An Interview with almost monday

photo: Cole Ferguson/Hollywood Records

Last year, almost monday fulfilled a career ambition when “Can’t Slow Down” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart. 

The danceable pop/rock single – off the San Diego trio’s totally infectious 2024 debut album Dive - also landed among the top 10 most-played songs nationally at the format (including local stations ALT 98.7 and KROQ/106.7 FM).

The achievement followed three EPs and several previous singles that made minor radio inroads. In '25, a deluxe edition of Dive was released including bonus tracks "Sequoia," "Holiday" and a new version of "Jupiter" featuring Jordana. 

On May 17, almost monday will perform alongside previous tourmates The Driver Era at the LA County Fair in Pomona, and then open the first leg of Young the Giant’s North American arena tour from May24-June 27.

Singer Dawson Daugherty, guitarist Cole Clisby, and bassist Luke Fabry checked in last month through a video interview.

The tour you have coming up with Young the Giant sounds exciting.

Dawson Daugherty: [Young the Giant is] a band that I remember growing up and listening to. ‘Cough Syrup’ was such a formative song in my younger years. I’m super excited. They’re a super cool band and Cold War kids will be there too, so it's pretty rad.

Is it an added bonus to go out on tour with bands who are also from Southern California? Young the Giant is from Irvine; Cold War Kids are from Long Beach.

Dawson Daugherty: They’re Southern California guys. Yeah, I think so. Probably more than anything, it’s commonality. Once you’re on the road, you have some stuff to talk about and bond over. We haven’t met those guys yet, but I’m definitely looking forward to seeing them out there.

Since this interview will preview your LA County Fair show in Pomona with The Driver Era, I wondered whether you’d played many county fairs before.

Cole Clisby: We played the San Diego one a long time ago with Switchfoot.

Dawson Daugherty: Oh, true. The Del Mar fair.

Cole Clisby: That was literally our first big show with more than a couple hundred people…That was pretty memorable. I just remember we were all pretty nervous for that.

The latest single “Leaving is Easy,” is a reflective acoustic guitar-based ballad and somewhat of a departure for the band. How did that song develop?

Dawson Daugherty: We were in Nashville writing with our friend Chase [Lawrence of COIN]. It just organically came up and was one of those songs that really grabbed us all in a way [like] some of our earlier work. It’s really different and touched us in a different way. On personal levels and as a band, it felt like something that really just resonated. I think it was important for us this year to start with something that felt ‘heart first.’ almost monday, for us, is so much about playing music live…the energy and having fun. It’s who we are.

In this song - not that I don’t think it'll be beautiful live - it was so much more about ‘this just feels right.’ Rather than, ‘This is going to be something in a live room that we want to play.’ With that being said, I think it was important for us to have the beginning of this year be marked with ‘this is where we’re at and this is how we feel.’ And just letting the heart be the thing that led this year.

It displays a different side to the band.

Dawson Daugherty: Yeah. Sonically, it’s super different for us, which is so fun. I’m sure a lot of artists feel this way, but it’s so fun to depart. We have endless amounts of people we admire and love and sounds we admire and love. [To] dip our toes in this sonic lane, was really fun.

For the previous single, “Lost,” how was the experience of shooting the music video and getting to live out your spy movie hero fantasies?

Luke Fabry: Our friend and director came out to a European tour that we [did]. We just went out a couple hours a day and shot in every city that we were playing shows in…there was never really a true through line, but it was so fun [when] there was actually a point in the video where Dawson jumps off a bridge in Amsterdam.

And people were like, ‘What’s going on?’ But surprisingly, we did some stunts and there’s police and people were fine with it. So, it was really fun to cosplay your Jason Bourne fantasy.

Paris was one of the locales too, right? I remember seeing the Eiffel Tower in a shot.

Cole Clisby: That was the last shot of the shoot. We did like six countries or something.

The video reminded me of that old Beastie Boys clip for “Sabotage.”

Dawson Daugherty: [laughs] Yeah! You nailed it, dude. We love that video.

You were nominated for an iHeartRadio award. How important has the support from local radio stations such as KROQ and Alt 98.7 FM in LA and 91X FM in San Diego been for the band?

Dawson Daugherty: I’m always shocked. We’re from San Diego, so you would hope [91X] would be supporting the hometown boys. But with KROQ [too], it’s really awesome. As we’ve gotten to know more people over there, [we’ve discovered] they’re just really great people, they love music and that’s all you can hope for.

