Coachella 2022: Robert Kinsler & George A. Paul preview this year's event

A view of Coachella in April 2019.
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Music writers Robert Kinsler and George A. Paul each highlight some of their must-see artists coming to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which returns after a two-year hiatus due to the global pandemic. Taking place over consecutive weekends at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Coachellafest will be held April 15-17 and again April 22-24, 2022. This year's headliners are Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and the Weeknd with Swedish House Mafia.

Fridays, April 15 and 22

Harry Styles 
Photo credit: Hanna Moon, courtesy of
Columbia Records

Harry Styles – The former One Direction singer’s engaging self-titled solo bow and follow up Fine Line both entered at No. 1 here and were certified platinum-plus. Earlier this month, the charismatic Brit’s propulsive new single “As it Was” (from “Harry’s House,” due in May) broke single-day streaming records on Spotify and will have its live performance debut at Coachella. GP

Arcade Fire performing at the Greek Theatre
in Los Angeles on Sept. 20, 2018.
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Arcade Fire — A last minute addition to this year's festival, Coachella favorites Arcade Fire will perform in the relative intimate confines of the Mojave Tent on Friday at 6:45 p.m. If you want to be able to see the Canadian troupe in action, be sure to arrive early! Arcade Fire is one of the most original and successful alternative rock artists to emerge since the turn of the century. This writer has caught singer-guitarist Win Butler and company several times at Coachella in the past, as well as in a headlining turn at the Greek Theatre in 2018, and they are not to be missed. RK 

Phoebe Bridgers — Since bursting on the music scene in September 2017 with her critically-acclaimed album Stranger in the Alps, singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers' ascent has included four Grammy Awards nominations (including for "Best New Artist") and collaborations with a slew of musical ensembles including The National, Fiona Apple, boygenius and Better Oblivion Community Center (the latter with Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes fame), as well as via the enticing 2021 single "Silk Chiffon" performed with Muna. RK

Mika – No stranger to Coachella, Mika comes across like a pop-leaning Freddie Mercury onstage. He burst onto the international music scene bigtime 15 years ago with Life in Cartoon Motion. The album was a phenomenon, especially at home in Britain, where it topped the charts, spawned five top 20 singles, raked in awards, and went multi-platinum. Mika has gone onto collaborate with Ariana Grande, Pharrell Williams, RedOne, Kylie Minogue and put out a stately cover of Roxette’s “It Must Have Been Love” last year. GP

Bishop Briggs
Photo courtesy of the
artist

Bishop Briggs — With the release of her debut album Church Of Scars, Scottish-American songstress Bishop Briggs was one of 2018's most notable breakout music artists. She arrives at Coachella in the wake that disc (which featured the memorable singles "White Flag," "River" and "Wild Horses"), as well as her strong 2019 sophomore effort Champion. Among her winning recent tracks Coachella-goers can expect to hear is the yearning "High Water" (which draws favorable comparisons with Florence + the Machine), the inspired "Higher" and dance-minded "Jekyll & Hide." RK

The HU 
Photo: Enkhbat Nyamkhishig

The HU — Hard rocking Mongolian quartet The HU launches their so-called "Black Thunder" North American Tour with their set in Indio on April 15.  The HU will likely debut advance tracks from the band's forthcoming sophomore album that is due later this year from Better Noise Music. That album was reportedly recorded in their native Mongolia over the past few months. The HU's 2019 debut disc The Gereg debuted at #1 on the World Album and Top New Artist Charts.The HU's blend of folk rock and heavy metal is adorned with traditional Mongolian instrumentation including the Morin khuur, the Tovshuur and even Mongolian throat singing! RK

Saturdays, April 16 and 23

Billie Eilish / Photo: Matty Vogel

Billie Eilish — Anticipation was high when Billie Eilish made her debut at Coachella in April 2019, and the young artist fully delivered. Her triumphant return three years later finds her in the headlining spot at the fest performing on Saturday night. Anyone who caught her appearances at the Academy Awards telecast in March (where she performed the title track from the James Bond film "No Time To Die") and more recently at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards (where she performed "Happier Than Ever," the title track from her 2021 album) knows the power of the 20-year-old star. Indeed, Eilish is the youngest artist in Grammy history and second overall to win top honors in four general field categories: "Best New Artist," "Record of the Year," "Song of the Year," and "Album of the Year" — all in the same year. RK

Danny Elfman at the Hollywood Bowl
on Oct. 31, 2015. Photo: Kelly A. Swift

Danny Elfman — Groundbreaking artist Danny Elfman has seemingly done it all, and his upcoming showcase at Coachella should prove it. The leader of the pioneering new wave-meets-rock outfit Oingo Boingo formed in 1979, he has subsequently gone on to even greater fame scoring music for more than 100 films beginning with 1986's "Pee-wee's Big Adventure."  His work writing and singing on the soundtrack for the 1993 animated film "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is truly beloved, and his diverse field of stellar work includes his scores for "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Good Will Hunting," "Edward Scissorhands" and "Big Fish" as well as the popular themes on the television shows "Desperate Housewives" and "The Simpsons." It is anticipated that Elfman will perform a wide range of original material at Coachella including his outstanding film music, and songs from his time with Oingo Boingo as well as off his celebrated 2021 solo album Big Mess. RK

Wallows – Dylan Minnette and Braeden Lemasters are singers and multi-instrumentalists who played in various bands with drummer Cole Preston between acting gigs as teenagers. They started Wallows in 2017. The Los Angeles alt-pop trio notched a top 5 alt-radio and TikTok hit with 2019’s enchanting “Are You Bored Yet?” featuring Clairo and just released the solid sophomore full-length, Tell Me That It’s Over. GP

Japanese Breakfast / Photography by Peter Ash Lee

Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee, the alluring Grammy-nominated third effort by this dream pop band, was among 2021’s most critically-acclaimed albums. Singer/author Michelle Zauner, a South Korea native, also wrote a memoir last year that has been optioned for a feature film. She contributed a piano driven “No One Sees Me Like You Do” to Ocean Child, the current Yoko Ono tribute album. GP

Sundays, April 17 and 24

Orville Peck – Doing double duty at Coachella and Stagecoach 2022, this Canada-based LGBTQ Americana singer keeps his identity secret through a fringed mask. Peck has a penchant for crooning in Chris Isaak or Roy Orbison style and has even duetted with Shania Twain. New album Bronco finds the eclectic artist adeptly expanding his sonic palette even further. GP

Skegss / Photo: David Herington

Skegss — Australian trio Skegss blends surf, indie and garage rock powerfully, with the Byron Bay, New South Wales-spawned outfit's inviting sound positioned in the sonic universe where Dinosaur Jr., Weezer and early R.E.M. meet. Their performances at Coachella will mark their first appearances in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic. Among Skegss great cuts are the anthemic "Stranger Days," the punkish and melodically intoxicating "Bunny Man," crunchy gem "Valhalla" and sweeping rocker "Fantasising." The band's line-up consists of Toby Cregan (bass, vocals, guitar), Jonny Lani (drums) and Ben Reed (vocals, guitar, bass). RK

Information: Coachella.com.

Note: This article was originally published in the Desert Star Weekly on Wednesday, April 13, 2022.