It’s a fitting circumstance that Cayucas call Santa Monica home out of all the neighborhoods in the L.A area. What with their laid back beach vibes and catchy pop-tunes, we here at KCRW get to call them our neighbors. So we invited them over like all good new neighbors do hoping they’d bring a Bundt cake. They didn’t.
Instead they brought their selection of breezy summer tunes that many of the KCRW DJs had been playing since winter and a few more we hadn’t heard. What I like most about Cayucas’ brand of catchy pop is how they incorporate that world-rhythm sound to break up the beach blankets and surf hooks.
It’s especially evident on the track “Swimsuit” (go figure) which cruises along pleasantly adding just enough layers that bring it out of the background.
Lead singer Zach Yudin does most of the song writing with bassist and oh-by-the-way twin brother Ben Yudin writing a few of the others. Zach may or may not be writing in first person but beyond the veil of those Ray-Bans are stories of heart break and loss (those pesky high school girls). Again, it adds enough depth to the bubblegum to make this release something to keep around for a while.
Last month we invited Cayucas out to Palm Springs to perform “High School Lover” poolside as part of NPR’s Field Recording Series. It was a perfect setting and we imagine they’ll be heading out to more and more places. We just ask that they stick around in Santa Monica, we run out of sugar from time to time.
Cayucas Live on KCRW – Set List
Cayucos
High School Lover
Swimsuit
East Coast Girl
Will The Thrill
Bigfoot
Ayawa ‘Kya
Deep Sea