[Alt 98.7 PD] Lisa Worden, [Alt 98.7] DJ Stryker - all those people over there are just really cool…last year we saw that on [Alt 98.7 FM], ‘Can’t Slow Down’ was the [fourth] most played song last year in LA. That was super surreal. More than anything, we say ‘thank you’ to them.

[The song’s cowriter, Sam Hollander, also posted on Instagram that it ranked as the #3 Most Played song at Alternative radio nationwide last year]

Earlier this year, the band did a tour Down Under. Did you get much surfing done while you were there?

Cole Clisby: Yeah. We surfed a bunch. Australia’s pretty prime for a band who also surfs because you can just surf and then play the show. We had played in Sydney briefly before, but this was our first proper tour of Australia [and we were] able to hit Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth as well.

Then also New Zealand for the first time. It was pretty special to be able to go surf a world class wave like Snapper Rocks [a renowned, high-performance, right hand point break] on the Gold Coast and then go play a show that night. So, it was a pretty great experience for us.

Which one of you is the best surfer?

Dawson Daugherty: Cole is ridiculously good; Luke's a great surfer too. Luke was ripping it.  

Cole Clisby: Luke was out the back getting some bombs.

Dawson Daugherty: Luke was like on the peak at Snapper, dude, just fucking, hitting that shit.

Turning to the ‘Dive’ album: With hindsight, are you satisfied with how it turned out overall and was received by fans?

Luke Fabry: Yeah. I think something that we talked about before we put together and conceptualized ‘Dive’ was: to be a real band, you need an album. We were putting out a bunch of EPs and singles. It’s like a really big statement to put out your first album. In some indirect ways, it established us more as a band that has something to say and that had a consistent piece of work, which was really cool to do.

And it gives us and lets us build more of a world around it too, which is really awesome. In those ways, I think it impacted the band in a really positive way.

photo: Cole Ferguson/Hollywood Records

Did you intend the album overall to sort of a love letter to Southern California and beach culture?

Luke Fabry: We wanted it to be a snapshot of what we were at the time, so when we’re all old, [we can tell] our grandkids that ‘your grandpa was in a band.’ You could share something that was honest and of the time.

We get the question a lot: ‘Does growing up in San Diego come through in the music?’ In a lot of ways, it just is what it is. We have a song that we all love called ‘Life Goes By’ and it becomes more meaningful, the more we tour because it talks about really simply just going to the beach and the simple pleasures of life. Because that’s who we are, it comes out and as we get to see more of the world, home is always our North Star.

Looking over the credits, I was really impressed that you had Elisa from Naked and the Famous doing some background vocals on a few songs. How was it to have her add harmonies?

Dawson Daugherty: She’s a really, really dear friend of ours. We adore her and she’s great. I’m actually at her house right now, which is random, but, in terms of a voice of a generation, of a moment in time, we call it the ‘golden age of indie pop’ - bands like MGMT, Foster the People, Naked and the Famous, Two Door Cinema Club - we were listening to those band so much in junior high and [while] surfing. I literally had The Naked and Famous as my alarm clock [song], waking up to go surf at 5:00 a.m. To have her voice be a part of our songs is just super cool.

And what’s [also] cool about it is, not just because she's like great and amazing, but she's become such a great friend. When you get to work on music and have your friends on it, it's pretty epic. That’s the dream. You make music with your friends and put it out. There's nothing really better.

It’s cool that you brought that up. I love that.

One of my favorite songs on the album is ‘Sunburn’ due to the breeziness of it. When you were writing that, did the 1972 hit ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ by King Harvest have a sound you wanted to get or did that just come out accidentally?

Dawson Daugherty: That was not anything we thought of. I remember people said it sounds like ‘Dancing in the Moonlight,’ and it was not anything conscious. That wasn’t a reference point. That song is insanely great, but I remember seeing a ton of people make that comparison, and I was like, ‘That’s cool.’ It’s just an amazing song. I don't think we were thinking about that song at all while making it. That song is really good. I love that song.

Another standout for me on the album is ‘Life Goes By,’ especially the driving, rocking pace to it. Were you guys seeking a Strokes-type feel on that at all when you did it?

Cole Clisby: I remember when we did that one, we were really trying to go back to our San Diego surf rock roots and draw inspiration from that with the guitar tones and stuff. That's a favorite of ours for sure.

