Coachella Band Preview: Phoebe Bridgers

As we near the end of February we’re another week closer to desert sunsets, festival fashion, chill vibes, and incredible music. I’m closing in on the end of my 2022 Mexico run and what a time it’s been this year. It’s always such a unique experience living and working in another country. With this year came plenty of other new challenges too, but I’m thankful for my team and friends who were there through all of it. Mexico is just the Coachella pre-party anyway right? I’ve spent some time listening to several 2022 performers, while working south of the border, including a woman who has gained significant popularity over the past few years, Phoebe Bridgers.

Phoebe Bridgers started her solo career in 2015 after leaving her first band Sloppy Jane. She released her first EP, Killer, around that time. The record was produced by then boyfriend, Ryan Adams, and released under his label PAX AM. Phoebe released her debut album Stranger in the Alps in 2017 shortly after signing with independent label Dead Oceans. The album was an independent success. Bridgers then joined up with fellow independent artists Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus to form the indie rock super group Boygenius. They only dropped one EP and embarked on a U.S. tour in the fall of 2018 before again continuing on with their solo projects. However, Bridgers also joined another side project with Bright Eyes front man Conor Oberst in 2018 when the two formed Better Oblivion Community Center and released their debut album in January 2019. The two embarked on a sell out tour that spring as well.

In 2020, Bridgers was supposed to tour with the 1975 in support of the release of her second solo album Punisher. Of course we know what happened there and the tour was ultimately cancelled. Punisher went on to major success though receiving tons of publication accolades and three Grammy nominations, one for Best Alternative Music Album and two for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for the single “Kyoto.” Bridgers, herself, also received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, even though the “new” felt pretty relative as she’s been making music for several years.

Phoebe Bridgers music style is substantially indie folk, but can also be considered indie pop or indie rock. Nevertheless, she’ll fill that indie music spot for Coachella this spring and will likely attract a huge audience due to her 2020 success. 2022 will mark Bridgers first time performing the iconic southern California music festival. I’m hoping to be able to see one of her performances over the two weekends. I first heard about her in 2018 when a coworker of mine thought I would like her music and gave me a song to listen to. Again I can’t say I fell into the hype over her during the past few years, but I’d still love to see her. I suspect she’ll be playing Friday night on the main stage before Harry Styles. I plan on doing all the prepping I can for her set, because I feel like I should like her more than I do. Here’s what I’ve been listening to and what you should too:

1. Funeral
2. Kyoto
3. Motion Sickness
4. Garden Song
5. Scott Street
6. I Know the End
7. Smoke Signals
8. Graceland Too
9. ICU
10. Georgia

(Bonus: Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America (the 1975 song but feature Phoebe Bridgers because I just love it))

Coachella Band Preview: Swedish House Mafia

We have officially hit the 2 month mark until Coachella 2022 Weekend 1. I’m once again back in Mexico, but this time for a shorter stay. It’s time to go full steam ahead on Coachella though and there’s plenty of bands/artists to preview. I feel like a lot of acts I’m interested in this year are acts that I’m trying to get into, but haven’t been a fan of for awhile. I feel like the lineups have veered away from my music interests in recent years, but at the same time, I always feel like I discover new music at Coachella. So that’s why I’m previewing Swedish House Mafia this week.

Swedish House Mafia came together in 2008 when Swedish DJs Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso, and Steve Angello joined forces. They were dubbed Swedish House Mafia along with fellow Swedish DJ Eric Prydz after the four started playing shows together in the mid 2000s. Prydz decided not to join when the group became official because he stated he was the kind of person who was unable to collaborate with others in a studio, even close friends. After releasing several singles and the compilation album Until One, the group signed with Universal’s Polydor Records in 2010. Under Polydor, they released some of their biggest singles, “One,” “Greyhound,” and their biggest hit to date “Don’t You Worry Child.” They released their second compilation Until Now in September 2012, a few months after announcing that they would be breaking up. The group embarked on a farewell tour called “One Last Tour” which culminated with a final performance at Ultra Music Festival in 2013.

After the break-up, Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso continued performing together as Axwell /\ Ingrosso. They even performed together at Coachella 2015. Meanwhile, Steve Angello continued to perform solo. In 2018, a mere 24 hours prior to the performance, it was leaked that Swedish House Mafia would reunite at Ultra Music Festival for their 10th anniversary. It was an epic reunion and a highlight in the history of Ultra Music Festival. From then on Swedish House Mafia took to the road again through 2019. The group announced their upcoming album Paradise Again slated for 2022, which will include their 2021 single “Moth to a Flame” featuring the Weeknd.

I decided in October that I would try to get into Swedish House Mafia for their Coachella performance. As someone who attended in 2015 and could not even tell you who Axwell /\ Ingrosso was at the time, I’m somewhat skeptical that I’ll truly enjoy it. As I’ve been researching and listening, I feel like their set will turn into too much of a rave style set for my enjoyment. I’ve noticed electronic artists seem to tailor their sets for the type of festival they play. Kygo’s Coachella set in 2018 differed substantially from his EDC Las Vegas set in 2021. The Coachella set fit the main stream electronic style while the EDC Las Vegas set fit the rave culture EDC is known for. I noticed the same thing from Zedd in 2019 too. I fully believe that Swedish House Mafia’s progressive house style of electronic music fits the stereotypical style of rave music that will be the same no matter if it’s played in Indio or from “Miami 2 Ibiza” though. Nonetheless, I’m still gonna try to see it and I hope to be proved wrong.

