This year’s installment of the mtvU Woodie Awards Festival kicks off today in Austin, Texas.
The festivities will go down at the South By Southwest Festival, and the best moments of the show will air on MTV and mtvU on March 18.
Woodie Awards Executive Producer Eric Conte said the Woodies have evolved out of necessity.
“In order to make good, kick-ass music, it needs to be appreciated and acknowledged. The Woodies is a place to do that,” Conte said.
As the festival approached, The Daily Reveille chatted with some of the show’s most exciting performers.
BEST COAST
Best Coast, comprised of lead singer Bethany Cosentino and instrumentalist Bobb Bruno, is nominated for “Best Video Woodie” for the “Our Deal” music video.
Cosentino attributed actor-turned-producer Drew Barrymore with much of the credit for her video’s creative direction.
“This video was 100 percent Drew Barrymore’s vision,” Cosentino said. “It was something that she created entirely.”
Cosentino said she received Barrymore’s proposed script for the video while in London and liked it immediately.
“It sounded like a beautiful story that fit with a beautiful song,” Cosentino said.
Cosentino said she was attracted to the pop culture references – most notably “Romeo and Juliet” and “West Side Story” – that Barrymore included in the video’s script. The singer also opened up about her new album, “The Only Place,” slated for a May 15 release.
“It’s very different. It sounds a lot more intimate, mature and grown-up,” Cosentino said of the difference between her first and second albums. “It’s nicer and more pleasing to the ears.”
As for her chances of taking home the Woodie award this year, Cosentino said the entire nomination process had been a Catch-22.
“It’s one of those things where you don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings, but you still want to win,” Cosentino said.
STEVE AOKI
Steve Aoki, electronic dance music (EDM) DJ and producer, is nominated for the “EDM Effect Woodie,” – a new distinction at this year’s awards – for his music video, “Turbulence.”
“EDM in America has blown up,” Aoki said. “It’s part of the radar of popular culture now, part of the Woodie Awards.”
Aoki said the rise of the EDM genre has been meteoric – so much so that he wouldn’t have been able to conduct his recently-completed tour four years ago because there wouldn’t have been enough fans.
Aoki said the genre is evolving so rapidly thanks in part to the Internet and the abundance of new talent that the Internet houses. Aoki offered advice for aspiring DJs and producers.
Aoki advised aspiring EDM artists to “remain authentic” and, above all else, have confidence in their work.
“You got to always believe in what you’re doing. If not, it’s not worth it,” he said.
WALK THE MOON
Cincinnati indie rockers Walk The Moon are nominated for this year’s “Breaking Woodie,” an award for the best up-and-coming artist.
“We feel like we’re the underdog for the category. We’re very honored to be nominated,” said Nicholas Petricca, Walk The Moon lead singer.
Petricca said the show will mark his band’s second appearance at the South by Southwest Festival.
“We didn’t know what to expect [last year], and it ended up being like summer camp for adults,” he said.
Walk The Moon’s breakout song, “Anna Sun,” was inspired by a sociology professor Petricca had while at Kenyon College in his native Ohio.
“The spirit of college was a big influence on the song,” Petricca said.
 
 
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Contact Josh Naquin at [email protected]