Austin, TX-based musician SOMEBODY SOMEONE (pronouns: they/them) has been causing quite a stir since the release of “Better,” their debut single under that moniker last year. Called “riveting and spellbinding” by American Songwriter, the track kicked off increasing momentum that sees them included in NPR’s coveted “Tiny Desk,” featured on the popular podcast “Telepathy Tapes,” and included in Adam Durwitz’s of Counting Crows’ Underwater Sunshine Festival in NYC.
Chosen by NPR’s music staff to be included in this Summer’s “Tiny Desk Contest On The Road Tour” when the caravan hits Austin, TX, Somebody Someone will take part in the sold out outdoor show sponsored by KUTX at Mohawk on June 27th. “I’m SO excited,” they exclaim. “I submit every year not expecting much to come of it, but I have to admit that after nine years of entry, an official recognition in my home city is pretty damn cool.”
Heralded by former Tiny Desk chief Bob Boilen who once proclaimed “This is a song I wish I wrote,” about their previous “Top Shelf” Tiny Desk performance, Somebody Someone’s inclusion in this show holds special significance. “Austin has been like my own piecemealed grad school for music,” they explain. “I’ve cut my teeth here and I’m confident enough to say they’re razor sharp and ready to go! Everything feels like it’s lining up like a planetary event.” More information here: https://tinydeskcontest.npr.org/2025/tour-page/.
Proving that the stars continue to align, they were featured on the massively popular podcast Telepathy Tapes which focuses on telepathic communication, particularly among individuals with autism. “I’m neurodivergent with several things in the mix,” they say. “This podcast has been so validating for so many reasons.”
In the current political and societal climate where autism is being demonized and marginalized unfairly, Somebody Someone wants to shine the light even brighter on autism to dispel the harmful myths that currently abound. “Especially in light of the *gestures broadly* political landscape and news cycle, ‘autism’ is a dirty word societally speaking,” they say. “Most people presume incompetence when folks are labeled as such, but really autistic people are responsible for some massive social and artistic movements – Greta Thunberg, Temple Grandin, Satoshi Tajiri, Naoki Higashida… we’re all over the place.” More information here: https://thetelepathytapes.com/podcast.
Tapping into the momentum, Counting Crows frontman Adam Durwitz took note of Somebody Someone’s music and invited them onto the Underwater Sunshine Fest that takes place in New York City on November 21-22, 2025. Carefully curated to include the newest, brightest, independent music artists that Adam and the larger team of producers can find, the festival is an immersive celebration of songwriting and music that previously hosted such musical luminaries as Fantastic Cat, Red Wanting Blue, Monks of Doom, Stephen Kellogg, among many others. “It’s a music lover’s festival with an emphasis on songwriting, which is exactly the kind of room I like being in,” they explain. More information can be found here: https://underwatersunshinefest.com/
Summoning the ghosts of Marianne Faithfull, Aldous Harding and Nick Drake, Somebody Someone grew up in Gulfport, MS in a very music-oriented household. Combining the timeless harmonies of The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and The Mamas & The Papas from their father’s record collection with contemporary artists like Fiona Apple and Brandi Carlile, they immersed themselves in music that influenced their own songwriting. They began performing at age 10 at weddings and country gatherings and even opened for Blake Shelton at the Crawfish Music Festival in 2007.
After a fortuitous move to Austin, they switched gears and jumped feet first into the music world full time. The past year marked a profound turning point for the artist marked by challenges related to health, gender identity, and a deeper understanding of their neurodivergence (“I’m neuro-spicy”, they declare with a smile). They realized that music, once a refuge, had become a mechanism for coping rather than a true reflection of their essence as an artist.
With all this activity fluttering about, it’s a wonder that Somebody Someone even has time to write new music… but that’s exactly what they are doing. Hard at work composing and crafting new music, they are keeping things grounded while still looking to the stars. “I know we’re all feeling exhausted at the *gestures broadly* once again,” they conclude. “I’ve got a new salve cooking up for the existential malaise we’re all feeling.”