Coachella Artists of the Day: Feb. 19, 2026

Gigi Perez

Origin: West Palm Beach, Florida, USA

Genre / Subgenres: Folk / Indie folk, Indie pop, Queer folk

I don't think Gigi Perez knows how to write anything but intensely sad and personal songs, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it seems to be her strong suit, but it does make me wonder what she can do when she's not grieving or feeling way, way down. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gigi's sister, Celene, unfortunately passed away, and as if things couldn't get any worse, her partner also left her.

It really sucks that we get to enjoy some really good fucking songwriting at the expense of her downfall, but we should all be grateful that she chose music to be her creative outlet. Her music is emotionally bare and hollow, and it's almost all acoustic, as if she only has enough energy to do the bare minimum, but what she pours out is gorgeous. The more I listen, the more I feel like I was let into her personal life, and it's haunting, and it hurts, but as long as we're listening, she'll continue to tell us stories.

Performing: Sunday

Stage Prediction: Mojave

For Fans of: Hozier, Julien Baker, Sufjan Stevens

Key Tracks: Sailor Song / Sometimes (Backwood) / Glue

Live Set: All Things Go 2025 (Washington, D.C., USA)

Rating: ★★★★

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Ecca Vandal

Origin: Louis Trachardt, South Africa

Genre / Subgenres: Alternative / Hip-hop, Electronica, Easycore

Ok, I know I say this a lot, but Ecca Vandal legitimately is hard to place in a box, genre-wise, so I'm just going to check her off as "alternative" because that's how flexible she is. She has a song that sounds like Kanye's "Black Skinhead" had a baby with Demi Lovato's vocals ("Future Heroine"). Just imagine what that sounds like and make some sense of that. She's got that punk energy, nu-metal textures, and hip-hop delivery. It's insane.

Ecca grew up obsessed with jazz, which could explain her rhythmic resilience and vocal control. With just one album to her name, released nine years ago, it's easy to get caught up in what she has to offer, but it's all adrenaline and highly replayable. Put her on if you feel like smacking someone or getting smacked, honestly.

Performing: Saturday

Stage Confirmation: Sonora*

For Fans of: Rico Nasty, IDLES, Nova Twins

Key Tracks: BLEACH / Future Heroine / CRUISING TO SELF SOOTHE

Live Set: Camp Flog Gnaw 2025 (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Rating: ★★★½

*Sonora lineup now available via Coachella's social media accounts

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Ratings are on a 5-star scale