I was immediately drawn to the illustrations on the ‘Dive’ LP dust jacket. Who did those cartoon illustrations for each song?

Dawson Daughtery: Our friend Dave Bower. He goes by @OldSweaty on Instagram. He’s so funny. So many of the people we’ve gotten to work with, we’re just fans of them and then we think it’s impossible to work with them. And we just send an arrow in the night, a flaming arrow into the sky, and then somehow, they answer the call and are down to work.

Dave, he's such a legend. I’m glad you brought him up because we all feel that he really brought ‘Dive’ physically to life in a visual way. When I think of ‘Dive,’ I see Dave’s work, so it's really cool.

Was the album’s title track your tribute to the Beach Boys and Four Freshmen and the whole beach thing?

Dawson Daughtery: Yeah. I like to talk about the Beach Boys as a massive influence on us. I don't know if anybody would be like, ‘almost monday is like the Beach Boys sonically.’ But I think their essence is something that we're deeply inspired by. When their [recent] documentary came out, I was so moved by how one of  them was saying their goal was to just bring joy to people. And I thought that was such a pure goal.

I like to be centered on that goal…[The Beach Boys] are hugely an influence and sonically, doing those harmonies. The Four Freshmen - We had them to this arrangement. We wrote this little tune and then they brought it to life vocally on their arrangement…the modern iteration of the Four Freshmen.

Have you guys started work on a second album?

Dawson Daugherty: Yeah, we’re deep in it. Super excited to be working with [‘Dive’ producer] Simon again. And then we have some songs with our friend Chase. We’re literally legit deep in it. Very excited. I keep having moments every week where I can't wait for people to hear it. It's something I'm really proud of and it's all coming together and the world of it is really fun, big, and exciting.

A shorter version of this Q&A originally appeared in SoCal News Group newspapers as part of a special section spotlighting the LA County Fair. Find it at dailybulletin.com.

The Best Rock Acts at Coachella Festival '26 – Weekend 2 (Review)

By George A. Paul

Although the top-billed headliners at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. were among the pop, reggaetron, R&B, and EDM music varieties (Sabrina Carpenter, Karol G, Justin Bieber, Anyma), some alt-rock heavy hitters from the past (David Byrne, Iggy Pop, Devo, Suicidal Tendencies, Black Flag) and present (The Strokes, Turnstile, Royel Otis, Wet Leg, Sombr, Geese) could still be found throughout the lineup.

The latter list of acts have all had major hits on modern rock radio over the past few months - proof that event organizers continue to have their fingers on the pulse of what’s relevant.

The sold out event, with around 150 acts on nearly a dozen stages, had an official capacity of 125,000 per day. But somehow it felt like there were much more people as the day progressed and it took longer to travel between stages. 

There were notable instances where musicians took aim – not always with subtlety - against the War in Iran and the Trump Administration at various points during either weekend sets. Devo projected a video sporting a tattered American flag as founding member Gerry Casale said, “Freedom of choice – use it or lose it. It’s going fast.” David Byrne had a video amid “Life During Wartime” that showed ICE agents chasing down people and protests across the country.

Meanwhile, The Strokes (which turned in a solid performance on the main Coachella Stage and used thought-provoking visuals amid a career-spanning set) played the song “Oblivius” for the first time in a decade. It was paired with a montage of universities destroyed in Iran and Gaza, world leaders reportedly overthrown by the CIA and more. The band’s singer Julian Casablancas also made various political asides, including asking whether concertgoers had seen Iran LEGO videos, how they were taken down from YouTube, and said, “land of the free, am I right?” 

Below are my top six rock standouts from Weekend 2:

Last Friday, Turnstile’s sharp evening set at the Outdoor Theatre stage prompted a mosh pit (egged-on, in part, by bassist Franz Lyons). The Baltimore melodic hardcore band, which won two Grammy Awards back in February, changed its set order from the previous week’s Coachella and opened with an ominous buildup to the forceful “Birds.” 

Singer Brendan Yates jumped around, spun himself in circles and basically let the music do the talking during Turnstile’s compelling performance. When he sang “deep in the night/I’m waiting for the call” during “Dull,” some female fans were shown on the screens holding up an old rotary telephone. Highlights included the tunes with dreamier guitar textures that evoked Andy Summers’ Police work (“Seein’ Stars,” a compassionate “I Care”), the samba bits during “Don’t Play,” as well as other times when the band came across like a heady mix of Jane’s Addiction and Rage Against the Machine. 

