Blackillac And Tiggs Da Author Rock Culture Trips SXSW Stage

Performing at Culture Trip’s SXSW event, Austin native Zeale, of hip-hop collaboration Blackillac, and Londoner Tiggs da Author share their thoughts on travel and the Texan festival.

“The general vibe of Austin is super-relaxed and chill. People enjoy their coffee, their salad and nature… and a lot of music,” explains Zeale, who with Phranchyze and Gary Clark Jr forms the hip-hop collective Blackillac.

Zeale performs at Culture Trip’s SXSW stage

He’s not wrong. Music is as integral to SXSW as the festival is to the entertainment and tech calendar, and that of its host city, Austin.

“SXSW is pretty important to Austin. For a musician, it is unique because you can see what artists from around the world are up to, all at the same time. What textures and vibes they are using,” says Zeale. “There is a lot of musical history in Austin, it’s hard to not be inspired. The city is cool about cultivating that.”

Though now based in LA, Zeale still calls Austin home. He explains what makes the Austin Motel such a notable landmark. “I think you picked a really cool place to start – this is one of the historic hotels in the area. I’m sure you noticed the shape of the sign… [laughs]. It’s a go-to for hardcore Austinites and people visiting as well.”

The Austin Motel hosts Culture Trip at SXSW 2019

A first-time visitor to Austin, Tiggs da Author made a point of exploring the city before hitting the Culture Trip stage. “I went out yesterday and got a lot of food, as you can imagine,” he says, highlighting the other thing the city has become famous for: excellent grub. For the singer-songwriter-producer from South London, the Texan capital’s music scene resembles that of one of his home town’s trendier neighbourhoods. “It seems like a massive Shoreditch.”

Tiggs da Author performs at Culture Trip’s SXSW stage

As well as performing in London and here in Austin, Tiggs has traveled all over the world through his music. Some of his favorite destinations include Cape Town and Durban in South Africa and the Indian Ocean island of Réunion.

“The first thing that got me into music was seeing other musicians live,” Tiggs says. More than a decade into his career, he still finds the music scene back home in Britain as relevant as when it first inspired him.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.