SXSW

26 Jun 2024

SXSW Drops U.S. Army & Weapons Manufacturer Sponsorships Following Boycotts

SXSW will no longer engage in partnerships with the U.S. Army or weapons manufacturers, the event announced Wednesday (June 26).

“After careful consideration, we are revising our sponsorship model,” reads a statement posted to the SXSW website. “As a result, the U.S. Army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025.”

The development comes after more than 80 artists and panelists pulled out of the annual music and tech event in Austin, Texas this past March due to sponsorships by the U.S. Army and the North Carolina-based weapons manufacturer Collins Aerospace.

The boycotting artists included Irish band Kneecap, who wrote on X that pulling out of the event was “done in solidarity with the people of Palestine and to highlight the unacceptable deep links the festival has to weapons companies and the U.S. military who at this very moment are enabling a genocide and famine against a trapped population.”

Today’s news is an about-face for SXSW, which initially defended the sponsorships, releasing a statement during the March event that said organizers “fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech. The defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today. These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it’s better to understand how their approach will impact our lives. The Army’s sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world. In regard to Collins Aerospace, they participated this year as a sponsor of two SXSW Pitch categories, giving entrepreneurs visibility and funding for potentially game-changing work.”

Billboard’s parent company PMC is the largest shareholder of SXSW and its brands are official media partners of SXSW.

21 Jun 2024

Executive Turntable: A Bravado New World for New CFO; Sony Nashville Elevates LT; SXSW London Staffs Up

It’s time for another spin around the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music. Don’t forget to dig into this year’s Indie Power Players list. We also have a weekly interview series spotlighting a single executive and a regularly updated gallery honoring many of the industry figures we’ve lost throughout the year.

Bravado, the merch and brand management arm of Universal Music Group, announced across-the-board changes to its leadership structure. Joining Bravado’s c-suite as chief financial officer is NYC-based Colin McIntosh, most recently CFO and chief operating officer at REVOLT Media. McIntosh reports to company president Matt Young, as do a slew of newly promoted Bravadoans. In Los Angeles, Alyssa Tobias is upped to svp and head of creative services, Ashley Fogerty is now svp of business affairs and Brian Schechter is senior vp and head of brand management. In London, David Boyne is managing director of Bravado, UK, while Rachel Redfearn continues to lead the region’s A&R and brand management and label liaison teams as svp of UK A&R. Working alongside McIntosh in the NYC office is Bill Ashton, who is promoted to svp of commerce at the company, and down Nashville way Stacie Swanson was elevated to vp of artist strategy. But wait there’s more: Reporting to Ashton in the commerce department is NYC-based Briana Farrell, who was promoted to vp of U.S. retail, and Londoner Keith Taperell, now the vp of licensing. “Helping artists connect with fans around the world will always be our driving force, and I’m excited to announce this new leadership, who will ensure that artists’ visions are brought to life,” said Young.

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Warner Records welcomed Terese Joseph as senior vp of A&R administration. Based in Los Angeles, Joseph will report to Karen Kwak, evp/head of A&R, and work closely with Julian Petty, evp/head of business and legal affairs. The veteran executive most recently served as head of label operations at Se LaVi/Rebel Music but launched her career at UMG, where she logged time at Def Jam, Victor Victor Worldwide and Capitol. “I’ve known Terese for many years, starting back in our Island Def Jam days in New York,” said Kwak, who oversaw A&R at UMG’s U.S. labels until 2016. “She’s a well-respected and knowledgeable player in the field, playing an integral role in the delivery of massively successful projects for music legends to newcomers alike.”

Sony Music Nashville promoted Lauren “LT” Thomas to svp of promotion, with Thomas having day-to-day oversight of both the RCA Nashville and Columbia Nashville imprints. Thomas will continue to report to evp of promotion Steve Hodges and work with him across the roster on all national promotional strategies and initiatives. During her tenure, Thomas has helped earn radio hits for artists including Luke Combs, Megan Moroney, Nate Smith, Mitchell Tenpenny and Old Dominion. Thomas joined Sony Music Nashville in 2009 and previously spent five years at KMLE in Phoenix, Arizona. Thomas is also a 2019 Billboard 40 Under 40 honoree. –Jessica Nicholson

