NYS Music 2024

Author: Daniel Meyers

  • Coachella 2025 Lineup to Feature 11 artists from New York; Lady Gaga and Post Malone to headline

    At the 2025 Coachella Music and Arts Festival, 11 recording artists from New York State are set to perform. This includes headliners Lady Gaga and Post Malone, of Manhattan and Syracuse respectively. The festival is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, April 11-13, and April 18-20, and will feature the same acts across both weekends. Last year, five artists from New York performed at Coachella, including headliner Lana Del Rey. Significantly, Coachella 2025 will feature recording artists from New York across all three festival days.

    Coachella 2025 Headliners

    Manhattan-born Lady Gaga will headline Coachella 2025 on the first night of the festival, on Friday, April 11 and 18. Gaga first rose to prominence in 2008, with the release of her debut album The Fame. The album spawned several of Gaga’s hit singles including “Just Dance”, “Poker Face” and “Paparazzi.” Significantly, the 2025 festival will mark the second time Gaga has performed at Coachella and her second time headlining. Gaga first appeared at the 2017 festival, replacing Beyonce as a headliner.

    Lady Gaga performs at the 2017 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Credit: Getty Images.

    Rock Band Green Day of California will headline Coachella 2025 on Saturday, April 12 and 19. It will be the band’s first time headlining as well as their first performing at Coachella. Green Day has released over 14 studio albums, most recently Saviors (2024.)

    Green Day lead singer Billy Joe Armstrong. Credit: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

    Singer Post Malone of Syracuse will headline Coachella 2025 on Sunday, April 13 and 20. Malone released his debut album, Stoney, in 2016, which spawned his hit, diamond-certified single “Congratulations.” He has since released a total of six albums, most recently F-1 Trillion (2024) which sees him expanding his music to the country genre. Malone has performed at the festival twice: in 2018, he was on the official lineup and closed out the Sahara tent, bringing out Ty Dolla $ign and 21 Savage, and in 2023, he made a surprise appearance during Bad Bunny’s Set. The 2025 festival will be Malone’s first appearance at Coachella as a headliner.

    Syracuse native Post Malone performs at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Credit: Billboard.

    Coachella 2025: Friday, April 11 and 18

    Guyanese-American rapper and singer Saint Jhn of Brooklyn will perform at Coachella 2025 for the opening nights of both weekends on Friday, April 11 and 18, which will be his first appearance at the festival. Throughout his childhood, Saint Jhn split his time living in Guyana and the East New York Neighborhood of Brooklyn. He released his debut album, Collection One (2018), and has since released a total of three albums, most recently 2020’s While the World Was Burning.

    Guyanese-American rapper and singer Saint Jhn. Credit: IMDB.

    American DJ, producer, and songwriter Austin Millz of Harlem will perform on the first night of Coachella 2025 for both weekends on Friday, April 11 and 18. The 2025 festival will be his first performance at Coachella. Career highlights of Millz include DJ-ing Beyonce’s Homecoming Coachella performance in 2018, and he made his debut for Boiler Room NYC in 2023.

    American DJ, producer, and songwriter Austin Millz. Credit: Insomniac.

    Brooklyn-born DJ and producer Moon Boots is set to perform at Coachella 2025 on Friday, April 11 and 13. Born in Prospect Heights and raised in the suburbs of Connecticut, he attended Princeton University where originally studied electrical engineering before switching to music. After graduating, he moved to Chicago, and his since released several independent albums.

    DJ and producer Moon Boots. Credit: Insomniac.

    Coachella 2025: Saturday, April 12 and 19

    Alternative rock band Blonde Redhead is scheduled to perform at the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Saturday, April 12 and 19. The band is composed of Kazu Makino (vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar) and identical twin brothers Simone (drums, keyboards) and Amedeo Pace (lead guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals) and was formed in 1993 in New York City. The 2025 festival will be Blonde Redhead’s second performance at Coachella, after 2007.

    The three members of Blonde Redhead, from left to right: Kazu Makino (vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar), and identical twin brothers Simone (drums, keyboards) and Amedeo Pace (lead guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals.) Credit: Office Magazine.

