The independent artists’ Coachella is nearly upon us! Pitchfork’s annual namesake music festival will take over Chicago’s Union Park beginning on Friday, July 15th, until Sunday, July 17th, with a variety of alternative, rock, and pop acts. While this year’s festival will be headlined by the likes of Mitski, Earl Sweatshirt, Lucy Dacus, and CupcakKe across the weekend, there are dozens of indie acts you should check out. Here are the top nine independent artists being featured at the 2022 Pitchfork Music Festival you need to see live. To view the list of acts performing this weekend and to grab your tickets, click here.
Dry Cleaning
South London post-punk band Dry Cleaning (composed of vocalist Florence Shaw, guitarist Tow Dowse, bassist Lewis Maynard, and drummer Nick Buxton) has had a pretty successful run following the release of their debut album New Long Leg early last year (via 4AD). The gang lifts a lot of inspiration from acts like Augustus Pablo, Siouxsie Sioux and the Smiths. The band's chaos comes not just from the production but from Shaw’s lyricism and the band’s use of the spoken word more often than straight lyrics. Dry Cleaning will play the green stage on Saturday, July 16th, beginning at 4:15 pm.
Source: Photo credit belongs to Steve Gullick.
KAINA
Chicago-native singer KAINA brings her own unique blend of soul and art-pop to R&B music. Her latest record .It Was A Home (via City Slang), is equal parts tragedy and triumph, with energy that evokes sunlight coming through the windows after a too-long afternoon spent crying reflected on single, “Casita” is a tribute to childhood. Her cover of Mr. Rogers’ song “It’s You I Like” is also an unlikely banger that emphasizes just how creative of a talent KAINA is. The full version of the sleepy snippet from Tiktok is just as heartwarming and fuzzy as the original, with just a dash more sultriness. KAINA will play the green stage on Sunday, July 17th, beginning at 2:30 pm.
Source: Photo credit belongs to Glenda Lissette.
Magdalena Bay
Los Angeles-based synth-pop duo Magdelena Bay (composed of singer-songwriter Mica Tanenbaum and producer Matthew Lewin) is all kitsch, glitch, and sunshine just check their Tiktok if you don’t believe me. The duo only began touring after the release of their debut album Mercurial World (via Luminelle Records) last October, however, with a discography that includes a few EPs and mixtapes, many of which have their own creatively realized music videos drenched in the band’s fun DIY aesthetic, this is a set you won’t want to miss. Magdalena Bay will play the red stage on Saturday, July 16th, beginning at 5:15 pm.
Source: Photo credit belongs to Kate Biel.
Pink Siifu
Alabama rapper Pink Siifu never forgets where he comes from, and to honor his roots, his album GUMBO’! (via Dynamite Hill/Good Partners), released last summer serves as a tribute to Southern rap. On the project, Pink Siifu affirms that while he has cemented himself in a particular scene, that doesn’t mean critics should pigeonhole him as he is a creative chameleon. In addition to his musical works, if you’re looking for something sharp yet comforting, Pink Siifu curates the Negro.Life art/poetry collection can be found on his website. The works exist as a tribute to Black American life, legacy, and lament. Pink Siifu will play the green stage on Sunday, July 17th, beginning at 1 pm.
Source: Photo credit belongs to Jahmad Balugo.
SPELLLING
Ethereal and unsettling as locking eyes with a deadly animal on a hike, singer Spellling is a haunting musical experience. Last summer, Spellling brought us the album The Turning Wheel (via Sacred Bones Records), a foreboding project as beautiful as magic tarot cards are alluded to be. Attendees are in for a treat if she performs her experimental pop covers across her three bodies of work, which include 2019’s Mazy Fly and 2017’s Pantheon of Me. Spellling will play the blue stage on Friday, July 15th, beginning at 4 pm.
Source: Photo credit belongs to Catalina Xavlena.
Tirzah
London-based singer and songwriter Tirzah’s voice is just as sharp as it is melodic. Tirzah’s vocal ability boldly carries across 2018’s Devotion and 2021’s Colourgrade (via Domino). If you’re looking for something shorter with other innovative artists, she has a cavalcade of singles and featured tracks with artists like Nozinja, Mura Masa, and Lafawndah. Tirzah will play the blue stage on Sunday, July 17th, beginning at 6:30 pm.
Source: Photo credit belongs to Alexandra Waespi.
Tkay Maidza
From Zimbabwe to Australia, Tkay Maizda’s bubblegum rap sound is its own distilled version of Black girl magic. Hot off the release of her award-winning album Last Year was Weird Vol. 3 (via 4AD) and a meteoric rise on social media, there’s just no stopping Tkay Maizda. Tkay Maizda’s sound is both versatile and bouncy, with collaborations with JPEGMafia, Killer Mike, and Cosmo’s Midnight, her music is always the life of the party. Tkay Maizda will play the blue stage on Friday, July 15th, beginning at 2:45 pm.
Source: Photo credit belongs to Morgan Sette.
Wiki
Witty in his observations and similes, New York rapper Wiki’s 2019 album Oofie (via Wikset Ltd) contains his disillusioned musings on everything from influencer culture, the rise of women rappers to his sentiments towards his city. His career goes all the way back to 2011, with three full albums, two EPs, a mixtape as well as dozens of collaborations with Skepta, King Krule, and Princess Nokia. Wiki will play the red stage on Friday, July 15th, beginning at 3:20 pm.
Source: Photo credit belongs to Jacob Consenstein.
Yeule
Singaporean-born recording artist Yeule has cemented themselves as a force in ambient, glitch, and Asian-post pop over the last decade. Singles like “Pocky Boy” and “Too Dead Inside” are a great way to get into their trippy, demented city pop sound. If you’re looking for something a little longer, the digital version of their newest LP Glitch Princess (via Bayonet Records), ends with a four-hour ambient track perfect for long car rides and dissociation. Yeule has also done remixes for other artists like Car Seat Headrest and Tohji. Yeule will play the blue stage on Saturday, July 16th, beginning at 4 pm.
Source: Photo credit belongs to Wanjie Li.