A minor quibble: Camera operators often focused on the fans and nearby vendors’ reactions to sometimes humorous effect. But mostly, it was annoying because viewers towards the back of the large crowd couldn’t really see what was going on with the musicians in the shadows. 

Earlier in the day, Joyce Manor did a memorable set in the Gobi Tent. The Torrance, Calif. punk rock band’s fans were extremely loud while singing along; so much that it harked back to the days when you’d see followers of like-minded acts Dashboard Confessional and Taking Back Sunday do the same thing. One Coachella attendee walked through the crowd carrying a sign that read: “Get off your phones and dance.” 

Joyce Manor played half the tunes from its highly recommended new album I Used to Go to This Bar, produced by Bad Religion’s Brett Gurewitz and released on his Epitaph label. Endearing lead singer/guitarist Barry Johnson and his bandmates were all smiles onstage as they did three-part harmonies or gang vocals on songs like “I Know Where Mark Chen Lives,” “Gray Guitar,” and “Well, Don’t it Seem Like You’ve Been Here Before” (complete with harmonica ending). The guys also excelled during the jangly “All My Friends Are So Depressed” and endearing “Heart Tattoo.” 

David Byrne closed down the Outdoor Theatre stage on Saturday night with one of the most brilliant performances at Empire Polo Field. His satisfying, long-awaited studio album, Who is the Sky?, which featured guests St. Vincent and Hayley Williams, came out in 2025 (this writer hoped for a guest appearance, but it didn’t happen). 

The legendary former Talking Heads singer/songwriter adeptly utilized a roving troupe of choreographed singer/dancers and musicians carrying their instruments and clad in blue attire like their leader. Additionally, there were vivid images of various cityscapes or simple colors inside a square video wall, which resulted in a stunning visual presentation. 

Everything got off to a fun and festive start with “Everybody Laughs” from the latest release. Byrne, who turns 74 next month, was in fine voice through the lively set, which featured a wealth of Talking Heads classics and a few deep cuts. He relayed an anecdote about a youthful encounter behind that band’s jubilant “And She Was” and explained the recent “When We Are Singing” was partially inspired by Europeans’ liberation from fascism (it drew a loud cheer).

All the world beat sounds on “(Nothing But) Flowers” were infectious, while the breezy “This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)” provided a welcome calmness. The strong final stretch included “Psycho Killer” (re-inserted into Byrne’s concerts last year after a nearly 20-year absence), “Life During Wartime,” “Once in a Lifetime,” and “Burning Down the House.”

Longtime Talking Heads fans note: In case you missed it, the band's box set Tentative Decisions - Demos and Live 1975-77, which arrived last month, provides a fascinating glimpse of the early days of the band. 

Royel Otis filled the Mohave Tent late Saturday afternoon. The alt-pop Aussie duo – augmented by two other musicians - didn’t disappoint with their exhilarating, youthful relationship-minded tunes. Messages flashed on the tent screens before and during the set got the crowd amped up.

Lead singer Otis Pavlovic and guitarist/backing vocalist Royel Maddell got right down to business with the fast and yearning “I Hate This Tune,” which was paired with some grainy outdoor film footage. Thunderous ARIA-winning drummer Tim Commandeur provided all the songs with more heft.

Highlights included the sleek “Kool Aid,” with a panoramic War on Drugs vibe; the melancholy “Car,” which recalled New Order and saw Royel give it an emotional delivery; the frenzied “I Wanna Dance with You” (containing a melodic nod to Stone Roses and breakdown section straight out of ‘60s Motown); Royel’s vulnerable singing on majestic new single “Sweet Hallelujah” and its sweeping orchestrated grandeur a la Oasis; plus two covers: the band’s infectious dance/rock spin on Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” and dramatic reading of The Cranberries’ “Linger.” 

Sombr (the stage name for Shane Boose) lucked out by landing the coveted Saturday golden hour time slot on the Outdoor Theatre stage. The 20-year-old, whose debut album I Barely Know Her was among last year’s best, launched his dynamic set with current single “Homewrecker.” It had an extended rocking intro, all the better to make a big entrance atop the high stage platform. 

Clad in a black outfit that would likely meet Adam Ant’s approval, Sombr broke out the falsetto early and often as he traversed the stage. Some gals near the soundboard hoisted themselves atop guys’ shoulders to get a better view of the lanky studio wunderkind. 

