ena mori On Performing At SXSW And Representing The Philippines On The Global Stage

Music has long been a universal language that connects people from across the world, with each country’s music serving as a reflective and multi-faceted piece of one’s culture. 

In the Philippines, where music of all forms thrive across the entire country, each unique sound, genre, or sonic innovation we pursue and cultivate is constantly defining and redefining what Filipino music is and can become.

In recent years, Philippine artists have become more and more empowered to take that special piece of culture and bring it face-to-face with the rest of the world through so many avenues. This includes various prestigious music conferences and festivals in both Asia and beyond. 

One such highly sought after event is South By Southwest or SXSW, described as “the world’s longest-running and largest cultural festival combining music, film, and technology.” Over the years, many Filipino artists have represented the Philippines with their musical craft at various global iterations of the event, namely, the original SXSW in Texas, SXSW Sydney in Australia, and the recently established SXSW London in the United Kingdom.

Looking back on the times when Filipino musical talent was showcased at SXSW, one particular artist stands out because of a single reason: she is the artist who has historically represented the Philippines the most number of times at the world-renowned event. That artist is ena mori.

Known for her experimental, boundary-breaking take on pop music, fun and colorful fashion choices, and introspective, vulnerable lyricism, ena mori is recognized for her unapologetic artistry in everything that encompasses her music — so much so that she was rightfully declared the Rulebreaker honoree at the first ever Billboard Philippines Women In Music Awards last March 2024.

In the past two years or so, ena mori has officially taken on SXSW a total of three times. First in SXSW 2023 in Texas, followed by SXSW Sydney 2024, and then, just last June 2025, at the inaugural SXSW London, the latter of which made her the first ever Filipino artist to perform at the event. 

With SXSW Sydney 2025 coming up this October and a new batch of Filipino artists set to showcase their music for the rest of the world to discover, Billboard Philippines caught up with ena mori for an exclusive inside look into her experience performing at SXSW, how she prepared, the lessons she learned along the way that improved her artistry, and more. 

Billboard Philippines: You’ve been busy these past few months. Alongside the release of a number of singles and your second EP rOe, you made a song for the Japanese clothing brand Little Sunny Bite, while “Trust Me” was chosen by Häagen-Dazs Japan for one of their commercials. You also opened not just once, but twice for AURORA during her Asia tour earlier this year and you’re now also represented by the same international management company as hers.

In addition to these, you also represented the Philippines at SXSW once again. This time, at the first-ever SXSW London last June. Looking back on all of these, how are you feeling? How would you describe your year so far as an artist?

ena mori: I just feel really blessed! I’m so honored to do that much activity in just, like, half a year. I will be honest, it was definitely busy (chuckles) but being busy for artists is such a treat. It means there’s more room and more time for me to experiment and express, just use my platform to be able to do what I love and do it with the people that I love. So, I’m just feeling really blessed, especially with SXSW London. 

To think that I’m the first ever Filipino to be performing at such a prestigious stage is such an honor, especially being one of the few Asian artists to be performing in the lineup that we had. It means the world to me. I’m just really grateful for all the things that I was able to do within the year so far.

Your participation at SXSW London 2025 actually marks your third time performing at an iteration of SXSW.

For you, what does it mean to be the artist who has represented the Philippines the most number of times at SXSW?

Oh my gosh, it’s really just Pinoy pride! I’m just so grateful to even be able to carry that legacy. There have been so many other Filipino indie artists that have performed at various stages of SXSW and Asian music is blowing up. It’s just something that I love to see [because] I’m proud of where I come from. I’m proud to be both Pinoy and Japanese.

Performing at a stage like SXSW, especially Austin [Texas], can be pretty intimidating for a lot of artists. Even just going there is such a struggle for a lot as well. But because of the support from a lot of people, I got to do it! It’s just such an honor. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of it without everybody’s help so I’m just really grateful.

Looking back, SXSW 2023 in Texas being your first SXSW was, undeniably, a really big deal!

I definitely didn’t want to miss it! It was a challenge, of course. We were thousands of miles away. Having to travel and adjust to their culture, there were a lot of nerves. I was anxious about not messing it up and I think a lot of other artists felt that as well, especially for those like us from the Philippines. But I’m just really grateful to have been able to do that and it definitely did inspire me to try new things. It became a milestone for me.

Back then, you performed as part of the Tiger Den showcase, sharing the stage with other Asian artists from all over the world. With that, what was it like preparing for your first time ever representing the Philippines at SXSW? What particular challenges did you face before, during, and after?

Honestly, I had thoughts and expectations of people not loving the set. You’ll never know if an audience will love it, especially if that’s the first time they’re hearing you. How they will react is always different, like, how they move and react to your sound, especially in different countries. It’s just something that might affect your expectations. 

