They were all just sitting on the floor of a hostel in Germany, a little tired, a little hungover, when they got the incredible news: Gardens and Villa is going to play Coachella.
“Coachella is definitely a big deal for us, especially being a band in California,” said Shane McKillop of Gardens and Villa. “We kinda flipped our lids when we found out.”
Hailing from down south, Santa Barbara-based Gardens and Villa mix equal parts synth, acoustics and floating harmonies with flute. They’ll be bringing that sound to the Crêpe Place on Feb. 10. for a $10 show.
Friend of the band Nate Salman first saw Gardens and Villa play at a co-op in Berkeley, and says their future is bright.
“When I initially met them, they were touring around in this funky old laundromat van, trying to figure things out,” said Salman, frontman of the Berkeley-based band Waterstrider.“Every time I see them play, it gets crazier and crazier — there [are] more and more people at the shows, bigger venues. Good opportunities keep happening for them.”
Eric Deines, project manager from the band’s record label Secretly Canadian, is looking forward to what the boys will be doing next.
“They recorded a handful of songs [this month] with Richard Swift in Oregon,” Deines said. “We’re all listening to them now, we’re really excited about them.”
McKillop is ready to get things moving with the band after hiding away recording in a basement in Portland for a month.
“Luckily we have a month and a half tour before Coachella that we get to implement these new songs we’ve been writing, get more dialed in on the stage and have more fun with our music,” McKillop said.
Along with his other band members, Mikillop has been playing music since he was about 14. He said writing and performing has got them to where they are today.
“I think it really comes down to writing good music,” McKillop said. “Music you’re really confident in and really proud of, and play a lot of shows.”
McKillop knows there are many tactics bands try to use to succeed, like social media and networking. He said people don’t really want to be approached by bands — rather, people want to find out about the band on their own and grow with them.
“There’re so many bands out there in my eyes that are kinda overdoing things and not really focusing on staying true to their art the best they can,” McKillop said. “We try to stay ambiguous and not too exhausting.”
Old and new fans alike can expect the music newer and louder than before at the show on Friday.
“We’re just stoked to come back and play the cruddy old Crêpe Place,” said McKillop, “and to see our friends and fans in Santa Cruz.”
