Designing Desert Daze

A selection of Andrew McGranahan’s work for local indie bands and mega-stars, alike

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There are no bad trips at Desert Daze. Every autumn, a blissed-out horde of large-hatted, flowing poncho-clad revelers descend on Lake Perris for a three-day music festival—fuzzbox free-for-alls and radiating vibes under a picturesque desert sky.

Essential to the otherworldly, colorful vibe of the fest—which returns September 30-October 2—is the visual art of senior designer Andrew McGranahan. After more than a decade of doing poster and album art for local and touring bands, the San Diego artist was approached by festival founder Phil Pirrone to handle their design.

Desert Daze poster, my morning jacket

Andrew McGranahan

“I’ve been to many festivals over the years, and there really is something very special about Desert Daze,” McGranahan says.

His inspirations run the gamut from poster artists like Victor Moscoso to the Dadaist movement, and he’s done work for the likes of My Morning Jacket, Khruangbin, and Spiritualized. And though he didn’t originally set out to be a full-time artist, his work with musicians accelerated the process. “Once I decided to seriously pursue a career in design, I pretty much started working with bands right away,” he says.

McGranahan has amassed an impressive body of work, but when asked to point to the one he’s proudest of, a familiar name immediately comes to mind: “Well, it’s hard not to immediately think of the obvious: Being asked to do two different designs for Paul McCartney.”

Desert Daze, poster 2

Desert Daze poster 1

Desert Daze poster