Sitting in her house, UT psychology junior Lizzie Budin pointed at a setlist that she picked up from musician Caroline Polachek’s stage at the Mohawk in 2021. She said she never imagined that she would perform at the same venue.

After moving to Austin from Maryland, Budin found an interest in the music scene. Growing up with a passion for singing, Budin performed in choruses throughout her childhood and in high school. At UT, she joined Longhorn Singers in her freshman year, where she met her first inspiration to get into the industry: fellow former Longhorn Singers member, Grace Gardner.

“(Gardner said), ‘Hey, I’m doing (music). A lot of other people do (music), this is open to you.’ And so I started to use her as a catalyst,” Budin said. “I needed that push (from her so that I could) pursue this as an actual job and be taken seriously.”

Gardner said that she grew close with Budin during the pandemic, and once the lockdown ended, they decided to write a song together. The song, “Cleanup Dive,” released last October, will appear on Gardner’s upcoming EP.

“I have been able to see Lizzie through the production processes,” Gardner said. “Watching her bring her music to life through a live band (makes me) so excited for her.”

Budin took the stage at the Mohawk on Monday at 8 p.m., performing covers of “She Calls Me Back” by Noah Kahan, “Song in My Head” by Madison Cunningham, her debut single “To Be Loved” and unreleased songs from her upcoming EP.

“I’ve been told that I’m a very nuanced songwriter, which I think will be evident in the EP,” Budin said. “I see a song as a way to be artistically free.”

Sam Swinnerton, an independent music producer and Budin’s friend from high school, helped Budin produce the EP. Swinnerton said he found it rewarding to work with Budin after seeing her grow both as a person and an artist.

“I had never heard her perform this kind of music (in high school),” Swinnerton said. “She clearly had this very strong connection to roots (and) Americana music, and it’s a delight to see her take on that identity as a songwriter.”

Budin said that vocals and lyricism stand at the forefront of her songwriting. Swinnerton said that in helping Budin develop her signature sound, he needed to keep Budin’s lyrical and melodic choices in mind when producing.

“For this song that we’re working on currently, called ‘Who’s Next,’ she sent me a scratch vocal over a backing track she had laid out,” Swinnerton said. “She said ‘Here’s what I’m thinking harmonically for the whole thing,’ and I started building the instrumental around that.”

By filming music videos, performing live shows and releasing her debut EP in April, Budin said she aims to show the world who she is. 

“2024 is the year of Lizzie,” Budin said. “I’m excited to hear my evolution. I feel proud of the songs and what I’ve been able to accomplish in the last year.”