Band ‘Sofi Tukker’ talks Grammy’s, Coachella Festival

Grammy nods and festival slots can make a career for someone looking to succeed in the music industry. The band Sofi Tukker knows it first hand.

Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern became friends in college at Brown University. The first song they ever made together, “Drinkee,” went on to be Grammy nominated in 2017.

“It was crazy. I just remember being like awestruck the whole time and just like not knowing if we belonged there almost. Like walking down the red carpet and just being like, ‘They’re asking us to take a picture?'” said Hawley-Weld.

That same year they made their Coachella Festival debut. Now, they’ve completed an international tour. The duo will also return to the stage at Coachella this spring.

“We’ve had like a very similar show for the past couple years, and we decided to really amp it up,” said Hawley-Weld. “The visuals and the production are going to be the whole next level.”

“We’re having some guests from artists that we have new songs with that we’re going to be premiering those songs with at Coachella,” said Halpern.

Sofi Tukker is also honored with another Grammy nomination, this one for their recent album Treehouse.

“The goal is just to make music and to live a life of making music, not to get nominated for a Grammy, but when it does happen, it’s awesome,” said Hawley-Weld.

Someone who may know this lesson better than anyone is four-time Grammy nominated musician Paul Rodgers. His son, Steve Rodgers, now lives in Palm Springs.

“He’s always good. He’s always 150% at every gig. That’s what I’ve learned from him, ” said Rodgers, speaking about his father’s career.

He said each nomination his father received was an honor he graciously accepted.

“He was delighted, obviously, you know, it’s a huge huge nod of what he’s doing as a writer. I mean, he knows that anyway, and he’s one of those guys that doesn’t need anyone to tell him. He’s a musician to the core. He doesn’t really need those accolades, but of course, it’s really nice,” said Rodgers.

Now he hopes to launch his own career. After touring with his father and bands like Bad Company, Rodgers recently released his first album, Head Up High. He said he wanted to create an album with meaning and variety .

“I can’t really listen to an album where everything’s the same. I have to have diversity to it, and that’s what I do at gigs and what I do in the album,” said Rodgers.

He is now working on a new album and preparing for a UK tour. You can catch him in upcoming performances locally at the February 24 at the Center for Spiritual Living in Palm Desert. Find out more about Rodgers on his website: http://www.steverodgersmusic.com/