Coachella 2022 will mark the super group’s second Coachella performance and first in 10 years as their last appearance as whole came in 2012. According to several sources, including Sebastian Ingrosso himself, the DJs will close out the main stage on Friday night, which likely means a double headliner performance following Harry Styles. This means the first night of Coachella will be the Coachella comeback we’ve been waiting for during this difficult, almost 3 year wait. Here’s a few Swedish House Mafia tracks you should know if you’re planning on seeing this Coachella comeback:

1. Don’t You Worry Child
2. One
3. Greyhound
4. Miami 2 Ibiza
5. Moth to a Flame
6. Save the World
7. Lifetime
8. Antidote
9. Leave the World Behind
10. It Gets Better

Coachella Band Preview: girl in red

Now that it’s February, we’re closing in on the two month mark until Weekend 1! It feels so weird writing this anticipating Coachella like it’s any other year. It’s not though. We haven’t been thriving on the polo fields since 2019. So much has happened and changed since then, but at the same time, having Coachella back will feel like another part of normal life has returned. I keep writing these blogs like I have for years, but god knows I’m so much more excited and emotional about getting back to Coachella this year than I ever was. That being said, this week I’m stoked to preview an artist I didn’t know much about when the 2020 lineup came out. She was on it but I had no idea at the time. Thankfully over the last two years I got to know and love girl in red.

When girl in red was booked for Coachella 2020, she was up and coming. She was an undercard. But thanks to tik tok and lesbians everywhere, girl in red has since exploded. Last spring girl in red, aka Marie Ulven Ringheim, released her debut album, if i could make it go quiet. The album reached top 10 spots on music charts worldwide. I was able to catch a few songs of her ACL set during Weekend 2. She played the main stage early in the day. She wasn’t drawing a huge crowd at the time, but I guarantee she will at Coachella. This time her name has moved up on the lineup poster and I suspect she’ll be playing a late afternoon or early evening set on the main stage or at Outdoor.

Since I first wrote about girl in red, as I already mentioned, she has gotten a lot bigger. Over the last year, she’s stuck to the festival circuit, in support of her debut album. Her name has been rising higher on every festival lineup though. She has a completely sold out spring North American tour lined up that includes her stops in Indio, before she heads back overseas for the European leg of the tour. The European leg is completely sold out too.

girl in red is an act that you won’t want to miss in April. She fills the indie rock card that now seems a lot more rare at Coachella. However, she’s part of that new wave of Gen Z indie rock, so you’d expect a lot more younger fans at her set. She’s definitely going to crush her first Coachella appearance though. Here’s a few tracks that you’ll need to know before you catch her:

1. we fell in love in october
2. Serotonin
3. i wanna be your girlfriend
4. bad idea!
5. midnight love
6. girls
7. I’ll Call You Mine
8. summer depression
9. Rue
10. You Stupid Bitch

Coachella Band Preview: Disclosure

January was a total blur for me being in Mexico. However it’s finally February and I’m home for just under two weeks! Can’t wait to ski for days and think of the hot afternoons and cool evenings on the polo fields. It warms my heart. I have another 2 1/2 weeks in Mexico next month into the beginning of March, but after that it’s full on Coachella prep. I’m crossing my fingers that I get to be there again this year, but after a few discussions over this past month I think I will be. However, we’re 2 1/2 months away from another spring in Indio after a 3 year hiatus and it’s time to preview more bands. This week it’s Disclosure.

In 2020, I anticipated seeing Disclosure at Coachella. I hadn’t yet previewed the band when the festival was first postponed so I figured I should dive into them early this year. Disclosure is a British electronic duo composed of siblings Howard and Guy Lawrence. The brothers first started recording music and posting it to Myspace in 2010, which earned them a record deal. After several hit singles in their first few years, they dropped their first album Settle in June 2013, which was a big year for the duo. They toured worldwide playing shows and festivals. Settle was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance Album.

Their second album, Caracal, came in 2015. This album also received a Grammy nomination along with a number one spot on the UK Albums Chart upon release. After a one year hiatus from 2017-2018 and a few other breaks along the way, the band released their third album Energy in August 2020. They likely booked Coachella 2020 in anticipation of this, but unfortunately the event didn’t get to happen. The album released as planned though and the group received a Grammy nomination for it.

Disclosure plays a house/deep house style of electronic music. I always feel like deep house music has such a vibey sound and Disclosure’s music is no different. Their tunes will likely take a late set time spot at the main stage or Outdoor Theatre or even a headlining spot at Sahara.

They last played Coachella in 2016 and played the main stage on Saturday night. They play Saturday this year too and will be bringing plenty of new material to the desert. I hope to be able to be at their set. I’m not a huge Disclosure fan, but I know this is one electronic set not to miss this year. Start prepping your looks and get ready for this non-stop vibe of a dance party by listening to:

1. Latch
2. You & Me (Flume remix)
3. Magnets
4. Know Your Worth
5. You’ve Got to Let Go if You Wanna Be Free
6. Talk
7. Omen
8. Ultimatum
9. Help Me Lose My Mind
10. In My Arms