ACL Preview: West 22nd Hooks ’Em at Their First ACL

With a name inspired by the wild streets of West Campus, West 22nd boasts the distinct honor of being the first band made up of current University of Texas students to land an ACL Fest slot.

Gabe Acevedo (rhythm guitar/backup vocals) and Logan Madsen (vocals/lead singer) dish on the sun-kissed indie-rock five-piece’s ACL debut.

Austin Chronicle: Your band name, of course, pays homage to West Campus. How does it feel to be the first all-current UT-Austin-student band to play the festival?

Logan Madsen: We’re very honored to be in our position, especially with all the great music that has come out of UT throughout the years. We are all Longhorns for life and are extremely grateful for all the opportunities that the school has given us. Austin is the live music capital of the world, and there is no other place than UT we’d rather be as an up-and-coming band. We hope we’re only the first of many UT bands to remind the world that ACL shares its home with a young, prolific music scene.

AC: You’ve played 75-plus shows, including a headlining slot at the Paramount in L.A. earlier this year. How do you balance college life with touring and recording?

Gabe Acevedo: We really value our education, so we’ve done the best we can to be full-time students and musicians at the same time, not to say there haven’t been some Mondays and Fridays missed for travel or a few makeup-exam requests along the way. Because of school, touring and recording usually comes out of our weekends, holidays, and summer break. This year, we’ll be spending New Year’s Eve in the studio to work on our first record, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

AC: Your first full-length album is slated to be released in spring of 2025. How has the recording process been, and what can fans expect from the LP?

Logan Madsen: A full-length record has always been our biggest goal since we first started writing music. We have been writing all summer long, and we are very excited about what we’ve been able to create together. Fans can expect a more mature, narrative, and cohesive collection of songs that still has our indie-rock feel. Later this year, we’ll be spending our winter break in the studio, bringing all the tracks to life.

Some people have told us that albums aren’t the way to go anymore, but we believe in the beauty of a full-length piece of art that tells a story. We think that a big way of connecting with an artist is being able to relate to a body of work all written during a distinct stage of life and then recorded with the same people and with the same energy. This is our proudest work yet, and we are very excited, even with a long way still to go.

AC: From Chief Cleopatra to the Tiarras, there’s solid Austin representation on this year’s ACL lineup. Do you have any advice for local bands looking to secure a spot on next year’s festival lineup?

Logan Madsen: Play in Austin as much as you can! There’s no shortage of venues, bars, parties, and sidewalks around town to showcase your music and get your reps in. We played more than 50 shows in Austin last year and targeted spots affiliated with ACL, such as Mohawk and Empire. A cold call, cold email, and showing up at a venue to talk to anyone about booking goes a long way.

AC: What are you most looking forward to about ACL?

Gabe Acevedo: Even now as ACL artists, we’re looking forward to being fans. After our set on Sunday, you’ll probably find us in the crowd dancing to “Hot to Go” at the AmEx stage.

Sunday 6, 1:30pm, Tito’s Stage

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Check out The Austin Chronicle’s ACL Festival preview on stands and online on Thursday, Oct. 3, and following the Chronicle’s coverage from the fest at austinchronicle.com/acl.