During a ferocious “I Wish I Knew How to Quit You,” Sombr (pictured left) mock yelled at his tour guitarist and got up close to watch the solo; the percolating “Undressed” was quite riveting as Sombr owned the stage like a young Mick Jagger. 

He brought out Billy Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens to guest on their own hit “Eyes Without a Face” (a viral sensation lately on TikTok) and you could see the admiration in Sombr’s face. At one point while singing the lyrics, he put his hand in front of his eyes to mimic the lyrics, which gave Idol a chuckle.

Some women in the audience squealed as popular female model/influencer Quen Blackwell appeared onstage to hold onto Sombr as ballet dancers did their thing around them on the new funky, vocoder-enhanced breakup song “Potential.” Before doing a credibly impassioned version of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees,” Sombr introduced it as “by my favorite band in the world.” Then he saved the best for last: slow burn top 10 pop single “Back to Friends” and exhilarating drama of “12 to 12.” 

On Sunday night, Iggy Pop, 79, gave an unrefined, yet entertaining performance that showed all the young whippersnappers how things are done. Shirtless as usual and wearing low slung dress slacks that looked as if they’d fall off at any time, the “punk rock godfather” still possessed an “I don’t give a damn” attitude.

His eight-member backing band included a three-piece horn section, guitarist Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), bassist Brad Truax (Interpol), and keyboardist Joan Wasser (Joan as Policewoman). 

Kicking things off a Stooges-heavy set with the wiry-sounding “TV Eye,” Pop let out a growl and off they went. The hard charging “Raw Power” contained a searing Zinner solo. “Gimme Danger” lived up to its name sonically as Pop sang in his deep voice and gestured wildly. The opening strains of “The Passenger” (once covered by Siouxsie and the Banshees) resulted in the first palpable sense of crowd recognition. After one musician purposely made a crashing sound, Pop - with his wicked sense of humor - said, “What’s that? Are they bombing Coachella? Is it Putin? Is it Trump? Who Knows?” Then they did a strong “Lust for Life” (famously used in the film “Trainspotting”). 

Before the sinister sounding “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” Pop yelled, “touch me!” and proceeded to shake hands with people in the front area. He prefaced “1970” by telling the crowd, “If you live easy or hard, it’s hard to feel alive. This song is what it [felt] like to be alive” [back then]. As the music blasted away, he put the microphone down the center of his pants, did a shimmy, flipped the bird, and yelled, “apocalypse!” The sleazy “Nightclubbing” was shortened after he yelled that again and the band proceeded to do “Loose.” Finally, the madness ended with “Funtime.” Pop pretended to take down his pants, but gave the crowd a brief mooning instead, climbed into a coffin and was carried away. Bizarre? Yes. Par for the course with Iggy Pop? Definitely. 

Outside the music, multiple companies were on the Empire Polo Field grounds with special booths and activations, including Barbie and Starbucks. One of the more interesting activations was from premium apparel company Bella+Canvas (pictured left).

Its cool - figuratively and literally - immersive presentation, “Coachella: Then & Now,” allowed festivalgoers to design their own shirt, hoodie, etc. with a menu of merch element designs from the past. Examples of previous years’ Coachella t-shirts and lineups adorned the booth. 

This writer also tried to view the special Radiohead art exhibit/film based on the albums Kid A and Amnesiac, located in an underground bunker near the Sahara Tent. But nabbing an advance reservation proved elusive and waiting in 90F heat in a standby line was out of the question. 

Other noteworthy rock acts witnessed: Devo, Foster the People, Wet Leg, Newdad, Tijuana Panthers.

A version of this review originally appeared at rockcellarmagazine.com.

Top photo is of "Network Operations" by visual artist Dedo Vabo.

All photos by George A. Paul.

Six Standout Coachella Festival ’26 Weekend Two Performances

photo: George A. Paul

Review by George A. Paul and Robert Kinsler

Every Coachella Festival generates a bounty of notable moments and eye candy art installations, such as "Network Operations" by visual artist Dedo Vabo (pictured left).

The latest edition, which concluded Sunday, had its share of buzzworthy special guests, from Madonna joining Sabrina Carpenter on iconic hit "Vogue" to Billy Idol duetting with Sombr on '80s classic "Eyes Without a Face." We zeroed in on half a dozen memorable sets. 

