Cactus Lee

“Kevin Dehan has a voice as easy as a rocking chair and lyrics that feel like you're thumbing through a scrapbook found at a rural Texas estate sale. His folk project has always been prolific (six studio albums, a live album, and three EPs since establishing in 2019), but this fall's been especially productive. October's Caravan features gorgeous Seventies folk production, November's Big Red offers a trove of melodic barroom odes, and the recent Lagniappe Session sequel floats incredible covers, like Butthole Surfers' "TV Star" and a version of the Grateful Dead's "West L.A. Fadeaway" that comes across like Bill Withers. A trio of shows pairs the Blaze Foley acolyte with Theo Lawrence (Antone's), the Point (C-Boy's), and Ramsay Midwood (STP) – plus Adam Amram (Antone's & STP).

– The Austin Chronicle, Kevin Curtin

Cactus Lee is an Austin-based musician named Kevin Dehan. He has a tireless devotion to songcraft, his sound featuring melancholy, ornate arrangements akin to the likes of Gene Clark or Townes Van Zandt. Caravan is the new Cactus Lee album on Org Music and Aquarium Drunkard; its influences are culled from generation-spanning sounds of quintessentially Texas music, but it is the most sonically expansive version of the project yet. The record marks a clear evolution from Dehan’s homespun beginnings, showcasing the payoff of months of persistent and passionate weekly performances and time spent lovingly in the studio. ”I used to listen to Cactus Pryor on KLBJ on the morning drive to school with my Dad. I thought he was interesting and always funny. I read that his Dad owned a theater called the Cactus Theater someplace in Texas, and once he started getting into show business, people called him Cactus. I wanted a moniker for this group; that way, it looked more shiny. So I thought if I am calling it something, I may as well call it something I think is very cool. It’s memorable and fits the bill.”

"At the beginning [of Cactus Lee], it was really important for me to go out and perform, make sure that my band was something the crowd would be happy with. That my songs were ... you know, a whole set of music [that] would be an experience for a crowd to come out and enjoy and dance," Dehan said in an interview with the Austin Chronicle around six months after he performed a 30-minute set at Laundry Works located on Speedway in Hyde Park "I decided to do what I wanted to do, which is go play at a fucking laundromat, and play songs that people might not want to hear, or that might make them sad. That's why, to me, the laundromat was important, because there's no booze served, there's no dancing; it's really weird. And if people want to come and hear these songs, they will have to go out of their way to do something awkward."

Caravan was recorded at Vine Studio in Austin, previously Tequila Mockingbird; Kyle Crusham produced and engineered the album and played guitars and percussion. The other musicians on Caravan include Kevin Dehan (vocals, guitar), Conrad Choucroun (drums), Jack Montesinos (bass), Joe Roddy (keys), Anthony Ferrell (keys), and John Bush (percussion.) “It’s a heavy album to me, and much of it is more introspective than I have written, so it’ll take me a little more time to be comfortable looking at it. It has a purpose, and I was led into making this album for some reason that has not yet revealed itself. It was a lot of work and sometimes fun, but more like a 9-5 job. Regardless, I’m proud of it, but when I listen, I can visualize the office building where I wrote the songs and wish I had written them in nature to hold that memory. I write most of my songs in nature or at my house. I live in a wooded area that used to be Comanche land and cedar chopper land. I can sense the spirits there. Also, my house is very old, and half a dozen active spirits come around. Many of the songs I write will go into an ancient time I don’t know about, but maybe it’s coming from somewhere.”

Kevin always knew he wanted to be a part of the downtown music community and grew up listening to the Vaughn Brothers on the radio. He began playing music during his teenage years, and most of the equipment and instruments he owns were handed down from his father, who plays jazz guitar for fun and is a very talented musician.

Kevin has ‌released four full-length albums in only two years, beginning with 2019's Texas Yard Sale and self-titled Cactus Lee. The Austin native followed up with Tarantula in 2020, Texas Music Forever in 2021, Perfect Middle Hall in 2023, and his most recent release is Caravan. He plans more album releases in 2024 and will be touring to support the new music.

Upcoming Shows:

The Cactus Cafe, Thursday, March 7, 2024

More on Cactus Lee:

Cactus Lee KUTX 98.9 FM:

https://kutx.org/sessions-interviews/studio1a/cactus-lee-in-studio-1a/

Spotlight E.P. News:

http://spotlightepnews.com/2023/09/08/cactus-lees-new-record-caravan-out-from-org-music-and-aquarium-drunkard-10-20/

Psychedelic Baby Magazine:

https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2023/10/lowell-mass-by-cactus-lee-new-album-caravan.html

Cactus Lee Links:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/cactus_lee/