The Cactus Lee Interview
Upon first hearing Cactus Lee and the musical sincerity of Kevin Dehan, I was in complete shock. The music reminded me of m y childhood, growing up on backroads, going to the gas station like it was your own playground, rolling hills of memories and feeling that have faded… Dehan’s songwriting and subtle vocal deliveries are sobering and like a cup of warm tea, heartfelt and comforting. An immediate favorite and something I can’t keep out of my ears all week, I think I finally found a body of music I can grow with this Summer. It was a privilege speaking to TX native about growing up, getting into music, what inspires him, Cactus Lee and of course what is coming down the line.
Are you originally from Austin, TX? What was your childhood like? When did you first begin to fall in love with music, more specifically the guitar? Was this something that was relevant around your household growing up?
I am originally from Austin, Texas. I was into music pretty early on as a kid, there were guitars around the house because my Dad played jazz guitar, not in a professional way but it was always around. We had a piano too, my mom would sit at it and she always played the same very sad song and she said “I wrote that.” So that’s where I realized you can make up your own songs without anyone’s help or without lessons or outside influence. I was maybe five when I sat at the piano and started writing songs, it wasn’t serious, but I remember thinking it was something I knew how to do.
You guys first started out as a resident band at Dry Creek Saloon, correct? What were those early days like and what was the overall chemistry between everyone when first starting out?
I have a child and when she was born in 2016 I decided I didn’t want to play in club bands anymore, that I wanted to do something substantial. I quit playing live and started writing music for Cactus Lee around then, watching my kid roll around and practicing on a classical guitar, recording ideas. By the time she was three I had twenty songs and decided I was ready to play in public again. I went to a place called Dry Creek Café and asked if I could sit upstairs on Sundays and play. They typically just listened to a jukebox and it was a sleepy place, so they agreed. That started a great chapter for me, I ended up working there as a bartender and running shows; we built a great community and I still see all of those people. It started as an excuse to play in the corner of an old room for sometimes only two people and became a very special period of my life.
Tell me about writing and recording the band’s debut record “Texas Yard Sale” in 2019. What was the overall vision for the album and what did you guys want to achieve and express with this work?. How did the deal with 709 Recording Co. come about?
Around that time, I decided to record all of the songs to my Tascam 8 Track tape machine. I did it at my house, with a bass player and extra guitarist coming in to do overdubs. Mostly it was done on my own at night. I debated making it a double album but instead decided to do my best and split it between two LPs to release simultaneously. At that time, I had read an article in the local paper about a new vinyl pressing plant opening in Austin, and they did low run pressings of 100-200 records. I decided to press these to vinyl and use them as my calling card around town to get gigs. My vision was that although they were crudely recorded and done quickly and cheaply I thought that it would get things rolling, so I started 709 Recording Co. just to release my own records. The album covers were Xeroxed black and white on sepia paper, folded over a jacket—very simple and very cheap. I hand packaged every Cactus Lee album up until last year and enjoyed doing it!
The band has been hitting hard and you even mentioned there's a brand new work down the line in the Fall of ‘23. What can you share about this album? Is there anything else you would like to further share with the readers?
In the fall of 2023 I have a new record called Caravan coming out from Org Music/Aquarium Drunkard. It’s already completed and I think is by far the best writing and best recording I’ve been associated with. The older albums I did were home recorded so they were much more fun to make, this one was much more work. From now until the release, I’ll be out playing the songs live. I have some dates in Los Angeles at the end of May and then will be East in October, in between then I will be in Austin, Texas doing what I do here.