But one of the things that I really kept in mind was that I didn’t want to change my set. That’s something I didn’t want to do. I wanted to do the same thing that I loved doing and I didn’t want to change it just to cater to a different type of audience. There’s nothing wrong with doing that but that was my way of challenging myself and seeing if this was going to work. And it did, thankfully! But it was something that I held onto, that I didn’t want to become a chameleon just to cater to an audience that was different from my usual.

I think there’s beauty in adjusting and there’s a few things with it that you can adjust. But ultimately, with the music part of it, I think that if you really believe in your set, your songs, and how you always show up, that’s one thing that’s best for you to carry out like always. And I encourage other artists to do the same. Keep that as your secret weapon. You’ve been building all of this for the longest time and that’s one thing you can personally carry. That was kind of, like, my best way of connecting with the audience. 

That’s a good mindset to have! Whether it be performing in a different country or at a local gig, show them what makes you you as an artist.

And I think that, If it doesn’t stick with them, it’s not your fault! Just showcase to them who you really are. You don’t need to look back and say, “Oh, I should’ve done that.” There’s nothing to regret because that’s you. 

I’ve experienced countless times where my performance didn’t stick with the audience and it hurts. But it’s not my fault. Kanya-kanyang trip (To each their own), basically. They have their own tastes. All you have to do is do what you do best. If there’s something that sparks, then that means it’s meant to be. 

[At SXSW 2023 in Texas], admittedly, that was easier to say rather than do and I remember countless times where I would have this kind of insecurity of “Is this good enough?” Because I didn’t know. It was my first show in the US and, especially being SXSW, I felt like I was going into a battlefield (chuckles) and that I needed to impress whoever was there. But I think, after countless times of just contemplating, I just came down and simplified it to “I can only do what I can do” and that’s what I was going to go for instead doing all these different things that I’ve never done before just to cater to everybody. For me, that’s an important mindset to carry, especially when I’m performing.

Indeed, being yourself, you’re bound to resonate with the right people eventually, whether locally or internationally. There’s always going to be those who are aligned with the music you create. 

Now, in terms of the more technical aspects of your preparation leading up to your first SXSW, was there anything that posed a challenge for you and your team? 

I think, honestly, one of the things I prepared for was my expectations. Because a lot of things could happen that I wouldn’t even know about. I was just kind of, like, mentally preparing that I will need to have extra things, like extra equipment. 

For example, if I didn’t, for some reason, have any of the equipment I needed on stage at all, what was I supposed to do? Those kinds of things. I wanted to prepare for them. Those were the things I had in mind to be bulletproof when I showed up on stage. 

I think one of the things we were having a hard time with were the musical equipment. Because, when you do SXSW or any type of music showcase,  they don’t really supply a lot of the equipment. Usually, a band or an act, they bring their own. That was one of the things that we were having a hard time with because, you know, we did have a drummer and we can’t just ship the drums. So, we had to rent them and we were just making sure that everything will be covered. Thankfully, we were able to find a Filipino supplier there – Jr Musni of Beatboxx Productions – and he has supported a lot of other Filipino acts that have come to Texas as well. 

So yeah, one of the things that artists should look out for, especially coming from an Asian country, is the availability of the equipment. It’s a reoccurring issue for a lot of acts. It’s a challenge, basically.

There’s beauty in bringing your own stuff. But as a touring band, it might be a bit of a hassle. In the Philippines, whenever you perform at shows, the bare minimum of things are usually already prepared or supplied for you, especially the drum set. But at SXSW, it was just bare (chuckles) and we needed to fill it in. So yeah, that was the more technical challenge.

I think one of the things that I also need to highlight is the visa issue. I think that’s what’s stopping a lot of amazing Southeast Asian artists. It’s not their fault. It’s just impossible to get a visa that quickly and it breaks my heart. It’s an unfortunate thing and I hope that there will be more support from the government for artists to be able to go and represent the Philippines. 

I think that if there’s more opportunities for Filipino artists to transcend their music to a different country, I hope that in the future, there will be some type of support or grant or anything that will be able to bring more Filipino music to the world. 

After that experience, the following year, you took part in SXSW Sydney 2024 alongside your friend and fellow Filipino artist Clara Benin.

When compared to SXSW 2023 in Texas, how did it differ? Were there similar or, rather, new challenges you encountered?

It might be different for others, but, in my opinion, it was actually a lot easier compared to the first one, but maybe that’s because it was my first one. For SXSW Sydney, I’d say things were a lot smoother. 

