L’impératrice smashed it at Coachella

Halfway through their sold-out U.S. tour, L’Impératrice made a splash at Coachella, gathering a crowd of more than 8,000 for their afternoon show. The press coverage was glowing, from Variety to the Grammy Awards!

Their first New York City show was in 2018, when the band presented their debut album, Matahari. In 2019, L’Impératrice went on their first U.S. tour, once again fully booked, and found themselves invited to play Coachella in 2020… A promise they were quick to keep as soon as international travel was allowed again. This spring, the sextet returns to North America to defend their second album, Tako Tsubo, with a 12-date tour, including a stop in Mexico, with a 6,000-person hall, the equivalent of the Zenith they filled last month in Paris.

Initially planned two years ago, their first appearance at Coachella, this Saturday at 3:45 pm, is under the Gobi tent, where famous French artists like Charlotte Gainsbourg or Jain are usually invited. Nevertheless, no one had anticipated such a crowd! Paul Tollett, the co-founder of Coachella, describes their show as “the biggest surprise of the festival”.

The second weekend proved to be more than successful! French newspaper Le Parisien announces that the band will be back in the US for a 27-date tour in the fall, opening for Carly Rae Jepsen.

“It’s no small feat that they’re poised to make their second appearance at Coachella in two years.[…] Self-produced sophomore album Pulsar arrives on June 7, and its infectiously groovy and sensual debut single ‘Me Da Iqual‘ promises a Coachella set sure to incite emotional release among the masses — ideally during one of the fest’s famed golden hours to match the music’s euphoric vibes.” Grammys

“My new favorite band, L’Impératrice, turned the desert into a dance floor.” Paper Mag

“A fun, funky time was had by all.” LA Times

“Dressed in futuristic-inspired blue outfits with white circular shoulder pads, L’Imperatrice delivered a set filled with groovy riffs and general good vibes that perfectly complemented the breeze that seemed to pick up while they played, which could very well have been generated by the crowd’s synchronized swaying.” Billboard

“The worst set conflict of my day pitted the French space-age robo-disco band L’Imperatrice head to head with rising risqué singer-songwriter Chappell Roan. A true split-the-baby moment, we stayed at L’Imperatrice on the Outdoor Stage long enough to let that rumbling liquid bass vibrate our DNA”. The Press Entreprise

“Everyone is defining their show as one of the best performances of this 2022 edition.” Konbini

“On Saturday afternoon, Parisian six-piece L’Impératrice took the international-showcasing Gobi tent to the discothèque for an exuberant, funk-filled dance party. The Grammys

“Every Coachella has that moment: a moderately unknown band starts their set on the small Gobi tent when it’s half-full in the middle of the afternoon, only to inspire a dance party that overflows with revelers by the end.” Variety

“Seeing the enthusiasm of the crowd that came to cheer them at Coachella, we understand that the language barrier (Flore sings in French) is not an obstacle for them: their contagious groove speaks for itself”. France info

“L’Impératrice was able to create a surprise. It was the first Coachella of this French group, and between the six of them, they literally turned the festival upside down”. Watch the interview 50 Min Inside on TF1.

“We don’t understand anything she’s saying but we love it”, confided Dash, 21 years old, from Arizona to Le Parisien sent on site.