The xx held court on the main Coachella Stage around golden hour Friday before a large audience. The London trio delivered a hypnotic performance filled with enticing, frequently danceable electro-pop music dating back to the 2009 eponymous album (which went gold in America). Back together after an extended absence to work on solo projects, the musicians’ gratitude and admiration was obvious. Singer/guitarist Romy Madley Croft and singer/bassist Oliver Sim’s sweet and low harmonies still meshed together well, especially on standouts “Say Something Loving,” an idyllic “VCR,” “On Call” (preceded by keyboardist Jamie xx’s brief remix version) and “I Dare You.” (GAP) 

Lykke Li’s Outdoor Theatre set on Friday displayed an artist whose ambition is matched equally by her on-stage persona and originality. Blending electropop, dance pop and indie stylings, the Swedish singer-songwriter’s performance was never less than compelling. The songs had strong dynamics and even when the intent may have been to get concertgoers to simply move in rhythm to the music, there was emotional weight to the originals. Introspective ballad “Highway to Your Heart,” synthesizer-swept “Sick of Love,” and romance-minded dance of “Little Bit” were the best. (RK)

CMAT (Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) was a force of nature at the Gobi Tent on Friday. The sometimes-zany Irish country-pop vocalist immediately dashed out to sing while laying over a stage tier. CMAT and her impressive band wore green accented attire. “When a Good Man Cries” was marked by an emotional delivery and wild gestures; the great, retro-soul-leaning “Take a Sexy Picture of Me” saw the artist discuss online trolls who criticized her appearance before doing the splits and shaking her bottom; the serious, yet gloriously keening title track to latest album Euro-Country (a Top 5 UK/Ireland success) found CMAT touch briefly on politics beforehand. Definitely one who deserves more Stateside attention. (GAP)

photo: Robert Kinsler

Kacey Musgraves (pictured left) sure knows how to make an entrance. The country music star – a Coachella and Stagecoach alum - was a surprise addition to this lineup. She rode a horse to the side entrance of the packed Mohave Tent before starting a Saturday set that proved both tender and fun. Setting the mood was a stage adorned with a trailer and Texas bunting. Musgraves opened with the gorgeous, pedal steel-enhanced title track to upcoming album Middle of Nowhere (due May 1). She also debuted other winsome new tracks “Uncertain, TX” and “Back on the Wagon” live. Alluring older tunes “Slow Burn” and “Space Cowboy,” terrific covers by George Strait and Brooks & Dunn, plus country line dancers were all part of the captivating performance. (GAP) 

The sonic echoes of Dinosaur Jr. and Band of Horses could be glimpsed from Alex G’s wide- ranging Saturday afternoon set on the Outdoor Theatre stage. Some selections were super dense and heavy (post-goth opener “Louisiana”) and wonderfully melodic (“Gretel”), while others landed in a genre-defying area (“June Guitar,” where the singer and multi-instrumentalist played an extended accordion solo) or tapped into classic rock and punk territory. (RK) 

Foster the People, led by frontman and founder Mark Foster, showed a winning blend of synth-pop, modern rock and indie pop that resonated with the large audience gathered in front of the Outdoor Theatre. The fast-moving Sunday set was enhanced by dynamic, state-of-the-art visuals and a modern stage design. Foster is a terrific singer, and used both his full voice and an expressive falsetto to bring depth to the dance-minded opener “Helena Beat,” infectious “Houdini,” disco-flavored “Lost in Space,” sumptuous “Coming of Age,” and tuneful “Sit Next to Me.” The troupe had everyone moving on the set-ending hit “Pumped Up Kicks.” (RK)

This review originally appeared in Desert Star Weekly's April 22 issue. 

For more festival coverage from Robert Kinsler, go to rockwrite.blogspot.com. 

Long-Awaited New Studio Album by Haircut 100 Due in May

Haircut 100 announce the release of the follow up to Pelican West, their smash debut album released in 1982. Boxing The Compass will be released on May 29 with a vinyl release to follow on June 26 via October is Orange Ltd, distributed in North America by BFD/The Orchard.

An unexpected second chapter in the Haircut 100 story gathered pace last year when their single ‘The Unloving Plum’, became Radio 2’s Record of the Week and the band played sold out shows across North America and The UK . Pre-Order Boxing The Compass here.

The band is known for the 1980s UK/US hits ‘Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)’, ‘Love Plus One’, ‘Fantastic Day’ and ‘Nobody’s Fool’.

