By Crystal Harrell
Just a few years ago, Abi Carter was babysitting during festival weekends, hearing the distant beats of Stagecoach float across the desert air. Fast forward to 2025, and she’s standing under those same festival lights — not as a spectator, but as one of the brightest new stars to hit the stage.
“Honestly, it’s incredible,” Carter says backstage, still buzzing from the energy of her set. “I grew up right here. These festivals were legendary — Coachella, Stagecoach — but I never thought I’d even go, let alone play. It’s so surreal.”
It was a real hometown hero moment as Carter returned to the Coachella Valley, where she grew up just ten minutes away from the Empire Polo Club grounds. Performing at one of the biggest country music festivals in the world felt like a full-circle dream — and she wasn’t taking a second of it for granted.
Opening her set with her brand-new single “burned,” Carter immediately captivated the Stagecoach crowd. The track, released just hours before her performance, is a fiery, emotional anthem born from Carter’s very first professional songwriting session.
“I had no idea what to expect going into that session,” she says, smiling. “Before that, it was just me writing in my bedroom, sitting at the piano at home. But once we got into the studio, it just kind of clicked. I realized songwriting doesn’t have a rulebook — you just follow the feeling.”
Though Stagecoach is known for its country roots, Carter’s sound is harder to define — and that’s by design. Blending pop, cinematic rock, and emotional storytelling, she’s carving her own lane.
“I guess you could call it pop with a dark, indie edge,” she muses. “There are definitely some rock influences in there, too.”
Growing up, Carter found inspiration in a wide range of artists: Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Lizzy McAlpine, and Gracie Abrams are just a few on her list. And while she admires their artistry, she’s determined to create music that doesn’t fit neatly into a single box.
“I probably should pick a genre at some point,” she laughs, “but right now, I love being a little bit of everything. It keeps it exciting — for me and for the listeners.”
Beyond the music, Carter is using her rising platform to champion causes she’s passionate about — especially mental health. Just a week before her Stagecoach debut, she partnered with Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) to perform at “Kidchella,” a free community event focused on youth mental health and outreach.
“I’m really open about mental health because it’s something I’ve dealt with personally,” she says. “Songwriting has been my therapy. It’s a way to take what’s heavy inside you and put it somewhere safe. You process it, you honor it — and then you can move forward.”
Performing for local kids at “Kidchella” was particularly special for Carter, who remembers what it felt like growing up in the Valley, dreaming of something bigger.
“There are so many kids here who just need a spark — a reason to believe in themselves,” she says. “If I can be even a tiny part of that for someone, it’s all worth it.”
Since winning American Idol, Carter’s life has been a whirlwind of recording sessions, interviews, and now — major festival performances. But with the highs come new challenges, too.
“I get overwhelmed pretty easily,” she admits. “I didn’t even go to public school, so I wasn’t used to being judged by a big group of people — let alone thousands. But I’m learning how to handle it. Staying grounded, leaning on my family — that’s what keeps me steady.”
Through it all, Carter stays refreshingly humble and deeply connected to her roots. Family remains her north star, and she says she’ll always find her way back to the Coachella Valley, no matter where her career takes her.
“My family’s here. They mean everything to me,” she says. “The desert feels like home, and I don’t think that’ll ever change.”
Carter has no plans to slow down. After releasing a deluxe edition of her debut album, Ghosts in the Backyard, featuring a few tracks she “couldn’t bear to leave behind,” she’s gearing up for a run of tour dates and, hopefully, even bigger stages in the future.
“I want to open for artists I love. I want to headline arenas someday,” she says, her eyes lighting up. “And yeah, Coachella is definitely on my dream list too.”
Watching little girls in the Stagecoach crowd waving handmade signs and singing along to her lyrics, it’s clear that Carter’s impact is already rippling far and wide.
“To be a role model — even just for one person — is an unbelievable feeling,” she says. “I just want to make music that makes people feel seen, feel strong, and know they’re not alone.”
Abi Carter may be just getting started, but if her Stagecoach performance is any indication, her star is only going to shine brighter — and the Coachella Valley will be right there, cheering her on.