    Indo Warehouse is a New York City-based record label and event series formed in 2022 by Kahani and Kunal Merchant. The 2025 festival will be the record label’s first appearance at Coachella on Saturday, April 12 and 19. Indo Warehouse was formed to bring South Asian culture and influences to the forefront of dance music, and the 2023 short documentary Renaissance in the Realm: Indo Warehouse explores the label’s origins and future.

    Founders of Indo Warehouse Kunal and Kahani Merchant. Credit: Insomniac.

    New York City musician Layton Giordani will mark his debut performance at Coachella on Saturday, April 12 and 19. Giordani is a mostly dance/electronic artist who debuted on the music scene in 2017 with his debut LP on Drumcode, Where it Begins. His hard work and dedication have gotten Giordani a performance at Coachella, which may be a turning point in his career.

    Musician Layton Giordani. Credit: Insomniac.

    Sunday, April 13 and 20

    American-Ghanaian singer and songwriter Amaarae of The Bronx will mark her Coachella debut on Sunday, April 13 and 20. Known for her fusion of pop, R&B, afro beats, and alté, Amaarae released her debut EP, Passionfruit Summers, in 2017, and her debut album, The Angel You Don’t Know to critical acclaim in 2020. Her second and most recent album, Fountain Baby, was released in 2023.

    American-Ghanaian singer and songwriter Amaarae. Credit: Lauren Dunn.

    NYC-based electronic band Fckers will make their debut Coachella appearance on Sunday, April 13 and 20. The band was originally formed in 2022 by musicians Shannon Wise (vocals) Jayson Walker Lewis (bass, keyboards, production), and Ben Scharf (drums.) Lewis and Scharf were originally in the band Spud Cannon for five years, and Wise was a frontwoman for the band The Shacks, before leaving their respective groups to form Fckers together, and ultimately released their debut EP, Baggy$$, in September.

    The members of Fckers, from top to bottom: Ben Scharf, Shannon Wise, and Jason Walker Lewis. Credit: Georgia Mitropoulos.

    West African-born DJ AMÉMÉ will perform at Coachella 2025 on Sunday, April 13 and 20. The DJ, who splits his time between Brooklyn and Berlin, made his first Coachella appearance in 2022, opening the Sunday festival both weekends inside the Yuma Tent. AMÉMÉ moved to NYC to fulfill his dream of becoming a DJ, and eventually connected New York’s highly influential House Of Yes, and now runs One Tribe, a multifaceted platform that includes an events wing and a fashion label, in addition to his career as a DJ.

    West African-born DJ AMÉMÉ. Credit: Insomniac.

    Tickets for Coachella 2025 are selling quickly. Separate tickets must be purchased for both weekends. The festival is open to all ages and kids aged five and under are granted free admission.

  • Getting to Know the Man Behind One of NYC’s Top Recording Studios, Walt Randall

    Lounge Studios in New York City, located on 39th Street and owned by Walt Randall, has been operating for over 20 years and remains one of the most popular recording studios among upcoming and established artists. In an interview with New York State Music, Randall opened up a little about his journey to becoming the owner of one of the most successful recording studios in Manhattan.

    Walt Randall
    Owner and CEO Walt Randall mixing in the Solaris Room at Lounge Studios. Credit: Hummingbird Media

    We previously featured Lounge over the summer, on our list of recording studios in New York City, one in a series of articles.

    The interview took place in the Brown Sugar Lounge, the first room Randall built for the studio after graduating from Northern Iowa State University in 2001 and moving to New York City with $50 to his name.

    Walt Randall
    The first room Owner and CEO Walt Randall ever built for Lounge Studios, titled Brown Sugar. Credit: Lounge Studios.

    Established in 2003, Lounge Studios is an 11-room professional multimedia studio that houses some of the finest equipment in the music industry. Each of the eleven lounges has been meticulously designed and built by Randall himself to create the most comfortable atmosphere and highest quality. From 2013 – 2016, Lounge Studios served as the East Coast Recording Studio Headquarters for Atlantic Records and Warner Chappelle.

    Of the various reasons an up-and-coming artist should aspire to record at Lounge, the number one selling point would be, Randall says, “The engineers and the environment.”

    Randall continues, “Those things sort of go hand and hand because the engineers help create the environment. Like I said we’ve worked with a lot of big people, but we’re made to do independent artists. That’s where the bread and butter comes from and I’ve always kept our prices low to do that.”

    Randall finishes, “That being said, we get a lot of first-time people in the studio. They’ve never been, they’re a little nervous, and you need to create a good environment for them. So our engineers are some of the best and fastest but, outside of being the best and the fastest, they’re very personable. They know how to make you relax, they can read the room, for a first-timer.”

    In all his over 20 years of operating Lounge, Randall says his favorite artist to work with throughout his career is Solange Knowles.

    “A Seat at the Table, the first time I ever heard the album front to back, I was like ‘Oh, this is a cultural shift album,” Randall said.

    Randall continued, “At the time I was with Atlantic Records, and I used to always tell them ‘This album is going to be the album.’ Not only was it critically acclaimed, it got Album of the Decade with Noisy Magazine, she got a Grammy, that album was at the top of the Obama’s playlist. It was just a cultural thing.”

    Walt Randall
    Solange Knowles worked on her groundbreaking third studio album, A Seat at the Table, at the Live Lounge in Brown Sugar at Lounge Studios.

    “To me it was spiritual, we’ve had a lot of artists here but I have yet to hear an album that moved me like that immediately,” Randall finished.

    Randall says he isn’t surprised by Lounge’s success, but, “Believing it’s coming, and then living the reality of not being able to pay rent sometimes, not knowing if you’re even going to be in business next year, just the struggle to make it and survive in the landscape that we were in, and trying to build a name for myself as a studio. I always had a belief that this was going to be big, and I took joy, I was in shock and awe every time there was a big artist here, but it never made me feel like I was ‘above it.”

    Before opening Lounge in the early 2000s, Randall was headed towards a career as an athlete, although his passion for music was always there. After suffering injuries that prevented him from continuing to play Football, Randall leaned in fully towards this passion, a turn of events that worked out for the better in his view.

    “I think music was my destination from the beginning,” Randall said.

    Randall feels, that while football was a craft he was skilled at, it was never the end goal. “I was an athlete, and I was always competitive, but I never loved football.”

    Despite suffering intense physical injuries in his athletic career, nothing compares to the struggles he overcame during his journey to opening Lounge.

    “I’ve had three ACL tears, I’ve had all types of injuries in football, all types of adversity. None of that was even a fraction of what I’ve been through building this studio, this business, this enterprise. Not even close,” Randall said.

    In a way, Randall’s injuries were an unexpected twist of fate.

    “I think I got injured on purpose,” Randall said.

    Randall continued, “I’m not the type of person that ever looks back and regrets anything, but specifically in this situation, I can look back and say, ‘That ended for this to start.’”

    Randall concluded his interview with NYS Music by offering words of advice to anyone trying to make their dreams a reality, in the face of the curveballs life can throw at you.

    “I needed to understand, personally, that there was something bigger than me,” Randall said.

    “It gets so hard on this journey, that I’m not strong enough to do it on my own. There have been so many days where I’ve stepped on this floor while I was building it, and just cried, and said ‘I want to go home,” Randall said.

    “It was taking forever, I didn’t have any money, I was falling behind on rent, and stuff was falling on my head in the middle of me trying to put it up. I wasn’t strong enough by myself,” Randall continued.

    Randall finished, “When those insurmountable things happen, those insurmountable obstacles happen, the thing that has gotten me through is understanding that it’s not just me. I can lean on something else, I can lean on something bigger than me, that is pushing me through this when I’m tired when I don’t feel like it will ever end, I feel like a lot of times, I’ve done the work but I’ve been partially carried through those times. I get to the other side and I’m like, ‘I have no idea how I just did that.’ and I understand it wasn’t just because of me. It was because I had faith that there was something bigger than me that I could depend on.”

  • Owner and CEO of Lounge Studios in NYC Walt Randall Announces New Game-Changing Surround Sound Company, Spatio

    In an upcoming interview with NYS Music, owner and CEO of Lounge Studios in Manhattan Walt Randall revealed that he is starting a new surround sound company for his studio called Spatio. The company will launch during the first week of June and allow independent artists to record their music in Atmos Spatial Audio. This new surround-sound format allows for a more realistic and immersive recording experience. 

    The Dolby-Certified Solaris Room is the latest addition to Lounge Studios where artists will record their music in Atmos Spatial Audio. Credit: Walt Randall.

    However, this new format is pricey and creates roadblocks for independent artists. 

    “All major labels make it mandatory to release Atmos, but it’s too expensive for independent artists. The going rate is between $500-$1500/song. This makes it impossible for independent musicians to get their songs done in Atmos Spatial Audio,” Randall said. 

    Randall realized what an obstacle this posed for independent artists, and decided to do something about it at Lounge.

    “When I realized that this amazing format would pose insurmountable obstacles to independent artists, it became my mission to even the playing field”, Randall said. 

    Randall described the process of making Atmos Spatial Audio more accessible to independent artists.

    “I started by building one of only three Dolby Certified, Atmos Studios in Manhattan. I then developed proprietary software systems that would help speed up the mixing process. Lastly, I trained some of Lounge Studios’ best engineers to work with Spatio,” Randall said. 

    Randall added, “To date, we have done Atmos mixes for every major record label and have done some of the biggest stars in every genre of music, including The Wallows and Lil Baby.”

    Randall emphasized what a big deal Spatio will be for rising musicians.

    “It’s going to be huge for independent artists and will change the playing field.”

  • Albany Ranked Top Among Best Places to Live in New York

    Albany has been ranked as the best place to live in the state, according to a survey by the U.S. News & World Report. Some may also be shocked that New York City ranked fifth in the 2023-24 list of best places to live in the state, behind Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo, respectively. What we find less surprising is that all five cities have a large music presence.

    Best Place to Live New York albany
    The Palace Theatre in Albany is one of the Capital Region’s premier music venues. Credit: Palace Theatre.

    Ranked as the #1 best place to live in New York State, the Capital Region is home to several music venues and recording studios. White Lake Music and Post, one of the recording studios on Albany’s roster, has produced, recorded, and mixed multiple Billboard Top 40 singles and provided audio services for clients including Netflix, Discovery, Lifetime, Universal, Disney, Nickelodeon, and HBO. Additionally, the Palace Theatre, which first opened its doors in 1931, has been graced by the presence of musical greats like the Rolling Stones and is home to the Albany Symphony Orchestra.

    Best Place to Live New York syracuse
    Central New York’s premier professional theatre, Syracuse Stage. Credit: Syracuse Stage

    Ranking second on the list, Syracuse is home to many venues, among them Syracuse Stage, which is approaching its 50th anniversary this year. The premier professional theatre in Central New York, Stage is part of Syracuse University and is a member of The League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the largest professional theatre association in the country. America’s leading actors, directors, and designers work and/or have worked at Stage including Tony Award-winners Jason Alexander, Lillias White, Chuck Cooper, and Elizabeth Franz, Emmy recipients Jean Stapleton, Sam Waterston, John Cullum, James Whitmore, and Ben Gazzara.

    Drive By Truckers at Water Street Music Hall – photo by Brian Ferguson

    Rochester ranks as the third best place to live in New York State. Rochester is home to Water Street Music Hall, the city’s largest and oldest concert venue. Originally opened in 1976 under the name The Country Warehouse, the venue has brought hundreds of large artists including Phish, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Ashanti, David Byrne, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Iggy Pop, Jack Harlow, Sublime, St. Vincent, King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard, Maroon 5, Weezer, and many more.

    Shea’s Theatre in Buffalo. Credit: Shea Performing Arts Center.

    Coming in fourth is the Queen City of Buffalo, a major music and entertainment region of its own. Buffalo is home to GCR Audio, a recording studio that has worked with Buffalo natives the Goo Goo Dolls, who recorded their self-titled debut album as well as Jed, Hold Me Up, Superstar Car Wash, A Boy Named Goo, Jessie J, and Who You Are at the studio. The city is also home to the nearly 100-year-old Shea’s Theatre, which this year alone has held performances of classic musicals such as Les, Mamma Mia, and in previous years Beetlejuice, Dear Evan Hanson, A Christmas Story: The Musical, The Nutcracker, and Mean Girls: The Musical, among others.

    Exterior of MSG – photo by Rob Tellerman

    As we know, New York City is the music and entertainment capital of the Empire State, if not the country. With countless music venues such as the Beacon Theatre, Knockdown Center, Brooklyn Bowl and Madison Square Garden, plus dozens of recording studios such as Electric Lady, the Big Apple has earned its title as one of the best cities for music in the world. MSG has hosted more than thousands of sports events and concerts, including upcoming tours by Fall Out Boy and Nicki Minaj. Electric Lady Recording Studio has made music for several big names in the industry such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, as well as New York natives Christina Aguilera and Lana Del Rey.

    The state of New York is home to several of the most prestigious and oldest music venues in the country, making it clear to see why the aforementioned cities rank in the top five best places to live in New York State.

  • Coachella 2024 Lineup Includes 5 NY Artists, Lana Del Ray to Headline

    Coachella’s 2024 lineup will include five artists from New York between all three days of both weekends. Among these artists includes Lana Del Rey, who also headlines the festival along with Tyler the Creator and Doja Cat.

    Lana Del Rey, born in Manhattan, will be the opening performer on Friday, April 12 and 19. The Bronx native Ice-Spice and Brooklyn-based indie-pop band The Drums will perform at the festival on Saturday, April 13 and 20. Performers on Coachella’s final nights include Brooklyn-born Bebe Rexha and rock band Taking Back Sunday from Long Island.

    Cover of Lana Del Rey’s latest album, Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. Credit: YouTube Music.

    Grammy-nominated singer Lana Del Rey was born in Manhattan, and raised in Northern New York State. In 2005, Del Rey moved to New York City to pursue a career in the Music Industry. Her self-titled debut studio album was released in 2010, and her second studio album, Born to Die (2012), put the New York native on the map. Since then, Del Rey has released a total of nine studio albums, most recently 2023’s Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, and has been nominated for and won several awards. Currently, the singer is up for four Grammy Awards at the 2024 Ceremony, including Album of the Year and Best Alternative Music Album for her latest release.

    Ice Spice during an Interview discussing a collaboration with Nicki Minaj. Credit: Billboard.

    Born and raised in the Bronx, rapper Ice Spice is a young and emerging artist in the music industry, and this year will be her first time performing at the Coachella festival. Her debut extended play, Like, was released in 2023, and her debut studio album, Y2K, is due for release this year. The rapper also collaborated with English singer and record producer on the song “Boy’s a Liar.”

    Jonathan Pierce, founder and last remaining member of The Drums. Credit: Bandcamp

    Indie pop band The Drums was initially formed in 2008, by Jonathan Pierce and Jacob Graham as Goat Explosion, and later added Adam Kessler and Connor Hanwick. Graham exited the band in 2016, and since then Pierce has operated The Drums as a solo project. The Drums’ self-titled debut album was released in 2010. Since then, The Drums’ has released six albums, most recently Jonny (2023.)

    Cover of Bebe Rexha’s third studio album, Bebe. Credit: beberexha.com

    Brooklyn native Bebe Rexha first found success as a songwriter, with credits on Eminem’s single “The Monster” as well as other songs for Shinee, Selena Gomez, and Nick Jonas, among others. Her debut studio album, Expectations, was released in 2018, and was preceded by its lead single “I’m a Mess.” One week before the release of Expectation, Rexha performed live 2018 Summer Jam Music Festival, the same day on which “I’m a Mess” was released. Since then, she has released three albums, most recently 2023’s Bebe, and has been nominated for and won several awards.

