UTG INTERVIEW: Cayucas

May 28th, 2013

Mike Sacchetti

We recently had the chance to talk with new indie pop up-and-comers, Cayucas. Influenced by 60s surf rock and The Beach Boys, Cayucas’ new album, Bigfoot, came onto the scene just in time for summer. Their warm tones, catchy melodies, and feel good vibes will surely be a favorite while throwing back a few cold ones with friends at this summer’s BBQs.

During our conversation, we spoke about the band’s writing process, being compared to Vampire Weekend, and heading out on their first US tour. Keep reading to get acquainted with Cayucas.

Please introduce yourself or yourselves to those who may not be familiar.
I’m Zach, and I’m the singer/songwriter for the band Cayucas. I live in Santa Monica, CA.

Zach, you originally released songs under the band name Oregon Bike Trails back in 2011. A lot of those tracks made the new album. What was your decision for the band’s name change?
Yes, I wanted all those tracks to be on the album. I didn’t want to start from scratch really. When I signed to the record label, my brother and I had some discussions about changing the band name into something a little bit more fitting for the music, a little less quirky. Chris (Swanson) who runs the label suggested Cayucas, which was a song title at that point, and I liked it.

Your identical twin brother Ben plays Bass in the band. Has he always been involved in the songwriting process? When did Ben decide to sign onto the project?
He actually is a guitar player but said he wanted to play bass. He wrote “East Coast Girl” & “Will ‘The Thrill'” on guitar. He was always down to play from the beginning.

Your new album, Bigfoot, just came out on Secretly Canadian (congratulations by the way). When did talks start with the label, and how did everything come about?
Thank you! That was sometime about a year and a half ago. The label had listened to the original Oregon Bike Trails demos and really liked them. After a few conversations with them it felt like a great fit, and we signed a record contract.

I’ve read that you began sampling records when you spent time over in Japan. Is there a particular reason why you decided to move away from sampling?
Well, clearing samples seems to be a big headache, but I love sampling and will continue to use them elsewhere. At the moment my brother and I are writing songs on guitar and piano.

You’ve mentioned The Beach Boys and 60s rock as being a major influence on your songwriting, however you’ve often been compared to Vampire Weekend. Are you a fan of the band, and if so, did they influence your songwriting process on the new album?
Yeah, the Vampire Weekend songs that I like are the ones that are based around a simple, catchy guitar riff. I like the idea of writing riffs, instead of lots of chord changes.

The title track, “Bigfoot,” dabbled a little bit with more synthesizers than the rest of the record. With your past history in sampling, could we be looking forward to an overall more electronic vibe on the next record?
I think the next record will be more songwriter-y and a bit more eclectic. I don’t know how they will end up but the songs I’m writing now aren’t electronic at all.

Sometimes when I’m listening to a record I think to myself, “I wish my voice sounded like that guys.” Is there a particular singer/songwriter that you look up to in a similar fashion?
Well, when I started recording vocals for this album that sort of twang that sounds like Beck just felt right. And it’s getting heavier lately. I want to sing like Johnny Cash really.

Any bands our readers should be informed about? What are you currently listening to?
I really like Portugal. The Man at the moment and Foxygen has been on repeat. Singer/songwriter Jenny O. has a great album.

You guys are about to head out on your first US tour next month. What are you looking forward to the most?
Seeing places I’ve never been, particularly on the East Coast like Montauk. Also, driving down the West Coast is really great.

I’m from Philly, and I don’t see a date on your schedule. What’s the deal with skipping over my city? Not a big fan of the Cheesesteak?
I’m not sure why – seems like a reasonable place to go!

Watch the official music video for “High School Lovers” from Bigfoot.