By Noe Gutierrez
Keyboardist Andy Cahan is a rare breed of a man and musician. We’ve had a lot of famous musicians call the desert home, but Cahan has not only established the Coachella Valley as his home, he has remained active in his music career and purposeful in his actions the entire 17 years.
Cahan recently released his new EP My New Album on SoundCloud and will be selling white vinyl very soon! Coachella Valley Weekly caught up with ‘the most famous musician you’ve never heard of’ to hear about his frame of mind and to provide a glimpse into his EP with a review of our own.
CVW: The vocalist is killer! What can you share about this powerhouse?
Cahan: “Wynn Rocha, a police officer in Orange County is the lead singer. We’ve known each other since 1980. I am programming all the music on an Ensoniq Performance Sampler.”
CVW: Why are you writing new music now, in the middle of a pandemic?
Cahan: “Because of the pandemic, I’ve been going through my archives. And I discovered these gems. It’s just two people in a small little room. It wasn’t pretty but it sounds great to me!”
CVW: Many artists around the world have struggled due to the pandemic. How have you kept your sanity in the last year?
Cahan: “Well to be honest with you, like I said, I’ve been going through my archives and I found these recordings. And it’s because of the pandemic that I found these recordings. Otherwise I would have just been busy doing what I will normally do instead of living the life of Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog’s Day, ha ha! Every day is the same damn thing trying to avoid COVID-19. But now that I’ve had both vaccinations I feel a lot more relaxed. So selling my book and discovering all these wonderful recordings kept me busy during the pandemic. To tell you the truth, I have thought about going insane several times!”
CVW: Last year you released the memoir, The Most Famous Musician You’ve Never Heard Of: A Rock And Roll Scrapbook…I’ve read a lot of ‘5 out of 5’ star reviews. How is the book doing?
Cahan: “April 2021 will be one year since the book’s release and it’s done very well. I have made back on my investment and then some. You can find it on Amazon.”
CVW: You have shared with me that you have another five songs coming down the pipeline. When will that be?
Cahan: “It might take some time to find some really good stuff. I’ve been finding some but it hasn’t been as good as this. I just plan on releasing the 5 or 6 song EP on vinyl as soon as I get my stimulus check lol. And I expect book sales will pick up after the stimulus. Between the book and the album at least I’m generating some entertainment even if I can’t perform live on a regular basis. I am currently performing at the Thunderbird Country Club. President Obama has been there for dinner!”
CVW: You won the 2020 Coachella Valley Music Award for ‘Best Keyboardist’ Award for the ‘umpteenth’ time. How many is it now?
Cahan: “Well, I tell you I am completely amazed that I won so many awards! I have six of them on my piano right now! I am so grateful to Tracy Dietlin and Phil Lacombe for establishing a music awards show for the Coachella Valley and High Desert. I was actually going to do the song Imagine on my video and change the lyrics about how cool they are opening up doors for musicians in the Coachella Valley for gigs and networking. They are two very special people; grateful is the word.”
CVW: What’s next for the 6-time CVMA winner for Best Keyboardist?
Cahan: “When we talked earlier, you mentioned the word, ‘umpteenth’. I love the word ‘umpteenth’, it will be the title of my next album, Andy, For The Umpteenth Time!”
- Wonder
What an entertaining and fun song to listen to and my first introduction to the magnificent voice of Wynn Rocha! Wow! A great melody from Mr. Cahan too! We have all wondered what that lost love was doing at that given moment.
- She Saved My Life
Another flawless vocal performance from Rocha and Cahan’s piano work is as lively as ever. He has a way of taking center stage and highlighting the vocalist all in the same moment. The Motown/R&B vibe is unmistakable.
- Don’t Look Now
This could have been released in the 60’s or 70’s and made a splash. It works now too! Cahan can make that keyboard sound like Jimi Hendrix’ electric guitar or Chris Thile’s mandolin. Once again, those vocals are smokin’! My favorite track on the EP and probably the most memorable (that was for you Andy!).
- Kunky
Stepping down a few rungs and adding some love right here. Those words we all want to hear on a regular basis but are afraid to ask, I want to be with you. A great ‘second to last’ tune that is a wonderful up-tempo ballad with the far-out title.
- Runnin’
Voluminous piano and vocals lead the way here. When you have found that person who excites you…motivates you…they’ve got you runnin’!
If you would like to pre-order the album on vinyl, you can contact Andy Cahan at andycahan@gmail.com.
