Coachella Band Preview: Calvin Harris

I hope none of you are undergoing the winter blues. If so, it’s time to shake them off because Coachella season is here. Warm desert spring days and cool nights are just around the corner. I finally created a Coachella playlist so I’ve been listening as often as I can. That being said, “band preview” is not the phrase I would use to describe who I’m writing about this week. It’s definitely more of an artist spotlight. I debated changing it while writing this, but ultimately decided to keep it the same, as it’s always been the theme. Criticize it all you want though because Calvin Harris definitely isn’t a band.

Calvin Harris, known otherwise as Adam Richard Wiles, is an electronic artist specializing in house, electro house, and electro pop music. He was born in Dumfries, Scotland to English parents and began making music in his teenage years out of his bedroom. While trying to make it in the electronic scene, he moved to London where he did not find success right away. He ended up moving back to Dumfries and continued to produce music from home. He got his break after being discovered through the tracks he posted to his Myspace page in 2006.

Upon signing a recording deal, he went on to release 6 studio albums, 9 EPs, and 51 singles through the last 17 years. Some of his biggest hits came from his 2012 album 18 months and his 2014 album Motion, which include “Feel So Close,” “We Found Love” featuring Rihanna, “I Need Your Love” featuring Ellie Goulding, “Sweet Nothing” featuring Florence Welch (Florence + the Machine), “Summer,” “Outside” featuring Ellie Goulding, and “Blame” featuring John Newman. He ended up winning a Grammy Award for Best Music Video for “We Found Love.” Some of his other biggest hits were only released as singles, such as his 2016 single “This is What You Came For” featuring Rihanna and his 2018 track featuring Dua Lipa “One Kiss.”

Calvin Harris first played Coachella in 2008. He played again in 2012 and 2014 before he became the first DJ to ever headline the festival in 2016. He was slated to play the 2020 installment of the festival but makes his return to the desert in 2023 for the first time in 7 years. Much like last year’s lineup that featured Swedish House Mafia returning to the desert, Calvin Harris also has his own spot on this year’s lineup poster. Given that, I wasn’t sure what night his set would be. After checking out the Coachella app a few days ago though, it seems to have him listed for Saturday. This gives me something to look forward to on Saturday as there are not as many bands or artists I’m looking forward to that day. It’s definitely going to be a fun night. In fact, as I keep going through his discography, it hits me more and more just how underrated this set will be, given the hype over BLACKPINK and Bad Bunny. Also from what I’ve heard, Coachella tried to book Rihanna to headline the festival but the deal didn’t pull through. If history wants to repeat itself for a third time, I wouldn’t be surprised nor would I mind if Rihanna showed up again to perform with Calvin Harris. There’s no question that Calvin Harris will be performing on the main stage. The only question mark I have are whether he will perform after BLACKPINK or not and who will he bring out as his special guests? He does have plenty of other collabs besides the ones with Rihanna. His set is likely to include bops from his entire career so here’s a few you might want to know before showing up to the one of the most fun sets of Coachella 2023:

1. One Kiss ft. Dua Lipa
2. This What You Came For ft. Rihanna
3. Summer
4. Feel So Close
5. We Found Love ft. Rihanna
6. My Way
7. How Deep Is Your Love ft. Disciples
8. Outside ft. Ellie Goulding
9. Pray to God ft. HAIM
10. Sweet Nothing ft. Florence Welch
11. I Need Your Love ft. Ellie Goulding
12. Blame ft. John Newman
13. Under Control ft. Alesso, Hurts
14. Giant ft. Rag’n’Bone Man
15. Slide ft. Frank Ocean & Migos, Funk Wav

Coachella Band Preview: MUNA

As we roll into February, we’re a little over two months away from the first weekend of Coachella 2023. If you haven’t already, you should probably book your flights, hotels, airbnbs, rental cars, and whatever else you might need for a weekend in the Coachella Valley. I’ve been thinking about what to wear this year and I’m also trying to listen to some of the bands and artists playing this year’s installment of the festival. One band who I really hope I’m able to catch is indie pop trio, MUNA.

