SXSW 2016 Interview: Roo Panes

Late on the Wednesday afternoon of SXSW 2016, I made my way south of downtown and across the Colorado River to the Hyatt Regency Austin to see an intimate acoustic show by singer/songwriter Roo Panes. Having never seen a gig in this venue before, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but when I walked into the hotel lobby, I was surprised to see the stage set up just inside the front doors, where casual passersby could enjoy a bit of live music alongside those of us there specifically for the show.
Ahead of his early evening performance in the lobby, I had the chance to sit outside on the hotel patio and talk with Panes about his new album ‘Paperweights’, which I reviewed just before my trip to Austin, right back here. Also in the interview streaming below, Panes touched on his first album ‘Little Giant’ and the continuously ongoing nature of his songwriting process.
Prior to the start of the interview, Panes and I chatted about his previous travels to the United States, which have included a trip to the Grand Canyon and a brief stay in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The subject of Grand Rapids would come up again near the end of Panes’ acoustic set inside the Hyatt Regency Austin lobby. He serenaded his small but attentive audience with new album tracks ‘Summer Thunder’ and ‘The Original’ before harkening back to a song from his 2012 debut EP ‘Once’, which was titled ‘I’ll Move Mountains’ and which Panes revealed was written while sitting outside on a patio during his time in Michigan. If you haven’t already heard it, you can take a listen to ‘I’ll Move Mountains’ in the video just below.
Thank you to Phoebe for helping us arrange this lovely interview.
TGTF’s collection of previous coverage on Roo Panes can be found by clicking here.
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