For Joe Austin, stepping onto a stage in Oxford, MIssissippi, during the Double Decker Arts Festival isn’t just another gig—it’s a full-circle moment shaped by Mississippi roots, and years spent honing his craft.
Born and raised in Pontotoc, Austin grew up surrounded by the sounds that would come to define his music—blues, gospel harmonies, and the informal tradition of “front porch pickin’” among family and friends. His earliest inspiration came from his grandfather, a fingerstyle guitarist who passed down both his instrument and his influence.
After his grandfather’s death, Austin inherited that guitar—a turning point that pushed him from observer to player. Not long after, he picked up the fiddle as well, expanding a sound that would later blend country storytelling with Mississippi grit.
That foundation eventually carried him to college on a music scholarship, followed by time performing professionally out of Nashville and Memphis. A stint in Texas beginning in 2014 broadened his reach even further, where he collaborated, produced, and immersed himself in a thriving songwriter scene before ultimately returning to North Mississippi in recent years.
Now based in Oxford, Austin performs with his band, The Tallahatchies—a group whose members bring their own regional influences from across the South, creating a sound that feels both rooted and wide-ranging.
That sense of place and continuity makes Double Decker feel like more than just a date on the calendar.
“It’s Double Decker Festival—it’s the biggest thing that happens in Oxford,” Austin said. “To get to be a part of it, it’s always fun.”
This year, Austin and his band will once again take part in the Blue Delta “Blues Alley” Stage, a tucked-away performance space that has quietly become one of the festival’s most distinctive settings. What started several years ago as a modest flatbed trailer setup has grown into a fully realized stage, while still maintaining its intimate, discovery-driven atmosphere.
“It’s a cool little deal,” Austin said. “They bring in a lot of different acts . . . and it sounds really good out in that alley.”
Austin has been part of Blues Alley since its early days, watching it evolve alongside the festival itself. The stage—helped along by Blue Delta Jeans and local collaborators—offers an alternative to the larger, more crowded areas of Double Decker, giving artists a chance to connect more directly with listeners.
For Austin, that connection is central to what he does.
His music carries the weight of his upbringing, and lived-in authenticity that reflects years of playing small rooms, festival stages, and everything in between. It’s a style that doesn’t rely on flash, but leans into feel and storytelling.
And while the band’s live performances remain a cornerstone, Austin is also looking ahead creatively.
“We’re getting ready to start a new record,” he said. “This one, I want to take a little more time to polish it a little more.”
That marks a shift from his previous project, which was recorded entirely DIY—tracked live to an old tape machine at his bass player’s house. The next release, he says, will likely involve a studio setting, signaling a move toward a more refined sound while still holding onto the organic elements that define his work.
Even so, the idea of capturing something raw hasn’t gone away. Austin noted that a live recording remains a possibility—an approach that would mirror the energy his band brings to stages like Blues Alley.
That energy is exactly what festival-goers can expect this year. In a space surrounded by brick walls and festival foot traffic, the setting lends itself to the kind of performance that feels immediate and unfiltered.
And in a festival that continues to grow in size and scope, those moments—slightly off the main path, a little less polished, but deeply authentic can often be the ones that stick.
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