Ahead of his upcoming performances at SXSW 2022, Polyvinyl Record Co. has announced the signing of rising musician Plato III. With his music, the hiphop artist born Ryan Silva fuses his musical influences – from the conscious hip-hop of Black Star to indie rock icons Modest Mouse – with nimble bars and outlaw anthem guitars to guide us down the dusty streets and empty plains of his hometown of Abilene, TX. He notes, “Hip-hop is so regional,” Plato III says. “I want to make a sound that feels like where I lived. I want to dig into my upbringing.” Look for his debut album with the label later this year which follows his previously released projects as Plato III: Life Before Death (2016), My First Word Was Juice (2017) and 9 Love Songs (2019).
PLATO III @ SXSW @ 2022
Mar 15 - House Johnson Showcase (Noon - 11PM)
Mar 16 - Winspear Showcase @ Cheer Up Charlie's (Time TBD)
Mar 17 - Polyvinyl Records Official Showcase @ Cheer Up Charlie's (7PM - 2AM)
Plato III also shares his new Erica Silverman-directed video for two of his tracks – “Give ‘Em Hell” & “It’s Alright, It’s Okay,” welcoming the world to the Wild Wild West Texas. The video also kicks off with Silva's cover of Daniel Johnston’s “Spirit World Rising,” featuring labelmate Mike Kinsella (American Football, Cap'n Jazz). On the cover, he uses Johnston’s account of a bad acid trip in Abilene, Texas as an introduction to the town that raised him noting, “When I learned that Abilene served as the birthplace of his mental health issues, I felt I had found a kindred spirit, someone who battled the same demons as I did, and I wanted to channel his experience to tell my story.”
Watch the video HERE and hear the tracks here: platothethird.ffm.to/give-em-hell.
Plato III was raised by his single-mother while opportunity was scant and the specter of Abilene, TX haunts his music. At eighteen, Silva took off for Austin where he attended the University of Texas, and then Los Angeles, where he now lives.
In addition to his music, he wrote and starred in his debut feature Let Me Be Frank, now streaming on Amazon.