MUNA formed in 2013 while all three members, Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson were in school together at USC. In 2014, they released their debut EP More Perfect on Bandcamp and SoundCloud. Their success from the EP lead to a record deal with RCA records (US) and Columbia Records (UK). Their first EP under RCA, Loudspeaker, came out in 2016 with their debut album About U following in 2017. It included hits “I Know A Place” and “Winterbreak.” Their early years after signing to a major label brought tours with Grouplove and Harry Styles as well as festival appearances.

Their second album, Saves the World, was released in September 2019 and included a tour in support of the album. In 2021, MUNA signed with Phoebe Bridgers’ record label Saddest Factory. Under their new label they released the single “Silk Chiffron” in collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers and their third full length album MUNA. In addition to Coachella this year, the band is playing spring tour dates around the country.

I tried to get into MUNA several years ago, when there was huge hype over the song “I Know A Place.” It wasn’t hitting for me then but as I’ve been listening to the band the past several days, I’m finally getting more into them. I did fall in love with their Knocks collaboration song “Bodies” in late 2020. It was one of my favorites during that sad, miserable year. Their style is a mix of electro, indie, and synth pop. I feel like I should have been listening to them for years, but I have known about them for quite some time. I’ve attempted to listen to them it just hasn’t worked out. Better late than never!

Now they’re headed to Indio this spring and I’m crossing my fingers I’ll be able to catch their set. Friday sets are always hit or miss for me with my current job at the festival. I can usually only catch sets that happen after 8:30-9 p.m. I have this feeling like MUNA might be on deck for a sunset set though on either Mojave, Gobi, or Outdoor. This will be their first time playing Coachella. I suspect Phoebe Bridgers might make an appearance, given boygenius slated to perform Saturday. Here’s a few songs you need to prep for their Coachella set:

1. I Know A Place
2. Bodies
3. Silk Chiffron
4. Number One Fan
5. Anything But Me
6. Winterbreak
7. Loudspeaker
8. What I Want
9. Stayaway
10. So Special

Coachella Band Preview: Porter Robinson

It always makes me laugh when I type out the title of these previews when I’m previewing EDM or pop artists. When I first started previewing Coachella acts, it was in anticipation of the first Coachella I attended. There were so many bands I was stoked to see because the lineup use to contain plenty of bands I listened to. Since then, the lineup has changed and so have my music interests, slightly at least. I definitely like more electronic music now. This week brings electronic artist, Porter Robinson, who I listened to for the first time in 2020, while participating in Couchella. I watched Porter Robinson’s 2017 set with Madeon as part of my at home double weekend celebration of the Coachella that never came to be. This year Porter Robinson is back at Coachella for the first time since his 2017 set, but he’s playing solo.

Porter Robinson began his electronic music career as a pre-teen and then signed to Skrillex’s label Owsla at the ripe age of 18. He released his first EP Spitfire in 2011 under his new label, followed by his first big single “Language” in 2012. His debut album Worlds came in 2014, which called for a world tour, including festival stops at Ultra, EDC, and Coachella. In 2016, he released his most popular single to date, “Shelter,” which is a collaboration with long time friend and artist Madeon. The electronic artists toured together worldwide following the release. The tour culminated in a final performance at Coachella 2017.

In 2017, Robinson began releasing music under the alias Virtual Self, which lead to a 2019 Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording for the 2017 single “Ghost Voices.” Robinson also curated his own festival in 2019, Second Sky Festival, with the help of Coachella promoter Goldenvoice. In the beginning of 2020 Robinson began promoting his second album, Nuture, which continued through 2020 and into 2021, before the April 2021 release.

Porter Robinson’s music is a mix of electro pop, house, indie pop, and synth pop. It has such a light, airy sound. His style creates a dreamy feeling very similar to Madeon’s and also draws similarities to 2022 Coachella artist Lane 8.

Porter Robinson plays Sunday at Coachella. It’s a toss up at this point whether he plays Sahara or a bigger stage like Main Stage or Outdoor Theatre. I’d expect a late day, early evening set from the 2-time Coachella alumni. I usually love a Coachella sunset set but I feel like a Porter Robinson set right as darkness falls is the mood we need for the final night. If you’re in the mood for a fun electronic set at Coachella, here’s the Porter Robinson songs you want check out:

1. Shelter
2. Look At the Sky
3. Language
4. Something Comforting
5. Everything Goes On
6. Sad Machine
7. Goodbye to a World
8. Get Your Wish
9. Divinity
10. Flicker