Coachella Band Preview: Two Friends

I just finished up my 2023 Mexico run, and that means my entire focus shifts to Coachella. Although I’m usually thinking about Coachella year round, it really ramps up as soon as Mexico ends because it’s usually my next big event on the horizon and per usual I can’t wait! Now that it’s March, we also only have a few more weeks left to prepare for our annual descent into the Coachella Valley. This week I’m previewing a DJ duo who have been making music since the early 2010’s.

Two Friends formed when Matthew Halper and Eli Jones decided to create music together during their senior year of high school. The first few years of making music together was through long distance collaboration though as both attended their respective colleges. They have yet to release their debut album, but have released 4 EPs and a multitude of singles and remixes. Their music is a combination of house and dance pop, but given their backgrounds, it contains elements of many other genres like alternative rock and hip-hop.

They have toured over the last few years and played major music festivals like Electric Forest and Firefly amongst several other smaller festivals. I was first introduced to them in 2018. I don’t remember how or why, but I found one of their songs on one of my early 2018 playlists while researching for this blog. This is their first time at Coachella and it’ll certainly be a career highlight for the LA-based duo. They were first inspired to start focusing on making electronic music after attending Coachella and spending some time in the Sahara tent. You won’t want to miss their Friday Sahara (likely) set for this reason. Here’s the songs you should be listening to in anticipation of it:

1. Just A Kid (ft. Kevin Writer)
2. Take It Off
3. Looking At You (ft. Sam Vesso)
4. Life’s Too Short (ft. FITZ)
5. Emily (ft. James Delaney)
6. Out of Love (ft. Cosmos & Creature)
7. Hell
8. Pacific Coast Highway (ft. MAX)
9. Last Day (ft. Josie Dunne)
10. This Will Be My Year (ft. Point North)

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

Decco

Back in April, I was checking new music on my Release Radar playlist on Spotify. I was stoked to see that Kygo had released a new single and even more excited to listen. The song was alright but I was very intrigued by the artist singing on the new track because I was into his voice. The artist was named James Gillespie. I decided to check out his page and sample a few of his songs, which is where I found my latest music discovery, the electronic duo, Decco.

Decco is the project of songwriters and producers Joacim Persson and Sebastian Arman. Both spent years writing and producing for artists such as John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, and Selena Gomez before teaming up to form Decco. Their first single, “Shooting Stars” featuring Mapei, came out in 2016. Shortly after the duo released remixes of the Alex Vargas song “Higher Love” and Dua Lipa’s “Thinking ‘Bout You.” Throughout the last five years the producers have been releasing new singles here and there with their latest being “I Didn’t Know” featuring James Gillespie which was released in September 2020. Although they’ve been releasing music for the last five years, they have yet to perform a live set.

Their music style fits in the tropical house genre of electronic music, but slightly less tropical/island vibes than what you might get from Kygo, Matoma, or Sam Feldt. Their tracks have a very vibey type of sound. Despite their limited discography, I feel like each song that they’ve released gives off a different feel and uses different elements/instruments. It’s not quite unique to the genre but it’s always cool when an artist can create a sound that is signature to them yet still unique in its own right.

Usually when I discover a new artist, band, or group, I get excited for their new albums or their tours/festival appearances, but with Decco I’m not sure what to expect. This project seems more of a side hustle for Persson and Arman with singles coming out every so often. I feel like they’d be more likely to appear as Decco at a festival than to go on tour so I’m hoping that can eventually happen, especially with music festivals and concerts finally making a comeback this year! We’ll see what the future holds. In general though, Decco is great. I’ve been listening to them constantly since I found them in April and I highly recommend them if you’re into electronic music.