By Everette Solomon and Jorge Perezchica
Stagecoach Festival debut artist Adrien Nunez didn’t begin his journey to the Palomino Stage in Nashville—it started in Brooklyn, somewhere between heavy metal riffs, pickup basketball games, and a phone propped up on a dashboard.
“I was really big into Metallica, Pantera, Iron Maiden,” Nunez says, laughing. “That was kind of my scene.”
Country music came later—almost by accident.
After stepping away from a serious pursuit of basketball, Nunez found himself reconnecting with music in the most modern way possible: singing in his car and posting clips online. What started as casual covers quickly gained traction, catching the attention of labels and audiences alike.
Then came the turning point.
“When Morgan Wallen dropped One Thing at a Time, that was my gateway,” he says. “I was like, wow—I actually really like this.”
From the Court to the Stage
Before the music, there was basketball—structure, discipline, and a different kind of spotlight. Walking away from that path wasn’t easy.
“It felt like the end of the world at the time,” Nunez admits. “I had dedicated my whole life to it.”
But in hindsight, that loss became a redirection.
“That was one of those moments that felt like a curse—but it turned into the biggest blessing,” he says. “Music found its way back to me.”
That sense of emotional duality—pain and growth, heartbreak and clarity—runs deep through his latest songs. Tracks like “Cry for You” explore vulnerability with a rawness that feels lived-in rather than manufactured.
“I’m still figuring out what makes me cry,” he says. “But sometimes I’ll hear a demo back the next day and feel something I didn’t even realize was there. That’s when I know the song has something real in it.”
That instinct, he says, isn’t accidental—it’s something he’s learned to strengthen over time.
“It’s a muscle… being able to connect with your emotions,” he adds. “How well can you turn that feeling into something people connect with?”
The Power of Connection
Nunez has experienced both sides of fandom—sports and music—and the difference, he says, is striking.
“With basketball, people are fans of your game,” he explains. “With music, they’re connecting with your life.”
That emotional connection is already showing up at his shows. In college towns like Ann Arbor, fans have shown up wearing his old jersey—proof that his past and present audiences are beginning to merge.
Still, nothing quite compares to what he expects at Stagecoach.
“It’s like hitting a game-winner every time when you see people singing your songs,” he says. “That adrenaline is there.”
A New Kind of Country
Nunez represents a new wave of artists reshaping country music—blending genres, backgrounds, and influences into something more expansive.
“It’s the fastest-growing genre right now,” he says. “And as more people come into it, they interpret it differently—that’s what makes it beautiful.”
Artists like Kane Brown have helped pave the way, particularly in making the genre more inclusive. Nunez who is Dominican on his father’s side, that visibility matters.
“Dominicans ride together,” he says emphatically. “To be able to represent that—it’s really cool.”
Full Circle Moments
Despite the momentum, some of the most meaningful shows happen back home in New York, where family, former coaches, and longtime friends see the transformation firsthand.
“It was a full-circle moment,” he says. “A lot of those people watched me chase basketball. Now they’re watching this happen.”
And as he prepares to take the stage at Stagecoach—running in the morning, skipping meals before showtime, and soaking it all in—Nunez is focused on something simple:
Being present.
“If you can accept failure as part of the process, it will allow you to exist more in the moment,” he says, reflecting on a lesson that stuck with him. “You can actually enjoy where your feet are.”
For now, that moment is Stagecoach—and it’s one Nunez is ready to embrace fully.
“I’m gonna be bouncing around to other stages after I get off… because I just enjoy the festival.”
Stagecoach 2026
Adrien Nunez will make his Stagecoach debut on April 24 in Indio, California.
ADRIAN NUNEZ
DON’T WANNA GO HOME EP
Now available to stream