    The Members of Taking Back Sunday, from left to right: Mark O’Connell, Jesse Lachey, Shaun Cooper, and Adam Lazzara

    Taking Back Sunday was formed in November 1999 by guitarists Eddie Reyes and Jesse Lachey in the Long Island town of Amityville. The band is currently made up of four members, John Nolan (lead guitar, keyboards, vocals,) Adam Lazzara (lead vocals,) Mark O’Connell (drums, percussion,) and Shaun Cooper (bass guitar.) Their debut studio album, Tell All Your Friends, was released in 2002, and their eighth and most recent work, 152 (2023,) was their first studio in seven years since 2016’s Tidal Wave.

    Visit the Coachella website for tickets. Read the full 2024 Coachella Music and Arts Festival lineup below, which includes five artists from New York.

    Friday, April 12 and 19:

    Lana Del Rey

    Adriatique

    Anotr

    Anti Up

    Ateez

    Ateez

    Ben Sterling

    Bizarrap

    Black Country, New Road

    Blond:ish

    Brittany Howard

    Chappell Roan

    Chloe

    Cimafunk

    Cloonee

    Clown Core

    Deftones

    Eartheater

    Everything Always

    Faye Webster

    Gorgon City

    Innellea

    Justice

    Ken Carson

    KEN CARSON

    Kevin De Vries x Kolsch

    Keyspan

    Kokoroko

    L’imperatrice

    Late Night Drive Home

    Lil Uzi Vert

    Lovejoy

    Mall Grab

    Miss Monique

    Narrow Head

    Neil Frances

    Peggy Gou

    Peso Pluma

    Sabrina Carpenter

    Sid Sriram

    Skepta

    Skin On Skin

    Son Rompe Pera

    Steve Angello

    Suki Waterhouse

    The Beths

    The Japanese House

    TInashe

    Tyla

    Upchuck

    Yoasobi

    Young Miko

    Saturday, April 13 and 20:

    Bar Italia

    Bleachers

    Blur

    Blxst

    Brutalismus 3000

    Charlotte De Witte Presents Overdrive

    Depresion Sonora

    Destroy Lonely

    Dom Dolla

    Erika De Casier

    Flo

    Gesaffelstein

    Girl Ultra

    Grimes

    Hatsune Miku

    Ice Spice

    Isoknock

    Jon Batiste

    Jungle

    Kenya Grace

    Kevin Abstract

    Kevin Kaarl

    Kimonos

    Le Sserafim

    Mahmut Orhan

    Mandy Indiana

    Maz

    Militarie Gun

    Oneohtrix Point Never

    Orbital

    Palaca

    Palaca

    Patrick Mason

    Purple Disco Machine

    Rate

    Rebuke

    Reinier Zonneveld

    Saint Levant

    Santa Fe Klan

    Skream & Benga

    Spinall

    Sublime

    The Adicts

    The Aquabats

    The Blessed Madonna

    The Drums

    The Last Dinner Party

    The Red Pears

    Thuy

    Tyler the Creator

    Will Clare

    Young Fathers

    Âme X Marcel Dettmann

    Sunday, April 14 and 21:

    88 Rising Futures

    Adam Ten X Mita Gami

    Anyma

    AP Dhillion

    Artbat

    Atarashii Gakko!

    Barry Can’t Swim

    BB Trickz

    Bebe Rexha

    Bicep Presents Chroma

    Boy Harsher

    Carin Leon

    Carlita

    Coi Leray

    DJ Seinfeld

    DJ Snake

    Eddie Zuko

    Eli & Fur

    Feeble Little Horse

    Flight Facilities

    Folamour

    Hermanos Gutierrez

    J Balvin

    Jhene Aiko

    JJUUJJUU

    Jockstrap

    John Summit

    Joplyn

    Khruangbin

    Latin Mafia

    Lil Yachty

    Ludmilla

    Mdou Moctar

    Nav

    Olivia Dean

    Renee Rapp

    Taking Back Sunday

    Tems

    The Rose

    Tita Lau

    Two Shell

    Victoria Monet

    YG Marley