* En anglais uniquement
The sunny pop project of Santa Monica-based twin brothers
Zach and Ben Yudin,
Cayucas meld the lighthearted spirit of '60s pop with 21st century production techniques. They introduced their mix of hooky songwriting, vintage samples and equipment on 2013's beachy debut
Bigfoot. While 2019's synth-heavy
Real Life showcased their range,
Cayucas returned to the nostalgic essence of their sound on the following year's
Blue Summer.
Formerly making music under the moniker Oregon Bike Trails,
Zach Yudin double-majored in music theory/production and Japanese in college. Following graduation, he spent a year in Tokyo, and then he focused on perfecting
Cayucas' sound. Sampling artists like
Harry Belafonte,
the Animals, and
the Tornadoes, and sketching out ideas on his acoustic guitar, he pieced together some nostalgic yet timeless-sounding songs that he posted online. After signing to Secretly Canadian Records,
Yudin collaborated with producer
Richard Swift, who added more original instrumentation to
Cayucas' songs. The result was
Bigfoot, a set of eight summery tracks that arrived in April 2013. It appeared in the Top 50 of Billboard's Independent Albums chart, and extensive touring in support of acts including
Lord Huron and
Young the Giant followed.
Cayucas' 2015 sophomore album,
Dancing at the Blue Lagoon, which credited both
Zach and Ben Yudin as bandmates, was recorded with
Ryan Hadlock (
the Lumineers,
Brandi Carlile) at Bear Creek in Woodinville, Washington.
After touring in support of
Dancing at the Blue Lagoon,
Cayucas spent the better part of two years writing and recording their third full-length. Working with producer
Dennis Herring, the Yudins took their music in a more streamlined, electronic direction on
Real Life, which was released by Park the Van Records in April 2019. During the
Real Life tour,
Cayucas began writing songs reminiscent of their earliest material, and late that year, they started work on their fourth album. Recording at their home studio in Los Angeles, the Yudins dug into their personal archive of samples and took inspiration from
the Beach Boys and
Jan & Dean for September 2020's
Blue Summer. ~ Heather Phares