No Doubt is kicking off the spiderwebs as they gear up to take the stage at Coachella for their first performance as a band in nine years.
“[Gwen] has been pushing for it hard,” a source exclusively shares in the new issue of Us Weekly, noting that the reunion between singer Gwen Stefani and bassist Tony Kanal, guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young had been in the works for a while, with Stefani, 54, working as the driving force.
The group last reunited in 2012 for the release of their sixth album, Push and Shove, and played a handful of shows in 2015 before going their separate ways the following year to focus on solo projects. According to a second insider, the band “hadn’t been into the idea” when it was brought up by Stefani in the past, but now they’re all on board.
“Once the Coachella team heard they had been talking and reached out with the offer, it really solidified the reunion,” the second source tells Us. “The whole group has some ideas for new material and are open to a tour directly after [their] performance.”
Before potentially hitting the road together on a more extensive basis, the band is focusing on catching up on old times and starting rehearsals in preparation for the music festival, which takes place across two weekends from Friday, April 12, to Sunday, April 21.
“Gwen is thrilled,” the first source adds. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
No Doubt was formed in 1986 and played underground gigs for nearly a decade before their first hit single, “Just a Girl,” made it to the radio airwaves. The band has since faced various ups and downs throughout their time together, including a breakup between Stefani and Kanal, 53, who dated from 1987 to 1994.
Ultimately able to remain amicable, the exes channeled their split into the smash hit “Don’t Speak,” which debuted in 1996 and scored nominations for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals at the 40th Grammy Awards.
Hours before the official Coachella lineup was announced on January 16, Stefani teamed up with Kanal, Young, 54, and Dumont, 56, for a social media video to confirm their big reunion. “I’ll do a show! Do you want to do a show?” Stefani asked the other members in a clip shared via Instagram. The video ended with a big question mark, and fans flooded the comments section with hopes for a tour.
While speaking with People last month, Stefani said she’s “completely overwhelmed” by the excitement over the reunion and the love the band has received from their loyal fans.
“I definitely have that little thing in your stomach where you’re like, ‘Oh, my gosh! What?’ It’s going to be amazing,” she gushed. “It’s just going to be cool. It’s just going to be: get up there and do what we always do, which is play our music and try to connect and be so grateful that we got this amazing career that we never expected to have.”
For more on No Doubt’s epic Coachella reunion, pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
