the Yeti, Batillus members)

"A feeling of craft that underscores everything they do." -- The Obelisk

"They paint their sandy vistas with lush, yet crisp guitar work and catchy clean vocals against a backdrop of muscular, laid-back drums." -- Toilet Ov Hell

"Across ten lean tracks, the band conjures desert campfire mystique and amplifier hum, and those fuzzed guitars glowing like heat lightning, will have their rhythms cruising like a midnight drive through Joshua Tree. There’s groove, grit, and a storyteller’s sense of pacing: choruses rise like mirages, riffs crunch like gravel under tires." -- Stoner Hive

“A clear-eyed reminder of what heavy rock was built on: driving riffs, unforgettable melodies, and songs that actually stick… It feels less like a nostalgic exercise than a necessary course correction.” — Metal Injection

Los Angeles quartet Bronco Forte share their latest single "Sixteen Lanes" from their forthcoming full length album Lightning Scars today. The song premiered earlier via Echoes & Dust HERE. "Sixteen Lanes" is now available on DSPs HERE.

Bronco Forte recently released a beautifully crafted D&D themed video for the lead single "Lightning Scar", produced by Zograscope Studios and featuring actor John Ennis (Better Call Saul, Mr. Show) in a very creative production design. An early preview launched via Metal Injection HERE. The "Lightning Scar" video is now also available to watch & share on YouTube HERE.

After so many iterations of heavy, desert-inspired doom rock over past decades, it seems the essence of purely driving riffs, earworm harmonies and strong songwriting that defined a genre has been forsaken. Bronco Forte are a return to the stark blast that made bands like Kyuss, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden legends.

After years of creative toil and preparation, Los Angeles quartet Bronco Forte is stepping into the spotlight as a fully-formed heavy rock phenomenon, with roots in the classic heavy music of the 1970s, seasoned with a deeply modern sensibility and sonic approach. The songs on their debut full-length album, Lightning Scars, chronicle the uncertain lives of ordinary people in the cities and wildernesses of California and beyond, as the characters they depict strive to maintain their integrity in the face of a rapidly-changing world.

The band’s lyrics balance literary style and kitchen-sink realism. Their riffs are deep and dirty, conjuring up the kinds of swinging grooves that cause involuntary head-nodding. The song structures are clever without being cluttered, and the band’s judicious use of vocal harmonies brings a powerful pop sweetness that cuts like a ray of light through the deep swampy stomp of their songs. It all adds up to a fresh yet familiar take on hard rock for a new era, as they draw inspiration and energy from their musical ancestors while casting aside the weary genre cliches of the past.

On Lightning Scars, guitarist and vocalist Chris Klepac’s focused songwriting and poignant lyrics meld seamlessly with guitarist Sako Injaian’s (All Hail the Yeti) energetic riffs to create a sonic tapestry that is somehow as catchy as it is heavy. Together, bassist Jen Glomboski (White Forest) and drummer Geoff Summers (Batillus, A Storm of Light) lay down a rhythmic foundation that is as solid and unwavering as the endless expanses of concrete and asphalt that blanket the band’s home of southern California.

Lightning Scars was tracked and mixed by engineer Kevin McCombs (Linkin Park, Story of the Year) at legendary North Hollywood studio The Steakhouse – the same studio where Queens of the Stone Age recorded Era Vulgaris. From there, the band took the audio to heavy rock mastering wizard Nick Townsend (Alice in Chains, Frankie and the Witch Fingers), who cut the resulting album to lacquer on his own personal lathe. Album art from Kevin “fetusK” Bernier (Prosthetic Records, Intronaut) completes the package.

Lightning Scars will be available on LP, CD and download on April 3rd, 2026. Pre-orders are available HERE.

BRONCO FORTE - LIVE 2026:

03/15 Palmdale, CA - Transplants Brewing

03/18 Los Angeles, CA - The Escondite, DTLA