Stars Lighting up the Indio Sky at Coachella

Canadian band gains mainstream attention from movie soundtrack of 'Like Crazy'

Ebony March Arts & Entertainment

Canada has given the United States many great gifts: The Kids in the Hall, Drake, Broken Social Scene, and Jim Carrey are several that immediately spring to mind. But for those seeking a new love, meet your soul mate: Stars.

You’ve probably fallen under the spell of this band without even knowing it. The Canadian rockers have been a mainstay in venues throughout the U.S., as well as its home turf in the Great White North. But it took the 2011 indie sleeper hit Like Crazy to really garner the group mainstream attention, as Stars’ guitarist Evan Cranley explained:

“I think by design, our music works really well in film,” he said. “I think we’re a cinematic band and I think we have dramatic, lyrical content and arrangement. I think [director Drake Doremus] was really influenced by our music and wanted it in his film.”

Next for Stars is the chance to enchant even more music lovers at Coachella Music and Arts Festival, which runs over two consecutive weekends, April 12-14 and Aril 19-21.

Cranley is looking forward to the event as much as his fans are.

“I’d like to see things I’ve never heard of before,” he said. “You get to see legendary and established acts, but you also get a lot of up-and-coming artists. New music is represented at the festival, so I find it’s a good time to fish out new things there. “

Despite the band’s addition to the lineup a second time around, the Montreal-based musician is honored that he and his band mates were even considered for inclusion.

“You ask to do it. Then you find out later when you get an offer. It didn’t really sink in until I actually saw it on the poster. I was actually just a fan who kept refreshing the Coachella web page to see if we’d made it,” he says.

In the meantime, Cranley has one more thing to cross off his list before hitting the stage in Indio.

“I think we might try to rent a house in Palm Springs between the two [Coachella] weekends,” he says. “Like, a funky, old, vintage house with a pool and just chill and take in the festival and take in the desert.”

See Evan Cranley and Stars perform April 12 and 19 at Coachella Music and Arts Festival. "You Guys Are All Awesome" is available online.