By Phil Lacombe
The Coachella Valley doesn’t just listen to music, we live it. Local Music Spotlight is your all-access pass to the bands, DJs, and solo artists turning our desert nights into unforgettable moments. From sweaty dance floors to starlit stages, this is where the local legends and the next big thing collide.
Local Music Spotlight is stepping into the mystic with Palo Xanto, a lyric poet and sound conjurer born of the Joshua Tree desert. His music is raw, elemental, and deeply human, weaving blues-soaked riffs, primal beats, and stream-of-consciousness poetry into something that feels both ancient and brand new. Whether on stage or through his curated Homestead Sessions, Palo channels the desert’s magic into a soundscape for seekers, dreamers, and wanderers alike.
CVW: Your music has been described as “raw desert magic.” When you sit down to write or play, what’s the first spark that starts the fire?
Xanto: It varies. There’s no one way but most frequently, a lot of my songs start with a good rhythm, typically on guitar or a drum pattern. The rhythm is where I naturally tend to improvise and build on the phrasing, melody, structure and all the rest.
CVW: You fuse blues, desert rock, and alternative hip hop into one sound. Was that a conscious experiment, or something that grew naturally from who you are?
Xanto: It grew naturally into what it is now from a long path of different waves and chapters of music projects throughout the years. I started as purely an MC when I was younger and as I grew I experimented with other styles and sounds, mostly fusions of rap, rock and some electronic collaborations. I’ve always envisioned doing my own brand of alternative hip hop and rock which, where I’m at now in my musical life, is my main channel to express through.
CVW: Joshua Tree is more than a backdrop in your story — it’s part of your sound. How does the desert itself speak through your music?
Xanto: After my first few years of living in the high desert back in 2017-2018, I felt very open and connected to the spirit out here. Something about the abundance of openness, wide open landscapes, long dirt roads, open sky, it all gave me a lot of breathing space, life wise and musically. I believe this element of the desert has given me so much in terms of being able to simplify my creation process and overall shaping of my own sound and voice. It’s been a great gift that I’m continually exploring.
CVW: Your lyrics often read like poetry set to rhythm. Do you consider yourself a poet first, a musician first, or do the two exist together in your creative process?
Xanto: As mentioned above, I started as an MC which the style of MCing that drew me to start writing and performing was very much the poetic and philosophical aspect. The ability to manipulate words and metaphors into multilayered expression is what drives me to this day. It’s been core to my song writing and creation process. I’ve written plenty of loose verses and poems, but songwriting and lyric poetry for music, this is my chosen medium which I believe they co-exist. If I had to choose 1 in terms of labels or what I “do,” I consider myself a lyric poet first as the words drive me most.
CVW: Stripped-down and unadorned is a bold choice in a world of overproduction. Why is simplicity so important in your sound?
Xanto: I’ve felt for some years that a lot popular music has gotten to a point of being over-produced and drenched in a saturation of sound. To me personally, it can exhaust the ear. When I was learning guitar, I listened to a lot of stripped down versions of songs, i.e. mainly acoustic guitar and voice, just so I could hear more clearly these 2 elements. It moved me to the point of recognizing a lot of great songs are still great, with or without all of the extra layers which can sometimes drown out the lyrics and voice. I love a lot of epic songs with tons of sounds and layers but this practice influenced me to strip it down to mainly shine a light on what I wanted to hear which is the lyrics, voice, rhythm guitar, drums and other elements as needed but to keep it minimal rather than overdoing it.
CVW: You also curate Homestead Sessions, giving other artists and poets a stage. What inspired you to create that platform, and what’s been your most magical moment hosting it?
Xanto: Since moving here I’ve met so many amazing unique artists. And what’s been a common conversation is that there aren’t enough spaces or platforms to perform at. I’ve experienced this firsthand as I’ve reached out to every venue out here multiple times and haven’t always gotten a reply, especially when I first started playing live in the area. It was mostly open mics and a few small niche spots here and there where I could play my music. The place where I was living at came with a homestead in the backyard as many spots out here do which I’ve always thought was cool and unique to desert culture. In 2023, a good friend of mine who’s also a great musician was coming to visit for a weekend, and he wanted to play a set. I reached out to a few venues to set up a show but no response, so I decided to throw the first Homestead Sessions. I invited a handful of other local artists to play it as well and that was it. The first one was a great experience, beyond what I’d expected. From that point on, I started hosting them monthly and it’s been a great way to connect with fellow music makers as well as the community here as a whole. Each one is magic and special in its own way.
CVW: Every artist has a song that feels like their purest expression. Which one of yours captures “Palo Xanto” at the core?
Xanto: I’d have to choose 2. One, is Plant Seeds, which was my first song released as Palo Xanto. All about creating your own “world” so to speak which has been my mission since. I consider it my manifesto, musically and vision wise and it applies to a lot of what I do.
The other song I’d choose is The Universe is on my Side which is part mantra, part song. It’s been my personal message to myself as well as the listener. A reminder that we’re all here for a purpose and beyond all the doubts and fears the world throws at us, as long as we’re here, we have something to give. Something to live for.
CVW: Your music speaks to misfits, wanderers, and truth-seekers. What do you hope those listeners take away from your work?
Xanto: That we all have a voice, a gift, something that only we can do in our own unique way. Whatever it is that drives you in your core, to not forget or neglect this as it’s your gift to nurture and to share. I’ve felt like an outsider most of my life and a lot of my music heroes gave me a similar message along the way. I hope to carry on this tradition.
CVW: Looking ahead, what’s next for you — more music, more Homestead Sessions, collaborations, or something new we haven’t seen yet?
Xanto: I’ll be recording my next project starting in October, aiming to release soon. It’s a series of songs that my band and I have been playing live but haven’t released yet.
With Homestead Sessions, we’re continually expanding into other venues outside of the original location with various events and experiences all under the “Homestead Sessions Presents” umbrella. The mission is to continue to spotlight great desert artists in unique spaces and settings here throughout the area.
CVW: Where can fans find you?
Xanto: You can find all my links at lnk.bio/paloxanto
My most active social channel is instagram.com/paloxanto
From his own stripped-down songs to the community he builds through Homestead Sessions, Palo Xanto is proof that the desert doesn’t just shape sound, it shapes spirit. His music is a living pulse of Joshua Tree: raw, poetic, and timeless. Wherever the road leads him, one thing is clear, Palo’s call is for those ready to dig deeper, wander further, and listen closer.
That’s a wrap on this week’s Local Music Spotlight — but the party doesn’t stop here. Hit the shows, feel the beats, and keep the valley’s music scene thriving. Because around here, the next song that changes your life might be playing tonight.