AEG Presents ditched the “co-” from Don Strasburg‘s title and named the live music veteran as sole president of the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest regions. The Denver-based executive will oversee AEG’s regional offices in the Colorado capitol and Seattle, and continue managing the team that books concerts in a full slate of venues. Until recently, Strasburg served as co-president of the expansive region alongside Brent Fedrizzi, who in May was promoted to president of North American regional offices. During a lengthy career, Strasburg has been a plank owner of sorts at Bill Graham Presents/Chuck Morris Presents, Live Nation and AEG Live. “Don has a drive to win and succeed that is unmatched,” noted Shawn Trell, AEG Presents’ evp, COO and general counsel. “He’s got an almost innate sense of knowing what the audience wants and where the trends are heading.”

Cenk Eroglu

Emre Dokucu

Turkish conductor, arranger, guitarist and pianist Cenk Eroglu joined Frontiers Label Group as the Italian metal label’s new in-house writer and producer. FLG is the home of such artists as Winger, Stryper and Blue Öyster Cult, among others. Eroglu has a long creative partnership with the former, having appeared on a Kip Winger solo album and later as a core player on the prog-adjacent rock band’s first release for Frontiers, 2006’s IV. “I am truly excited to welcome Cenk to Frontiers Records, and I am confident that his impressive background and top-notch craftsmanship will bring some major added value to our label,” said the label’s president Serafino Perugino. “I am looking forward to working together on new epic projects.”

Vickie Nauman, founder of music-tech consultancy CrossBorderWorks and a former executive at 7digital and Sonos, joined Musical AI as an advisor. Formerly Somms.ai, Musical AI provides tools to help rights holders monitor and manage how their IP can be used in AI creation. “Happy to be a part of this journey,” Naumna said on LinkedIn. “I believe AI can be transformative to us all if used wisely, and generative AI needs licensed models.”

Night Time Industries Association chief executive Michael Kill joined the International Nightlife Association, a Barcelona-based advocate for nightlife venues, as Vice President. In a joint announcement, the organizations called it a validation of Kill’s leadership and the NTIA’s “growing impact on global nightlife policy and advocacy.” Kill remarked that he’s “excited to collaborate with our international counterparts to drive positive change and innovation in the nightlife sector. Together, we will work towards a vibrant, sustainable, and safe nightlife environment for all.”

NASHVILLE NOTES: Contemporary Christian music industry veteran Tim Robinson launched Aligned Talent Agency. The Brentwood, Tennessee-based firm represents artists Love & The Outcome, Dan Bremnes, 7eventh Time Down, Ignescent and others. Robinson most recently served as a booking agent with Greg Oliver Agency –J.N. … Milestone Publicity promoted Campbell Jenkins to publicist, effective immediately. The Belmont University grad joined the Music City-based PR firm a year ago … BMG Canada appointed Bryan Columbus as vp of recorded music. He was previously label director for Concord Label Group/Canada.

The creative team for next year’s SXSW London is taking shape with the appointment of Adem Holness as head of music and Katy Arnander as director of programming. Additionally, Alex Poohs will serve as a consulting creative advisor and Elliot Willis has taken the role of SXSW London’s commercial director. The festival and conference will take place over one week in June 2025 at venues and spaces around Shoreditch in east London. (In April 2021, it was announced that SXSW had signed a “lifeline” deal with P-MRC, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and MRC, making P-MRC a stakeholder and long-term partner with the Austin festival. P-MRC is the parent company of Billboard.)

Independent music distribution and marketing company Symphonic Distribution hired Guji Lorenzana as its first territory manager for Asia. Based in Los Angeles, Lorenzana is tasked with growing Symphonic’s presence in the region, by way of expanding its artist roster and forging new business partnerships. A former solo artist and member of Philippines boy-band TFTI, Lorenzana arrives from Ingrooves Music Group, where he was country manager for Philippines.

Aaron Hamel is the new label director for Materia Music, a Seattle-based video game imprint, distributor, publisher and rights administrator. Hamel’s appointment follows Materia’s recent acquisition of the remaining game music inventory of Ship to Shore, a boutique label he founded that’s centered on discovering and re-issuing cult soundtracks. “He shares our passion for discovering and promoting the rich musical heritage of video games as well as bringing innovative new products to the video game music community and marketplace,” said Sebastian Wolff, Materia Music’s founder and CEO.

