Austin is a jack of many (but admittedly not all) trades. As a vocalist, Austin wields a highly developed tenor with influences of pop, indie rock, jazz, and a healthy grounding in the blues, and his proficiency on the electric, acoustic, and bass guitar has seen him perform music ranging from soft beach-rock to wall-of-sound metal.
Hailing originally from Larkspur, CA Austin moved to Los Angeles to pursue a degree in Popular Music with an emphasis in voice at USC's Thornton School of Music, accepted as one of only 5 vocalists in his class. At USC, Austin had the privilege to study voice under Jeffrey Allen and songwriting under Melissa Manchester. Jeffrey helped him realize the full potential of his powerful, if sometimes unruly voice, and Melissa helped him understand the finer points of detail and emotion in the songwriting process.
Music Connection Magazine describing his song “Seattle” as “one of the strongest all-around pieces of the [songwriting showcase]…as it felt equally ready for Top 40 or a Broadway Musical,” while the music blog Beautiful Song of the Week honors his original song "Not About You" as their pick of the week for 8/17/15 and describes his falsetto as “clean and delicate, landing somewhere between Jonsi and Bon Iver.”
Austin’s band, Small Shelter, has just released their debut EP, a collection of five songs that range from bubblegum pop to soupy, grooving R&B; and his side project Feiler showcases an ephemeral brand of indie-folk that recalls Sufjan Stevens and Jose Gonzalez. Both projects are currently working on new material and looking forward to sharing it with the world.