Coachella 2022: After 'manifested' festival performance, Channel Tres eyeing first album

Channel Tres says he could envision himself playing at Coachella years ago, when he and one of his best friends attended the festival as fans in 2016.

"I just came and experienced it, but I kind of manifested it," the R&B and rap artist said in an interview on the Empire Polo Club grounds in Indio. “I told myself I would play it at that time."

“(Playing Coachella) is just a testament to hard work and perseverance and just staying with something and it working out,” he added.

The hard work of Channel Tres, whose real name is Sheldon Young, was on full display during Weekend 1 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, when the artist was joined by Ty Dolla $ign for a performance of their latest, yet-to-be-released collaboration.

The music of Channel Tres blends several genres, from rap to jazz to techno, providing the perfect beats for festivalgoers to rave to, and they did just that at the festival’s Sahara Tent during Weekend 1.

And even with temperatures in the 90s, the Compton native didn’t let the weather stop him, dancing energetically alongside four backup dancers throughout his show — though he admitted the weather was weighing on him.

“It’s hot as (expletive) … Even the water’s hot,” Channel Tres quipped after performing one of his most popular songs, “Controller.”

Channel Tres also performed his latest single, “Acid in My Blood,” and finished out the performance with his hit song, “Topdown,” which is his most streamed single on Spotify. The songs are a testament to the unique sounds Channel Tres has developed, earning him collaborations with artists such as Tyler, the Creator.

"I was trained (musically) in church so usually, I'm trying to do all types of music," Tres said of his work. "I'm a big fan of Parliament and George Clinton, and if you hear their music, you hear classical jazz, and obviously creative funk, so I'm a 'funkateer.'"

"Music is an art form where I'm always expressing myself, and it's never a plateau," he added. "You can always try new things. Then, I got into modular synths and electronics and different things like Detroit techno and house music and different things. So it's just kind of like me trying different things."

While Ty Dolla $ign may not make a second appearance, festivalgoers can expect plenty of energy during the artist's Weekend 2 performance. Channel Tres said the biggest difference between playing at Coachella and performing on tour is the crowd sizes.

“You really get into the performance a lot more (at festivals),” he said. “At the live shows, they're more intimate. You do the show, but you can kind of tailor it to your fans, and you might not see all the words because they're singing them.”

After his Weekend 2 performance — as well as the release of his latest EP, "refresh," earlier this year — Channel Tres said he will be preparing for a headlining tour in the fall and doing a few shows in Europe. But a main focus will be finishing up his first full album.

“I’ve had EPs, but I’ve never had album out, so this’ll be my first,” Channel Tres said, adding he hopes to complete it by the end of 2022: “That’s the goal.”

And given his luck manifesting goals that he sets for himself, bets are that Channel Tres will see it come to fruition.

Check out Channel Tres' Weekend 2 performance at 4:20 p.m. Sunday in the Sahara tent.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella 2022: After manifesting performance, Channel Tres eyes album