Victoria Fleary was promoted to vp of social at iONE Digital, a content company targeting Black and urban lifestyle enthusiasts. Fleary joined the company two years ago as senior director of social following stops at Emmis Communications and BET. “Victoria’s promotion is a result of the dedicated work that she has put in since her first day at iOne,” said Sam Stiers, GM/evp. “Her relentless drive, creativity, and commitment to excellence in digital media has truly been an inspiration to everyone around her.”

Gregg Stewart is the new senior manager of communications at Universal Music Canada. Previously he worked with Bell Media for 12 years, leaving as Director of Music Strategy & Industry Relations. He was also with the Much MTV Group for a year and between 2000 and 2006 was with UMG’s digital marketing division. –David Farrell

Live Redesigned creative producer Melody Tseng is the art director and set designer for Alanis Morissette’s recently launched Triple Moon Tour, which carries through late September. Tseng joined the NYC-based live company three years ago as an associate creative producer. She previously worked on projects for Live Nation, Diversified Production Services and others. “Melody, as she always does, brought her unique creative vision to life as both the Art Director and Creative Set Designer for the tour through the artistic use of various stage and scenic elements.”

ICYMI:

Jess Ducrou

Jess Ducrou

Jessica Ducrou is departing as co-CEO of Australia’s Secret Sounds Group, producer of Splendour in the Grass festival … Bradley Jordan‘s Peachtree Entertainment brought in Chuck Steedman of LiveCo, Nathan Baugh of 46 Entertainment and Shane Quick of Premier Productions … Fat Beats appointed Warner Music Group veteran Chris Atlas to president … Songtradr welcomed Harmonix co-founder Alex Rigopulos and music lawyer Priyanka Khimani to its board of directors.
Last Week’s Turntable: Sphere Goes Hollywood

08 May 2024

SXSW Announces 2025 London Edition

Austin’s South by Southwest conference and festival is heading to the United Kingdom, marking the first time that the world-famous event has been held in Europe.

Due to take place over one week in June 2025, the inaugural edition of SXSW London will follow the same format as its Texas-based forerunner and feature “inspiring and challenging” keynote talks, music performances and showcase leading innovations in tech, gaming and film, organizers said in today’s announcement. Names and details of who will be appearing will be announced in the coming months.

Held annually in the city of Austin since 1987, SXSW has grown to become one of the biggest events in the global music calendar, attracting hundreds of thousands of musicians, creatives, filmmakers, media companies and music industry executives to the state of Texas every March.

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Amy Winehouse, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and Wet Leg are just a few of the music artists who played the festival early in their careers.

Previous guest speakers have included Dave Grohl, U.S. president Barack Obama, Steven Spielberg, Michelle Yeoh and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, while Twitter, Foursquare and Airbnb are among the tech start-ups that SXSW famously helped launch.

Next year’s debut of SXSW London continues the event’s global rollout, which began in 2023 with the launch of an Asia Pacific edition in Sydney, Australia.

The second installment of SXSW Sydney takes place Oct. 14-20 with the main U.S. SXSW festival and conference scheduled for Mar. 7-17 in Austin. The addition of a new London edition makes the event series “an indispensable three-stop tour for the global creative community,” said organizers in a press release.

Although 2025 will be the first time that a SXSW-branded event has taken place in Europe, the organization did team up with Mercedes-Benz to host an annual conference, called the me Convention, between 2017 and 2019 in Germany and Sweden, targeted at the tech, design and creative communities.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring the SXSW experience to London,” said SXSW co-president and chief brand officer Jann Baskett in a statement. He called next year’s planned event “an incredible new opportunity to highlight the elements that make SXSW unique in one of the most vibrant cities in Europe.”

Randel Bryan, managing director of SXSW London, said the festival “will build on Austin’s incredible legacy” by providing “a platform for the next generation of creative talent.”

While detailed plans for SXSW London are yet to be announced, organizers said the event will be held in dozens of venues, art galleries and clubs in the East London district of Shoreditch and will have its own “distinctive personality,” reflecting the U.K. capital city’s “internationally renowned cultural life and creativity.”

