The SXSW 2015 music marathon officially started on March 17th, but on the previous night, Austin’s Sixth Street featured an abundance of sights and sounds. Early in the evening, we strolled into Latitude 30 (British Music Embassy) for the Creative Belfast party, a showcase of Northern Irish talent.

Latitude 30 was comfortably filled and the mood was light. Early in the evening, a man stepped on stage to plead with the audience to keep absolutely quiet for SOAK (also known as Bridie), an 18-year-old folk singer-songwriter making waves in Europe. Her shy modesty and charming innocence captivated the silent, respectful crowd, while her ability to move in and out of vocal emotions kept the audience tightly fastened to her lyrical roller coaster.

Next, indie pop band Go Wolf livened the mood with toe-tapping tunes, the bassist and drummer in the pocket and driving the entire set. More Than Conquerors followed, hitting the room with high energy and a rhythmical, experimental flavor. The band’s finesse was matched by the passion of vocalist Kris Platt, who, mid-set, grabbed his mic stand and guitar to re-situate himself in the middle of the room, fully encircled by the audience and cameras.

Stay tuned for more coverage from SXSW 2015 — we’re just getting started.

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Chad Elder is a Los Angeles-based photographer who focuses on live music and band portraits. Cassie Purtlebaugh is a writer and musician in Los Angeles.