The things that were different? Well, Sydney is a small city and it was just great to have some time to explore their music scene and kind of talk with some of the artists there. Shoutout to Jewel (Owusu)! I was able to feature in one of her tracks – “Time Machine” – during my stay here. 

So yeah, I got to explore a little bit. Because my experience in Austin was different. It was so big that I couldn’t catch the shows I wanted to go to because they were too far. There were so many people, which was kind of festive, but I was just really overstimulated. But for others, it might’ve been great. 

I enjoyed a little bit more in Sydney because I had a little bit more time to kind of soak in and experience the music scene there as well. Like, getting to know what Sydney artists are in need of. Hearing things from them and their challenges and goals, it was nice getting to know their music scene as a whole. 

Of course, the audience was different as well. I got the privilege of performing at this really amazing stage in Sydney called Phoenix [Central Park]. And it was just a different type of audience because it was like a hole and everyone was just sitting down in one line but it was amazing! It’s not the usual live show venue because it was a 360-degree immersion and it wasn’t really a standing crowd as well. For our second venue, it was a known bar for a lot of artists, kind of like a SaGuijo in Sydney, where a lot of indie artists have played and become big afterwards. Those were really interesting and sparked inspiration in me. It was a challenge but it was a great one!

So yeah, I think that’s what was most different in my experiences. 

Was there anything in particular that you learned from your time in Texas that helped you greatly in preparing for SXSW Sydney?

I think it’s that you can’t really rely on a lot of people. Especially with my experience in Austin, you’re kind of on your own. There’s so much happening, which I understand, and there’s so many artists performing after all. I was blessed enough to perform on two stages for it but one thing that I really had to learn from that was just being responsible on my own. 

I couldn’t really expect too much from them because they’re busier than you think. So yeah, those expectations really helped with my performances in Sydney. I’m grateful for those people but we also had to make sure that we can function on our own.

That certain mindset of independence is a good thing to cultivate!

Yeah! After I came home from SXSW, it really shifted my mindset as well to be more responsible with my performances one hundred percent. At least, if I take that responsibility and something goes wrong, I would know what to do. It’s harder to do than what one might think but it can be a good lesson.

For SXSW Sydney, how were the technical aspects this time around?

I think that, from the last time we did SXSW, we made sure we had everything we needed. Thankfully, both the venues we performed at had a drum set so we didn’t really have to go and rent out. We just brought our other gear. 

But of course, it was still a showcase, so there was still a process of communicating more with people compared to a place that you already know. 

But yeah, for the technical aspects, I think we were blessed this time around with the things we requested. So, I think it depends. However, I would say it’s just best to have the setup of whatever you’re going for to be as bulletproof as possible. So, if anything happens, you can do it and figure it out yourself.

Jumping to the present year, you participated at the first ever SXSW London 2025 as part of a show curated by Eastern Margins. In addition, you were also part of the lineup of two other separate gigs during your time there.

Similar to what we discussed earlier, how different was the experience this time around, particularly since you previously performed in London for Sofar Sounds London?

Comparing Sofar Sounds in London and SXSW London, Sofar Sounds really helped me with my confidence because the setup I went with for these shows was pretty much a solo setup, which I didn’t do for Austin and Sydney where I had my good friend Cairo [Peralta] on drums.

So, for this one, I feel like if I had just gone to SXSW London without doing Sofar Sounds, I feel like I would’ve been a lot more intimidated and a lot more nervous because that’s not my usual setup. Sofar Sounds was such a great opportunity and lesson for me to kind of practice with a different type of setup. It was pretty much just me, my keyboard, my computer, and the people. It was kind of like a practice ground to do SXSW London. So yeah, the setup was different from the other two. 

But one of the things I got to enjoy during SXSW London was that I got to do more shows. I think I was a lot more “portable” and it was a lot easier for me to be more open-minded in doing other shows. I think that the last two SXSWs taught me to be more open and just catch opportunities that I can. I just didn’t wanna waste them, basically. 

It’s something that I wanted to make the most out of and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to have performed at two other shows, where one of them, I opened for a band called PUNCHBAG. I just wanted to get more experience because I felt like I needed that challenge for myself. I was able to connect with other people and it became my sort of social ground. I had more space in my mind to do that, I’d say, compared to Austin or Sydney because I feel like, for those, I was basically locked in (chuckles) and focused on not messing it up. I think I just needed more experience to do that. 

For the technical aspects, honestly, I think, since I was more “portable,” it was a less stressful thing to think about. I just needed to bring my things and plug them in (chuckles). I think my challenge with the simple setup was that there’s not much happening on stage. It was really just me and the audience. 