Alongside keynote talks and music showcases, the conference will include “boundary pushing” visual arts, design and fashion programming, with exhibitions and interactive and immersive experiences taking place in public spaces across East London. The city’s proximity to other major creative and tech centers in Europe will also shape programming as organizers look to attract creative talent from across the continent.

Commenting on the announcement, London mayor Sadiq Khan called the plans “a historic opportunity” for the city “to once again bring the world’s most exciting talent together.”

In April 2021, it was announced that SXSW had signed a “lifeline” deal with P-MRC, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and MRC, making P-MRC a stakeholder and long-term partner with the Austin festival. P-MRC is the parent company of Billboard.

18 Mar 2024

The Best Photos From Billboard Presents THE STAGE at SXSW 2024

Billboard made its grand return to South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin this year for three star-studded concerts that took place March 14-16 at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park.

Billboard Presents THE STAGE at SXSW kicked off with a night dedicated to R&B headlined by singer-songwriter and producer PartyNextDoor on March 14. Party delivered a rousing — and newsworthy set — complete with a live backing band and incredible dancers. But he saved the best for last; while walking off stage at the end of his hourlong set, he teased that his forthcoming album, PartyNextDoor4, was on its way. “P4 coming soon,” he said. Seconds later, the onstage screen flashed a more specific date, announcing that the long-awaited project would arrive on April 26.

Then, on Friday, March 15, fans were treated to a night celebrating Latin music that featured rising cumbia pop artist Estevie and mariacheño star Christian Nodal. After performing some of his biggest hits alongside a six-piece mariachi string and horn section plus his seven-piece backing band, Nodal invited Estevie back on stage to duet on “Sabor a Mí.”

And finally, on Saturday, March 16, electronic giant Illenium delivered a dance-centric night presented by Carnival Cruise Line. While playing for more than an hour to a crowd of superfans (many were wearing Illenium jerseys, his signature merch item), Illenium ran through a bass-heavy setlist including his own material, remixes of music by his peers and — best of all — a preview of his forthcoming collaboration with Seven Lions.

Last March, Billboard Presents THE STAGE at SXSW featured headline performances from Lil Yachty, Eladio Carrión and Kx5. Later in the year, the inaugural SXSW Sydney took place, where Japanese girl group XG headlined Billboard’s THE STAGE at SXSW Sydney.

17 Mar 2024

Illenium Brings Body-Ratting Bass To SXSW: 5 Best Moments From His Billboard Headlining Show

Illenium helped close out SXSW 2024 with a performance that was quite certainly one of the week’s heaviest when he played the third and final show of Billboard’s annual THE STAGE at SXSW concert series on Saturday, March 17.

While the evening forecast in Austin had called for thunderstorms, the weather cooperated and no storms, or even sprinkles, materialized during the sold-out show. The performance drew 5,000 people — many of them wearing the jerseys that are Illenium’s signature merch item — to Austin’s Moody Amphitheater within Waterloo Park.

The night opened with a set from Canadian producer Fairlane, who played a litany of remixes of emo and nu-metal classics by artists including Fall Out Boy, Green Day and Linkin Park, adding his own guitar solos over many of them.

Then, Illenium — who also wore an Illenium jersey, along with a backwards baseball hat — came onstage at 9:30 p.m. and immediately launched into a giddily heavy set built from body-pummeling bass music interspersed with his signature pop oriented future bass anthems and a litany of tracks by a strong crew of other bass realm artists. The atmosphere in the park was hyped throughout the set, which was punctuated by bursts of fire emanating from the stage, along with dynamic visuals.

THE STAGE takes place from March 14-16 as part of SXSW, Austin’s annual music, film and tech festival, and features performances from Billboard’s latest cover stars: PartyNextDoor, Christian Nodal, and Illenium.

Last year’s THE STAGE headliners included Lil Yachty, Feid and Kx5.

Read on for the five best moments from Illenium’s show below.

16 Mar 2024

Christian Nodal Brings Mariacheño To SXSW: 5 Best Moments From His Billboard Headlining Set

On Friday, March 15, rising regional Mexican artist Christian Nodal headlined Billboard’s annual THE STAGE at SXSW concert series, which takes over Austin’s Mood Amphitheater within Waterloo Park. Nodal delivered the second of three stellar performances as part of the series, including PartyNextDoor, who kicked things off on Thursday, and Illenium, who will close out the set on Saturday.

