On March 7, 2020, we published a piece on PUP, a Toronto-based band that was slated to play at Coachella, at CVIndependent.com. The story was slated to be part of our annual Music Issue, which we publish in April to coincide with the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals.
That was the first 2020 Music Issue piece we posted online—and it was the last. That Music Issue would never come to be, replaced by a 24-page April edition featuring an empty roll of toilet paper on the cover.
Now that Coachella and Stagecoach are back, our Music Issue is back, too. Matt King, our resident music scribe, has been hard at work interviewing bands and writing stories over the last month-plus—and I’m sure you’ll be as impressed with what he’s done as I am.
When I posted that PUP piece back on March 7, 2020, I remember thinking that I was publishing an article on something that may or may not be happening. It was a weird, uneasy feeling. Shortly thereafter, I remember telling Matt to hold off on doing other Coachella and Stagecoach interviews. Instead, he started working on a piece about how musicians were dealing with the pandemic-caused cancellations. That piece included a quote from Jose Ceja, the drummer for Giselle Woo and the Night Owls. Matt had previously done an interview with the popular local band regarding their announced appearance at Coachella 2020. Turns out that interview was a waste of time.
“It was a shock to us all, but I’m glad that it was postponed rather than canceled,” Ceja told Matt. “We’re all in good spirits. We are excited to play, and now we have more time to prepare a better show. For some of our friends, it has affected their shows, and it has unfortunately canceled a lot of really important events, but our hope is that all safety precautions are being taken, and that it will help prevent the spread of this virus.”
Of course, that Coachella 2020 postponement would eventually become a cancellation. The 2021 festival would become a pandemic casualty, too.
But the 2022 festivals are a go (barring something horrifically unimaginable). One of the pieces you’ll find herein is a new interview with Giselle Woo and the Night Owls, who will finally take the Coachella stage this year. I am so glad the group is finally getting their shot at Coachella—and I am very glad the Music Issue is back, for all sorts of reasons.
Be sure to pick up a copy of the April 2022 print edition. As always, thanks for reading. If you have any questions or feedback, please drop me a line.
Note: This is a slightly edited version of the editor’s note that appeared in the April 2022 print edition. Much of this column was originally published online in the March 21 Indy Digest.