I did the same setup with AURORA’s show in Singapore and that was a challenge. I was so terrified. I mean, she’s my idol and she was probably going to hear my performance, it was a new crowd, and the stage was huge. That was the biggest practice ground for my solo setup, aside from Sofar Sounds. But yeah, that really taught me to be more focused and just trust my process. 

I think, for London, I was more calm, I knew my setup, and I was more comfortable in the sense that I had more space in my mind. ‘

Would you say that having had the experience of performing at SXSW in Texas and in Sydney gave you more confidence in putting yourself out there?

Yeah, definitely! Having to be in a different country, you’re nervous all the time and you’re not in your usual space. I feel like that’s a challenge for a lot of introverted artists. It’s not easy to just come up to people and talk. But I think that [performing at SXSW in Texas and in Sydney] definitely helped me build my confidence and people skills. I mean, my art could connect with people in ways that I don’t really expect to happen but the experience also taught me to not hesitate and to connect with people actively. 

As an artist, of course, the music is important but that doesn’t mean I should be snobbish and just be in my own area. It’s a natural thing to just keep to yourself but something I had to learn the hard way is that it’s important to connect with people. 

I feel like the more I did those shows and showcases, meditated, and practiced not being awkward in reaching out to somebody, I was able to make the experience more worthwhile. Like, if there’s any meaningful conversation that happens, that’s something that we’re all looking for. 

So, as much as it’s hard, I encourage the lovely introverted artists to build their communication skills because I totally get it! I guess that’s another thing that SXSW taught me: it’s facing an audience you don’t know. 

Now, you just released your sophomore EP rOe, marking your first collection of songs since your debut album DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE!.

With this, what would you say you learned, realized, or experienced during your time at these three different SXSW events that greatly influenced or inspired the creation of rOe and its songs?

I think it’s the open-mindedness that came from my experience with SXSW. rOe was me being open to ideas that I thought wouldn’t work. I think those experiences taught me to be more experimental in the sense where I could confidently love [the music] without, I guess, putting a conclusion or having a right answer to certain things.

Ultimately, rOe, when compared to DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE!, is a lot more open-minded and experimental. I love both of them but they’re just different entities. For rOe, I think a lot of my growing pains and struggles are more focused on my inner perspectives instead of a statement that I wanted to make with bursting energy, which was DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE!. For rOe, I wanted it to be more introspective and more comforting – something that is more internal rather than something I want to let out. 

I think that really ties up with the things I think about when I’m traveling. ‘Cause after [the release of] DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE!, I got the opportunity to travel a lot more. And, as much as I was experiencing new things and connecting with others, I was more alone with myself most times and I think that helped me write [the songs on rOe] in that way, instead of working with a lot of people. I had so much time to be on my own and that really helped me to write the songs from that different perspective. 

DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE! was inspired by the restriction I had [during the COVID-19 pandemic]. Quarantine just made me want to get out of that restriction. For rOe, I had more time to, like, go out and see more people, eat different food, and I think that really changed my style of writing, my way of expression, and even my sound as well. 

In that case, rOe serves not only as an evolution of your style and sound but also a reflection of an important chapter in your life!

Now, looking back on each iteration of SXSW you’ve participated in as a whole, from preparations to performances, what advice would you give to your fellow Filipino artists who are aiming to be part of its future lineups? 

It’s so cliché but you really have to be yourself. No matter what language you use or what kind of sound you’re going for, you were chosen because you’re you. And for those who just want to apply for it, just go apply! There’s nothing that’s stopping you. I mean, we can figure out the technical stuff later, but the point is, we have a lot of gems, not just in the Philippines but Asia in general. There’s so many Asian artists with so much beautiful music happening and it’s easy to be conscious of your music especially when you’re going to a country that you’ve never performed in before.  And so, when you’re out there, the best advice I can give is to not change anything about what makes you you.

While you should be open-minded to things like SXSW, I’d also like to give a reminder that going international immediately isn’t necessarily greater than anything. I think it should be more of finding your own tribe and your fanbase right where you are. That’s so much more important than going to a country where you feel like you’re not meant to be in yet. That’s the legacy you’re going to have with your music because the right people will come and they will enjoy it if it’s authentic. You just need to open the doors for them.

Finally, in the near future, where else in the world do you want to bring your music and spread your artistry further? 

One place in my mind right now is Latin America, like Brazil. There’s a huge electronic music fanbase there and I love how their culture supports electronic music. So, I’d love to visit and perform there!

Also, this is just the electronic girlie in me talking but I’d love to go to Berlin. It interests me and I’d love to be part of that scene and see what it’s like to be there, with its rave culture. It’s just something that intrigues me! So yeah, that’s another place where I’d like to perform!

Listen to ena mori’s music, including her second EP, rOe, below: