“We’ll make the most of it!” – Salford academic to perform at Coachella

A music academic from the University of Salford is jetting off to California to play at the world-famous Coachella this weekend. 

Simon Catling, Programme Leader for BA Music Management & Creative Enterprise, will play with his rock band Mandy, Indiana at the festival over the next two weekends in the Coachella Valley.

Simon commented: “It’s really exciting to be playing Coachella. I never thought in a million years that we would be playing at such as well-known festival and that’s down to the really great work that we’ve done to get on the radar.”

Mandy, Indiana were formed in 2018 with Simon joining the four-piece as their synth and bass player in 2021.

The group, which is based in Manchester and Berlin, played their first live show in August 2021 and released their acclaimed debut album I’ve Seen a Way in May 2023.

Mandy, Indiana have played a number of concerts in North America over the years, and will be playing a headline show at New York City’s Elsewhere later this month before returning to the festival circuit at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound next month.

Coachella, which takes place this April, is in its 25th edition this year. It is expected to draw crowds of more than 100,000 on each of the weekends. This year’s headliners are No Doubt, Lana Del Rey, Tyler the Creator and Doja Cat.

Simon, who has been with the University since 2014, added: “With festivals, you get the opportunity to play in locations that you would never normally have imagined going to.

“The crowds are also typically bigger and it’s great to be part of something where there’s so much going on. It’s a really special experience.

“Coachella’s known for being very influencer-heavy with lots of famous guests milling around. We’re quite a noisy experimental band so were not sure how we are going to go down but we’ll make the most of it!”