Odesza's Harrison Mills Reflects on Rockin' Coachella's Main Stage

What’s it like being sandwiched between Eminem and Portugal. The Man?

Not too many people can answer that question, but Odesza has lived the experience.

For two weekends in April, the Bellingham, Washington-bred electronic duo of Harrison Mills (AKA Catacombkid) and Clay Knight (AKA BeachesBeaches) shared the biggest stage at Coachella, where the pair played a headlining set between the above acts and alongside some of the biggest names in the biz.

“It was all very surreal to be on the main stage,” Mills says. “I was nervous out of mind and pacing all day leading up to it. And then it happened, and it was supercool.”

Headlining Coachella is the latest uptick in the rising stock of Odesza. In September, the band released its third studio album, A Moment Apart, which hit number one on the U.S. dance charts and number three on the Billboard 200.

The album garnered Odesza a Grammy nod for best dance/electronic album, and its highest-charting single, "Line of Sight" (featuring Wynne and Mansionair), has found crossover success in the alternative and electronic realms.

“For a lot of people, it may feel like an overnight success,” Mills says. “But after our second album [in 2014], we toured for three years straight. It was a long grind. But it’s amazing to see our music connecting with people. We’re getting opportunities to prove ourselves. It’s been a wild ride, and we never know what to expect next.”
It’s hard not to identify with Odesza’s tunes in one way or another. The average jam is chill and hypnotic, taking listeners on a thought-provoking journey with nontraditional swerves along the way. It’s the kind of music you envision Instagram influencers using to complement their yacht videos or accompanying luxury vehicles zooming down a road or something you’d gel to on a starry night that doesn’t seem to end.

Speaking of evenings and tunes, Odesza will play Bayfront Park Amphitheater May 18 on a tour stop with TroyBoi and Kasbo.

“What we couldn’t play at Coachella, we’ll be playing a lot of different stuff,” Mills says of the Miami performance. “We’ll have horns, drum lines, and some different elements since we’ll be outside.”

Odesza has tour dates booked through October. As for what’s in store for the future?

“I’d love to score a film,” Mills says. “That would be an awesome way to bring together music, the cinematic and theatrical space, and the visual world. I’d love to combine those styles."

Odesza. With TroyBoi and Kasbo. 7 p.m. Friday, May 18, at Bayfront Park Amphitheater, 301 N. Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-358-7550; bayfrontparkmiami.com. Tickets cost $25 to $59 via ticketmaster.com.