Austin City Limits returns with a radiant hour showcasing a pair of next-generation singer-songwriters: UK native Jade Bird and Austin’s own Dayglow. The new installment premieres October 9 at 9pm ET/ 8pm CT as part of the series new Season 47. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a new season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The program continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for a remarkable 47 years. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.
Acclaimed singer-songwriter-guitarist Jade Bird performs highlights from her recent album Different Kinds of Light, recorded in Nashville with red-hot producer Dave Cobb. The Welsh native and recent Austin transplant cut her teeth in London pubs and open-mic nights in her teens and has been earning acclaim in the U.S. since 2018, winning top honors at SXSW and scoring a nomination for the Americana Awards “Emerging Artist of the Year.” The seasoned, charismatic 23-year-old lights up the ACL stage in a magnetic debut. Opening the set with the melodic “Headstart,” Bird soars with irresistible new songs including “Now is the Time” and “Candidate” alongside early career gems including her 2018 breakthrough hit “Lottery,” a kiss-off to an ex set to a catchy rock melody, and the fiery “I Get No Joy,” which she cheekily dedicates to the year 2020. Bird pays tribute to an American musical hero, Dolly Parton, with a luminous rendition of her classic “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?” joined by Nashville singer Savannah Conley and guitarist Luke Prosser in gorgeous three-part harmony.
21-year-old Sloan Struble, who records music as Dayglow, brings all the feels in an exuberant ACL debut that will have viewers smiling ear to ear. The genial pop wunderkind shines in an upbeat set filled with his sunny, smart indie-pop. His 2021 sophomore album, Harmony House, is earning critical raves, with the Austin American-Statesman calling it “one of the best albums of the year, an effervescent and wise-before-his-time collection of songs that will leave you crying on the dancefloor.” “Let’s freakin’ rock” enthuses Struble as he happily bounces around the stage for the set opener “Something,” then delivers a dose of pure ‘70s groove with the infectious “Medicine.” Struble got his start making music in his teenage bedroom and he delights with tunes from his 2018 debut album Fuzzybrain, including the viral single that launched his runaway career, “Can I Call You Tonight?” A set highlight is the smooth rock banger “Crying on the Dancefloor,” complete with sweet soprano saxophone and a heart-swelling melody. Dayglow’s love of new wave and ‘80s pop anthems is evident on the dreamy synthpop breakthrough single “Close to You,” and he displays the modern/nostalgic dichotomy that is a hallmark of his music with a feel-good cover of the Tear For Fears classic “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” that merges with his own, “Run the World!!!” for a memorable close.
“Jade Bird and Dayglow are two of the brightest stars in the pop firmament right now, and we’re proud that Austin is home base for both of them,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “They bring a fresh sensibility to classic songwriting, with a little bit of edge and plenty of catchy hooks.”
Jade Bird setlist:
Headstart
Prototype
Now is the Time
Candidate
I Get No Joy
Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?
Lottery
Going Gone
Dayglow setlist:
Something
Medicine
Crying on the Dancefloor
Can I Call You Tonight?
Close To You
Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Run the World!!!
Season 47 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately):
October 2 Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram & Jon Randall
October 9 Jade Bird / Dayglow
October 16 Jon Batiste
October 23 Sarah Jarosz / Billy Strings
October 30 Brandy Clark / Charley Crockett
November 6 Leon Bridges / Khruangbin
November 13 Jackson Browne
November 20 Brittany Howard
Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season, including five new episodes to air beginning January 2022, will be announced at a later date. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future tapings and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.