Talking about the new album, frontman Nick Heyward says: "‘Boxing the Compass’ is the traditional way of finding out where you are on land or sea using the compass rose. We’re arriving back at the port we left 43 years ago with a log of songs from our personal travels. Wherever I’ve been in the world, I’ve always been Nick Heyward of Haircut 100 and we’re all ready to set sail again for more adventures on the high seas."

Bassist Les Nemes adds: "We still tend to record in the old school fashion as much as possible, the technology moves forward all the time but our creativity and the way we approach the writing, performance and recording still has its roots firmly in 1982.”

On capturing the 'Haircut' signature sound guitarist Graham Jones says: "When we were recording backing tracks with Sean Read at Famous Times Studio, he watched us working in our unique way and said something like, “Ahh, I get it, I see how you get the Haircut sound”. It’s what happens when you know and trust the other members to be themselves. We know when it’s not 'Haircut’."

Watch 'The Unloving Plum' on YouTube

Boxing The Compass will be just the second album from the classic line-up since 1982’s UK platinum-certified #2 record Pelican West (another album minus Nick Heyward, Paint and Paint, followed in 1984).

Nick Heyward (vocals/guitar), Graham Jones (guitar) and Les Nemes (bass) had reconvened to discuss issues around the band, but that business meeting felt more like a reunion of old friends. Things soon snowballed from a comeback gig at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire to a full UK headline tour, with drummer Blair Cunningham also subsequently jumping back onboard.

Subsequent writing and recording sessions took place with Sean Read (Dexys) at Famous Times studio in East London. 

Nemes talks about recording together after such a long period of time. "When you are recording an album, you just have to turn up every day, the universe will take care of everything else and it has never let us down. All you have to do is trust, never question and the ideas will flow out of you.” He continues: "We are best mates but also .. we are a band, we live like a band, we talk like a band, we act and feel like a band and we play and record like a band, that is where the magic happens, we light a spark inside each other as soon as we switch on the amps, plug in and play the first note or kick drum beat. We don't think about it, it just happens and we trust that it always will.”

Jones adds: "Playing with Les, Blair and Nick never disappoints and always throws up surprises. When recording I just know that Blair will keep the band steady and tight, Les will play a melodic bass line you would never expect and Nick’s lyrics will take you somewhere you never knew existed.”

Boxing The Compass will be released on digital, CD and vinyl formats.

Listen to 'Dynamite' on YouTube:

Track list:

1. ‘Come Back To Me’
2. ‘Vanishing Point’
3. ‘Soul Bird’
4. ‘Raincloud’
5. ‘Sunshine’
6. ‘The Unloving Plum’
7. ‘Someone’
8. ‘That’s a Start’
9. ‘Dynamite’
10. ‘A Wonderful Life’

Coachella 2026 News: Laufey Unveils 'A Matter of Time' Deluxe Edition and New Music Video 'Madwoman' Feat. Hudson Williams, other celebs

Now available in stores and streaming is 'A Matter of Time: The Final Hour,' the deluxe edition of L.A.-based, Icelandic-Chinese artist, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Laufey's Grammy-winning album 'A Matter of Time.' The deluxe features four new songs: “Madwoman,” “How I Get,” “I Wait, I Wait, I Wait” and “I’ll Forget About You (In Time)” on the expanded record. The bonus tracks are just as elegant and alluring as the rest of the main album.

 

Get it here digitally and on all physical formats.

She played Coachella Festival in Indio yesterday evening on the Outdoor Theater stage (and returns next weekend). The dazzling hour-long presentation included dancers amid a 14-song set with a cover of Carmen Lombardo's Seems Like Old Times and jazz versions of "Fragile" and "Valentine."

Additionally, Laufey has a new music video for “Madwoman,” starring “Heated Rivalry” breakout Hudson Williams, Olympic champion Alysa Liu, Lola Tung of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and “Forbidden Fruits,” and Megan Skiendiel of KATSEYE. Watch the video, directed by Warren Fu (Dua Lipa, The 1975, Daft Punk), here. See photo below. 

Filmed in LA in the weeks leading up to Laufey’s full-set Coachella debut, the video features an all-star cast of friends and heroes in a Slim Aarons-inspired world where the picture-perfect veneer is not quite as it seems.

“Growing up, I felt a general lack of representation for people who looked like me in music and media. With the ‘Madwoman’ video, I wanted to be that representation,” says Laufey. “The result is what honestly feels like my absolute dream video and exactly what younger Laufey would have loved to see.”