Following a rousing opening set from Estevie, at 9:23 p.m. Nodal’s expansive band had started to line up along both sides of the staired stage – prompting the crowd to burst out in screams. Two minutes later, Banderas’ “Alma de Guitarra” begins to blare from the speakers as everyone settles into place. And just before 9:30, Nodal himself emerges atop the stairs while triumphantly raising his arms in the air and taking a bow. 

Throughout the set, Nodal – who pioneered mariacheño, a subgenre that fuses mariachi’s strings and horns with the norteño accordion – leans into his heartthrob appeal, blowing kisses and flashing his warm smile that could melt an iceberg. “The most beautiful thing is to flow with what is happening,” he said in his recent Billboard cover story. “I’ll just keep releasing music from my heart [and] enjoy the process and what my fans have given me.”

THE STAGE takes place from March 14-16 as part of SXSW, Austin’s annual music, film and tech festival, and features performances from Billboard’s latest cover stars: Party, Nodal, and Illenium. Tickets can be purchased here.

Last year’s THE STAGE headliners included Lil Yachty, Feid and Kx5.

Read on for the five best moments from Nodal’s show below.

15 Mar 2024

How the Global Streaming Boom Helped Local Music Consumption Surge in Latin America

In their much-cited 2023 paper “Glocalisation of Music Streaming within and across Europe,” Will Page and Chris Dalla Riva note that the rise of global streaming platforms correlates with the strengthening of local music.

This seemingly contradictory state is what the authors refer to as “glocalisation” — or “glocalization” in the American spelling. And in Latin music, that phenomenon has led to a spike in local genres like corridos, banda, funk and Argentine rap in recent years.

According to Pedro Kurtz — Deezer’s head of music for LATAM, speaking on a SXSW panel titled “Latin Music Momentum In The Age of ‘Glocalization’” on Tuesday (Mar. 12) — it’s about relatability.

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“We listen to music that we relate to, that represents us culturally. You look at artists and they’re speaking my language, and everything moves from there.”

Kurtz appeared on the panel alongside Cris Garcia Falcão, MD of label and artist strategy/GM of Latin at Virgin Music, and Sandra Jimenez, head of music in Latin America at YouTube — and the conversation (which I moderated) often turned lively between the three Brazilian executives.

Their points of view not only highlighted the glocalization phenomenon and how democratization and streaming dramatically changed Latin music, but also the similarities and differences between the Brazilian and Latin American markets, which many tend to lump together — even though they’re vastly different.

Although Brazil is an enormous and powerful market, the music is in Portuguese, and there is still a language barrier that must be broken down in order to break through internationally; even Brazilian megastar Anitta had to sing in Spanish to get noticed.

But, notes Jimenez, “There is no language barrier for Spanish. It’s almost like one big country. It’s a region with more than 300 million people. It’s a huge region.”

Its sheer size has given the region clout.

On YouTube, Latin America is “one of the top three regions in the world in terms of music consumption,” said Jimenez. For Deezer, added Kurtz, “It’s the second most important region in terms of streaming and engagement.”

And the vast majority of the content consumed on streaming platforms in Latin America is local.

For example, Falcão said that before the pandemic, “It was more about Anglo content. Now, it’s more democratic. Everyone should understand our region and our culture and adapt.”

Those who do, win. In Brazil, more than 80% of music consumption is local. In Mexico, says Kurtz, “72% of our streaming comes from local artists. It’s a big number, and local branches are getting more autonomy. Back in the day, we had other forces pushing music.”

Beyond the numbers, there are other intangibles. The Latin diaspora globally has led to music in Spanish, in particular, being consumed all around the world — and that phenomenon was accentuated during the pandemic. “It made us more internal,” said Jimenez. “It wasn’t possible to meet with friends and family, so we created community.”

As Latin music consumption has increased, so has music creation and investment in the region. Kurtz says that starting in 2020, Deezer has seen its number of weekly pitches in the region almost double — reflecting an increased interest in making music.

“It’s about people valuing their own cultures, and the charts are basically a mirror of that,” he said.

15 Mar 2024

PartyNextDoor Reveals ‘P4’ Release Date During His Billboard SXSW Headlining Set

PartyNextDoor’s anticipated performance at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on Thursday, March 14 was the perfect kick-off to Billboard’s annual THE STAGE at SXSW concert series.

