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It’s officially that time of year again. Coachella is just days away and influencers are planning out their last-minute outfits, micro-influencers are attempting to get wristbands to revolve, and those of us still in LA will be enjoying empty Erewhons and the chance of getting a last-minute reservation at Nobu. 

For those of you lucky enough to finally catch Frank Ocean live at the Empire Polo Fields this weekend or next, trust us when we say there’s a lot more you need to keep your eye on besides the headliners. These are our 13 undercard acts you have to catch at Coachella 2023. 

Jai Paul 

Shaping the very fabric of underground and mainstream pop music with the release of “BTSU” over a decade ago, Jai Paul has clearly long surpassed the title of one to watch but we would not be doing our due diligence if we excluded him from this list. Sampled by both Drake and Beyoncé and one of the most prolific artists of the blog era, it may come as a surprise that the prolific UK artist has actually never performed live. That’s right. Coachella will be Jai Paul’s first live show in history, making him an artist even more elusive than our dear headliner Frank Ocean. 

Ethel Cain 

There is a haunting mysticism to Ethel Cain’s atmospheric blend of pop, Americana, and indie that makes it difficult not to fall under her spell. Perhaps it was her upbringing in rural Florida, where she was surrounded by religious imagery and restrictions, or it’s the way she conjures up generation-spanning narratives over the course of a single album that begin to explain her otherwordly charm. Whatever it may be, Cain is cementing herself as an era-defining singer-songwriter. And what better place to experience this one-of-a-kind talent than amidst the desert and palm trees of Southern California?  

Domi & JD Beck 

To quote one Barry B. Benson, do you like jazz? If your answer is even a hesitant yes, then you need to make your way to Domi & JD Beck’s set. Finding fans in both luminaries like Herbie Hancock and innovators like Anderson. Paak, the keyboard and drum duo masterfully blends jazz, hip-hop, and R&B to wondrous effect, crafting an infectious concoction that is undeniably their own. Nostalgia meets an inviting vision for the future. Tradition rushes alongside a hunger to push boundaries and break rules. Domi & JD Beck is an act not to be missed. 

DPR LIVE + DPR IAN 

BLACKPINK is set to make history as the first Korean act to headline Coachella this year, but the superstar K-pop group isn’t the only Korean outfit you need to keep your eye on. DPR LIVE + DPR IAN, who co-founded the label Dream Perfect Regime, is set to hit the Empire Polo Fields this year with a genre-eschewing fusion of Korean rap and pop. The respective projects of Seoul-born Hong Da-bin and Syndey-bred Christian Yu, their combined set will likely pull from their impressive joined discography of summery, emotional hits.  

Bratty

The project of Culiacán Sinaloa, Mexico’s Jenny Juárez, Bratty is easily one of our favorite new artist discoveries of recent memory. Effortlessly tying together the threads of bedroom pop, garage, and surf rock, the guitarist and singer-songwriter’s music feels akin to diving headfirst into a waking dream. Equal parts sway-inducing and ethereal, we cannot wait to lose ourselves in the Spanish-sung musings of Bratty, who will have the rarer honor of being able to say her very first visit to the US was to play Coachella.   

AG Club 

AG Club, the aptly self-titled “avant-garde” club project of Baby Boy and Jody Fontaine is energy and experimentation encapsulated. The ever-evolving supergroup has long surpassed early comparisons to Brockhampton, emerging as their own formula of genre-skirting hip-hop. If one comparison does still remain true, it would be the familiar fervor of their live show, which turns their recorded music up to 11 and then some. Mosh pits abound and the excitement surrounding these rising stars becomes tangible. Simply put, AG Club don’t miss so don’t miss out on their set.  

TSHA 

Whether it be Annie Mac, Bonobo, or the Gorillaz, chances are that your favorite UK act is already obsessed with London-based DJ and producer TSHA, and it’s easy to see why. Emerging from the UK with a well-defined sound that feels tailor-made for sunnier ventures and festival stages across the world, TSHA’s infectious brand of house music is everything and more. At times, pure catharsis; at times, emotional wellspring. Dance the day and all your worries away at TSHA’s set. 

Sunset Rollercoaster

Tseng Kuo-Heng, Chen Hung-Li, Lo Tsun-Lung, Wang Shao-Hsuan, and Huang Hao-Ting make up the Taipei-based romantic pop group Sunset Rollercoaster. Rarely do genres feel as accurate as they do here, with the romantic pop band’s music playing out with all the fuzzy, notalgia-shading of young love. Accentuating their sound with jazz-funk departures and taking inspiration from American soul, R&B, and rock, the result is a stew of love-worn influences, melding into a sound that grabs your hand and holds you close while the sun sets in the distance.    

Doechii

Repping Tampa, Florida, multi-hyphenate Doechii is writing the opening chapters of a worldwide takeover story. First making waves with “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake,” Doechii delivered an impossible-to-ignore self-introduction, laying out an idiosyncratic flow over a hypnotic, left-field beat. The rapidly rising star has since gone on to sign with TDE and further solidify her sound over the course of a series of singles that cement her undeniably unique vision. There are no two ways about it; there is only one Doechii. 

Magdalena Bay 

Self-described as “synth pop from the simulation,” Magdalena Bay’s music unsurprisingly takes ‘80s, neon-lit synths and places them in a far-flung futuristic context. The result is cross stitching of sonic eras and aesthetics by a duo of pop purveyors who know how and when to place melancholic lyricism beside shimmering production and vice versa. If you’re looking for the future of pop now, then look no further than Magdalena Bay’s Coachella debut. 

Paris Texas 

No one makes hip-hop quite like Louie Pastel and Felix, better known as Paris Texas. Regularly subverting expectations with their feverish, adventurous sound, the South Central Los Angeles duo has earned comparisons to everyone from Outkast to King Krule. Those comparisons only begin to scratch the surface though, with each new cut showing off a previously unseen side of Paris Texas. Inimitable and one of a kind, Paris Texas is an experience best witnessed yourself. 

Horsegirl

The story of Horsegirl is one still in its infancy, but we are here to bear witness to everything that’s yet to come. The Chicago-based project of Nora Cheng, Penelope Lowenstein, and Gigi Reece, Horsegirl’s music exists beyond a wall of sound. At times, that means Horsegirl expertly employs swirling instrumentation alongside reverberant, detached vocals until the two become indistinguishable. Yet, the trio is just as adept at developing an emotionally-led slow burn that takes its time building to a grand moment of emotional catharsis. Simply put, Horsegirl is an indie rock act you need to have on your radar. 

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