The video represents a convergence of Asian and Asian American talent both in front of and behind the camera—from the all-star cast to director Warren Fu, DP Andrew Truong, production designer Evaline Wu Huang, numerous heads of department, and executive producers Christine Yi and Maiqi Qin of Gold House, Julie Fong of Partizan Entertainment and Oscar Tang, co-founder of Committee of 100. The project celebrates that Asian representation in music, film, sports and the arts is responsible for some of the greatest stories shaping culture today.

Earlier this year, Laufey took home Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for A Matter of Time at the 68th Grammy Awards. The win is her second in the category, following a statue for Bewitched at the 2024 awards which made her the youngest artist to win the honor. 

A Matter of Time was released to widespread critical acclaim in August, debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200 chart and #1 on the Jazz Albums chart (where it continues to hold a spot in the top 5). In January, Laufey was presented with Icelandic knighthood, the prestigious Order of the Falcon, by President Halla Tómasdóttir.

Laufey’s first children’s book, Mei Mei The Bunny, is set for release on April 21 via Penguin Random House. A live album, A Matter of Time: Live at Madison Square Garden, is set for release April 18 for Record Store Day.

'A Matter of Time: The Final Hour' Track Listing:

1. Clockwork
2. Lover Girl
3. Snow White
4. Castle in Hollywood
5. Carousel
6. Silver Lining
7. Too Little, Too Late
8. Cuckoo Ballet (Interlude)
9. Forget-Me-Not
10. Tough Luck
11. A Cautionary Tale
12. Mr. Eclectic
13. Clean Air
14. Sabotage
15. Seems Like Old Times
16. Madwoman
17. How I Get
18. I Wait, I Wait, I Wait
19. I'll Forget About You (In Time)

Laufey photo by Emma Craft.
'Madwoman' music video still by Warren Fu.
Courtesy Sacks & Co. PR

Record Store Day 2026 News: The Cars - Heartbeat City Live LP

Last year, this Cars concert - recorded at Houston's The Summit in September 1984 - was part of Rhino Records' superb multi-disc Heartbeat City box set which included rare demos and various mixes. 

Now, for Record Store Day on April 18, Heartbeat City Live will get a limited 2LP release of 3500 copies. Originally issued on VHS and Laserdisc (remember those?) formats, it has been expanded with previously unreleased versions of “Candy-O” and “My Best Friend’s Girl.”

Half of the then-latest album was featured amid the 70-minute, 17-song set, alongside older top 40 pop chart hits like "Just What I Needed," "Touch & Go," "My Best Friend's Girl," and "Let's Go," and others. 

Although there was a common consensus at the time that The Cars were often boring live (unfortunately, I never got to see the original lineup or the brief reunion minus the late Ben Orr perform to weigh in), this concert sounds terrific. Singer/guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Elliot Easton, singer/bassist Orr, keyboardist/backing vocalist Greg Hawkes and drummer/backing vocalist Greg Robinson are all in fine form here. Among the standouts: an eerie "Moving in Stereo," "Magic," where Ocasek changes his vocal inflection slightly, and the closing rocking maelstrom of "You're All I've Got Tonight." I can just picture Easton at the front of the stage wailing away.  

Info: recordstoreday.com

Coachella Festival 2026 News: The Strokes' New Album 'Reality Awaits' Due in June

The Strokes, performing Day 2 of Coachella Weekends 1+2, have announced Reality Awaits, the seventh studio album set for release on June 26 via Cult Records/RCA Records. —get it here. 

Peppy initial single “Going Shopping,” where frontman Julian Casablancas sounds like he's singing through a vocoder, is out now—listen here.

Recorded in Costa Rica with producer Rick Rubin (Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Adele), Reality Awaits marks the band’s first new music since 2020’s The New Abnormal and subsequent world tour. 

The Strokes will play major festivals around the world this spring and summer including this weekend and next at Coachella, in addition to dates headlining Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Japan’s Summer Sonic 2026 and more.

The NYC band - best known for 2000s alt-rock radio hits like "Last Nite," "Someday," "12:51," "Reptilia" and "Juicebox" - previously performed at Coachella in 2011 and 2002.

Track listing:

1. Psycho Shit
2. Dine N’Dash
3. Lonely in the Future
4. Falling out of Love
5. Going to Babble On
6. Going Shopping
7. Liar’s Remorse
8. The Fruits of Conquest
9. Pros and Cons