But what makes Coachella the most celebrated and anticipated festival in the world is Golden Voice’s ability to identify and book the best emerging artists in the world; the undercard acts are truly the next big thing, and some of them are future headliners. Calvin Harris, for example, was just a name in small font near the bottom of the poster in 2007. Fast forward 9 years and he’s closing the Main Stage on Sunday evening.
The bottom line? Get to the festival early and make sure to catch the opening acts, you might just discover your new favorite band, or get the right to tell your friends you saw the world’s next superstar when they were still underground.
ZHU
Genre: Future House
The Gist: A few weeks before Outkast’s headlining reunion performance at Coachella 2014, a groovy, deep-house inspired medley of their songs mysteriously appeared on SoundCloud under the name “Moves like Ms. Jackson.” Bloggers went crazy trying to identify the mysterious producer that dropped the track, and many online music voices finally decided it must have been the work of Disclosure. However a few weeks later, the real producer was revealed, and a star was born: ZHU.
The twenty-something LA producer that started creating beats in his USC dorm room has taken the electronic music world by storm. Zhu recently unveiled his new live show at CRSSD festival in San Diego to critical appraise and has found himself collaborating with artists like AluneGeorge, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Gallant. Every is excited to see what he brings to the Polo Fields.
Sounds Like: Flume + Disclosure
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Genre: Psychedelic Pop
The Gist: Like many of today’s emerging artists, UMO was “discovered” online, on BandCamp to be exact, when their track “Ffunny Ffriends” caught the ears of bloggers across the web. With roots in New Zealand and Portland, Unknown Mortal Orchestra has mastered a sounds that appeals to rock, psychedelic, soul indie and electronic fans. They are currently touring to promote their third studio album, Multi-Love, which has reached the top ten on several charts in the US, UK and New Zealand. Coachella will be a perfect venue for their music, be sure to catch them.
Sounds Like: Foxygen, Kurt Vile and Real Estate
Halsey
Genre: Electropop
The Gist: 2015 was a massive year for New Jersey-born Ashley Frangipane aka Halsey. Her debut album Badlands was met with commercial and critical success, and features the hit New Americana. In the same year, she toured with The Weeknd, was a guest on Justin Bieber’s track The Feeling and appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! A spot on the Coachella lineup is the icing on the cake.
Sounds Like: Lorde meets Tove Lo meets Chvrches
Snakehips
Genre: “Electronic Hip-Hop”
The Gist: James Carter and Oliver Lee, both from The UK, grew their fane base by releasing a number of remixes for artists such as The Weeknd, Banks and Wild Belle. But the duo also proved their originality with hip-hop inspired tracks like All of My Friends and Days with You. Make sure you catch Snakehips this year, as 2016 promises to be a big year for these young producers.
Sounds Like: Star Slinger and Hermitude
Years & Years
Genre: Synthpop
The Gist: Years & Years were formed in 2010 in London when Michael Goldsworthy and Emre Turkman met online while looking to start a band; they’d eventually be joined on vocals by actor Olly Alexander after hearing him singing at a friend’s house while taking a shower. The trio’s synth pop sound first gained exposure when the single Traps was released on Kitsuné Music in 2013. The group’s second EP, Real, came out in February 2014 and with some impressive live dates under their belts, the trio announced they had signed a deal with Polydor. Their first major-label single Take Shelter appeared in the August — as well a collaboration with the Magician on Sunlight a month later — followed by the release of Desire. In 2015, on the heels of winning the prestigious BBC Sound Of award, Years & Years released their debut full-length album Communion. – Billboard
Sounds Like: Clean Bandit
Nora En Pure
Genre: Indie Dance
The Gist: This South African-born and Switzerland-based deep house producer made her name by remixing Daniel Portman’s KHAWERI in 2010 and hasn’t looked back since. Nora is a well-respected name in the underground club circuit and her melodic hits “Aurelia” and “Come With Me” have helped her cross over into main-stream EDM over the last couple of years. Expect Nora a lot of Buzz around Nora’s set in the Yuma.
Sounds Like: Chris Malinchak
The Chainsmokers
Genre: Electro House
The Gist: Although you may be embarrassed to admit it, you might remember the name The Chainsmokers from their 2010 hit #Selfie. After dropping off the radar in the following years, the American EDM duo is back and stronger than ever, led by their hit Roses. They have even caught the eye of the prince of pop. Justin Bieber recently performed on stage with The Chainsmokers in Los Angeles. If you’re a fan of the Sahara Tent, you won’t want to miss this set.
Sounds Like: Mainstream EDM… Zedd, Alesso or Dillon Francis
To view the rest of the artists on the 2016 Coachella lineup, and to learn about how to get a ticket, visit this page.