Stagecoach booker talks country music’s evolution

Goldenvoice booker Stacy Vee has discussed country music’s growing influence on the wider music scene ahead of this weekend’s Stagecoach Festival.

Launched in 2007, the sold-out Californian gathering returns to Indio’s Empire Polo Club – the home of Coachella – from 26-28 April.

The genre has reached new audiences outside its traditional heartland in recent years with the advent of streaming and events such as Europe’s Country to Country, while pop superstars such as Beyoncé and Kylie Minogue have released country-tinged albums, with Lana Del Rey set to follow.

“Obviously it’s ushering in so many new fans, but also new voices,” reflects Vee, speaking to the Los Angeles Times.” People who never thought they’d make a country record are making a country record. New people are giving Nashville a chance, and in Nashville, people are giving other things a chance.

“A lot of artists are embracing it and putting their own interpretation on it. That’s something I’ve been intentionally focused on with Stagecoach, giving it its own identity, a California sound and my own interpretation of what country music is.”

“I’d love to think that we’ve been a pioneer in ushering in new voices”

Headlined by country icons Eric Church, Miranda Lambert and Morgan Wallen, Stagecoach will also feature the likes of Post Malone, Diplo, the Beach Boys and Nickelback.

“I’d love to think that we’ve been a pioneer in ushering in new voices,” says Vee. “I really rolled the dice booking Diplo for the first time. I didn’t know what Stagecoach fans would think of something like that, but he was just wildly embraced. And in 2022, I booked Nelly, and I’m like, ‘What are people gonna think about this?’

“We really do approach Stagecoach with a Coachella brain. People are really excited about the things they don’t ask for. It’s really encouraging, and I think that country music fans are much more open minded than maybe they get credit for.”

She continues: “[The Nickelback booking] is taking a chance. And I gave Post Malone a big slot on the main stage. But I don’t think I’ve read one negative comment on our socials about it. Every single person embraced Post with open arms, that he’s stepping his foot into country music. That’s what’s drawing in people like Beyoncé and Lana Del Rey. Everybody’s discovered this country music thing is really fun.”

“We’re focused on creating the country culture of tomorrow”

Stagecoach’s 2024 bill also includes Jelly Roll, Elle King, Willie Nelson, Hardy, Bailey Zimmerman, Carin León, Dwight Yoakam, Megan Moroney, Paul Cauthen, Clint Black, Ernest, Charley Crockett and Leon Bridges, among others. The festival will again be livestreamed exclusively on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch and Prime Video.

Vee, who was promoted to EVP at Goldenvoice last summer, started with the AEG subsidiary in 2002 and oversees the booking department alongside fellow EVP Jenn Yacoubian.

“The approach I take to booking Stagecoach specifically is I want to deliver to every type of country music fan,” she adds. “There are my beloved loyal Stagecoach fans who’ve been coming since 2007. I want the top-streamed, most-airplay acts selling out stadiums. I want songwriting. I want what I call ‘country curious’ people to give me a shot. People who are like, ‘Well, I don’t really like country music, but there’s Wiz Khalifa and Diplo and Post Malone and Dillon Francis and Nickelback, what’s going on over there?’

“We’re focused on creating the country culture of tomorrow. It’s the best part of my job and some responsibility, but it’s also a blast.”

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