Cactus Lee channels Texas roots and outlaw spirit on s/t album; announces European tour

Cactus Lee, the ever-evolving project of prolific Austin songwriter Kevin Dehan, continues to carve out a unique space in the world of Americana with its latest self-titled release. Rooted deeply in the rich soil of Texas music, the band blends the dusty charm of honky-tonk dancefloors with the introspective lyricism of outlaw country and outsider folk. With six albums since its 2019 debut, Cactus Lee has steadily built a catalog of sharp, dreamy, and often humorous songs—drawing comparisons to greats like John Prine and Tom T. Hall.

The new album finds Dehan in fine form, delivering vivid vignettes of love, family, and mortality with textured arrangements and a lived-in sense of place. From the opening shuffle of “Rabbit,” where a road-weary musician mirrors a traveling salesman, to the restrained groove of lead single “Roll Maggie,” inspired by Dehan’s grandmother, the record moves with both warmth and grit. Highlights like “Got A Heart Like Rainwater Blues” and the tender closing track “Twenty Dollars” reveal an artist who prioritizes emotional truth over polish—each song offering a window into the human experience, set against a distinctly Texan backdrop.

Long championed by outlets like Aquarium Drunkard and The Austin Chronicle, Cactus Lee continues to build momentum. With recent tours alongside Jake Xerxes Fussell, sold-out shows in Chicago, and a full-band performance for WFMU in Brooklyn, Dehan is proving that Texas twang, when filtered through a sharp pen and an open heart, resonates far beyond the Lone Star State.

23/02: Lint, BE - 't Groot Verzet
24/02: Leiden, NL - Q-Bus
26/02: Eindhoven, NL - De Rozenknop
27/02: Oude Leije, NL - Kultuurfabriek Kooi-Aap
28/02: Amen, NL - Cultureel Café de Amer
01/03: Norderstedt, DE - Music Star