During Party’s one-hour set, he not only delivered hits including “Break from Toronto” and “Come and See Me” (feat. Drake), but elevated them to new heights with a show stopping crew of dancers and lively three-piece band. But naturally, he ended on the ultimate high: a surprise announcement about his long-awaited fourth studio album, PartyNextDoor4 (P4).

As he told Billboard in his current cover story: “This is the hardest I’ve ever worked on an album. This is the proudest I’ve felt…I’m excited to grind even more for the next [one]. I’m in love with how hard you should work for it.” To coincide with the big reveal — which turned out to be the album’s release date of April 26 — Party also dropped his new single “Real Woman.”

Over the years, Party has established himself as a go-to hitmaker for artists including Ye, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Post Malone and Rihanna (he’s scored two Hot 100 top 10 hits with the lattermost, including “Work” and “Wild Thoughts”).

THE STAGE takes place from March 14-16 as part of SXSW, Austin’s annual music, film and tech festival, and features performances from Billboard’s latest cover stars: Party, Christian Nodal, and Illenium. Tickets can be purchased here.

Last year’s THE STAGE headliners included Lil Yachty, Feid and Kx5.

Read on for the five best moments from Party’s sold-out show below.

14 Mar 2024

Inside Luck Reunion: 5 Lessons Learned From Willie Nelson’s Iconic Festival

As fans at the off-site parking lot board a shuttle that will take them to their final destination — Willie Nelson’s coveted Luck Reunion — Noah Kahan’s “All My Love” plays from the bus’ speakers, setting a rallying and welcoming tone for the long day ahead. 

Celebrating its 12th year, the Luck Reunion offers a well-crafted lineup of known names and emerging talent, which this year includes the expected headliner of Willie Nelson and Family as well as Tyler Childers, Dawes with Lucius, the Red Clay Strays, Durand Jones and more. As for rising stars, Dylan LeBlanc, Madi Diaz, Ogi and more rounded out the lineup of over 40 acts.

Held at Luck Ranch, the expansive plot of land included all a festivalgoer could want or need: free beer; a well-selected variety of food vendors from Hattie B’s Hot Chicken to local BBQ, lobster rolls and more; vendors selling everything from vintage cowboy boots to custom western hats; plus an on-site Willie’s Reserve shop offering CBD and hemp products and more.

Earlier in the day, the legend and host himself announced his upcoming album The Border, out May 31 — just over a month after the singer-songwriter will turn 91. (On the Ranch, there was only one advertisement for the album, a poster of the album art near the entrance with a QR code to scan for more information.)

To coincide with the news, Nelson released the project’s lead single and title track, his take on Rodney Crowell’s “The Border,” co-written by Crowell and Allen Shamblin for the former’s 2019 album Texas.

Below, read on for five lessons learned after entering the sacred space of Luck Ranch.

13 Mar 2024

Justice Talk New Album, Confirm North American Tour & More at SXSW: 7 Major Takeaways

On Wednesday (March 13), French electronic music duo Justice flew into Austin, Texas, from Paris for a rare appearance at SXSW. The duo participated in a featured session simply called Justice: In Conversation, moderated by Billboard’s Katie Bain.

While the pair discussed their lasting legacy, which dates back to the 2007 debut album Cross, they also revealed details about its forthcoming album Hyperdrama, out April 26 – its fourth studio album and first in eight years.

With its first three albums, Justice always released a live version soon after, with its last being Woman Worldwide in 2018. When asked if they plan to follow suit with Hyperdrama, de Rosnay quoted Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” he says. “We move without a plan.”

It’s a true statement for the duo, who took three-and-a-half years to finish Hyperdrama. And now that it’s done, they are looking ahead to their immediate future, which includes a return to Coachella in April – and, as they confirmed during their featured session, a tour to follow. 

“We’re super happy to come back [to Coachella],” says Gaspard Augé, speaking of when the duo made their live debut at the desert festival in 2007. ”It was a very significant event for us because we had just finished our first album and it was our very first live show, so it was a relief. It was a bit of a surprise for us because we never really dream about being musicians – and somehow, it happened.”

Below are the seven best takeaways from the featured session.

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