Here it is. No gimmicks. No BS. Just 15 of my songs for two bucks at liamkylecahill.bandcamp.com. You're welcome. ~Liam

What a year this has been!!! My 2014 release of The Key To Happiness has been so successful, that I've decided to release a Deluxe Edition with two (2) bonus tracks from Happiness Recording Sessions in 2013. These are NOT B-side tracks, but rather gems in their own right that did not quite fit the feel of the original record. But don't take my word for it...give them a listen at liamkylecahill.bandcamp.com!

Since so many folks already have The Key To Happiness, I've decided to release this Deluxe Edition for ONLY $2 on it's June 30th release date. That means anyone who already had the album can get the new tracks for the fair price of two bucks, but it also gives new fans an opportunity to pull the trigger on some new music! In fact, anyone can also purchase and gift these digital tracks via liamkylecahill.bandcamp.com as well!

The last cool thing I want to announce is this sweet little lyric book that I've been putting together for over a year. I've felt for a while now that there has been something missing from our digital age of music, something that I treasured as a kid...WRITTEN SONG LYRICS. That's why I teamed up with 12 artists from all over the country who have created unique art inspired by each of the 15 songs on the The Key To Happiness Deluxe Edition, and we've paired that with my own lyrics for you to enjoy in this 6x9" visual presentation. To top it off, we've only printed 50 copies and I have signed and hand numbered each copy. Get yours today, along with any other merch items, at LiamKyleCahill.com/Store.

Lots of love,
Liam Kyle Cahill

I've never worked so hard, nor been as proud of anything in my life compared to what I've been able to accomplish these first six-months of pursuing music full time. I left a good paying job in exploration geology, a field that I went to school for, for something that I truly feel is my Personal Legend. I was made to do this...every bone in my body tells me so.

So here I am mid-June and I've already played 85 shows across 7 West Coast states. On this last tour alone I drove 4,370 miles and flew another 2,000 between 30 show destinations. Certainly not a bad number, but still a little behind if I am to succeed in my #QuestFor200! That's right, I've made my own hashtag to remind people of the goal that I've made and to make sure that I achieve it. I want you to hold me to it. Hell, I want to hold me to it!

And if 200 shows wasn't a lofty enough goal, I'm getting ready for my biggest challenge yet: To tour the entire East Coast. I've teamed up with Leesta Vall booking agency to tackle this beast for the first time. I plan to sing my songs from New Hampshire down to Tampa, Florida and I still have a few dates open for house shows along the way! If you, or anyone you know is interested in hosting a house show on the East Coast, please send me an email at liamkylemusic@gmail.com and we can talk details! ~LKC

‪#‎BeCourageous‬ ‪‪#‎FindYourPersonalLegend‬ #‎FollowYourDreams

My last four nights at Peppermill Resort Spa Casino have been one of the most incredible learning experiences of my life! I wasn't sure I could survive four consecutive 4-hour nights of singing my ass off but I did it...here's the honest truth of how I prepared for the whole thing:

First was the booking. I had been wanting to break into a place like Peppermill for a while now...play an amazing stage and get my name out there for an entirely different crowd than I was used to. Jules, their entertainment director, had reached out to me over a year ago when I was making a big ruckus about my Indiegogo campaign. She was interested to see what I could do, so we talked about booking a single night trial run to see how I would do. Unfortunately there was a schedule mix up, and I never had the chance to play in November of 2013. It was probably for the best. I wasn't ready.

Fast forward a year later I went to go watch my good buddy Kyle Williams (songwriter from Chico, CA) play at Peppermill, and he introduced me to Jules...except now I'm meeting her in person! She and I both recalled our email contact a year prior, and she had been following me locally with the Reno For Nikos fundraiser and CD release for The Key To Happiness back in June. With a great re-introduction from Kyle, she was willing to sign me on to play four nights in January. Boom. Just like that!

I had already started booking a January/February tour at this point, but I knew January 11-14 would fit in just nicely as a tour kickoff. The term we use in the industry for this kind of a show is an anchor show, meaning we use it to help financially anchor the tour so that I know I can come out making a little bit of money on top of the food, lodging, and general travel expenses incurred while touring. These shows were going to be huge for me, so I knew I had to prepare for this more than any other show ever...I had FOUR (4) HOURS of material that I needed to cover BY MYSELF!!! Not an easy task for a solo guy so I really got after it.

Starting just after Christmas, I was playing my guitar 4-6 hours per day - no excuses. I knew I had to get my voice used to singing for that long of a period at a time, so I made it a priority. I know you may be wondering what else I might do as a musician if I'm not already playing my music at least 4-6 hours every day. The short answer is booking/promoting shows and the long answer will be in another blog another day.

Basically I started pulling out every cover song I've learned over the years to help supplement my own original music repertoire, and tried to build from there. These cover songs ranged from Matchbox 20's "3am," to Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here," to Mumford & Sons "Little Lion Man." The trick I was taught for this kind of show is to mix at least 50% cover songs into the set in order to pique their interest so that when I play my own original stuff, so that they feel inclined to leave a tip and maybe even buy a CD.

After hours and hours of rehearsal, showtime came. I was worried I may have sung too much in recent weeks getting ready, but that was just not the case...my voice sounded just fine and lasted night after night! The end of night three was a little rough (I really left it all on the stage that night) and so was the first set back on night four. But I pushed through and once I warmed up again I had a blast! Intuitively I already knew that I needed to start warming up my voice before shows, yet up to this point I seemed to pretend it didn't apply to me. The voice is a muscle and needs to be warmed up, stretched right, and worked out regularly to keep it in the best shape possible.

One final thing I learned is always give credit where credit is due! My overall response at the end of a show went up dramatically when I made sure to thank the room for listening in, thank the management for the opportunity to play, and thank the bartenders with genuine words and a cash tip, ESPECIALLY IF THE DRINKS ARE FREE!

My four nights at Reno's Peppermill were an incredible experience, but it took me a few nights to really know how to make it even better next time. I have no doubts that it will  be...and hopefully I'll see you there!!!

~Liam

I don't think I could get any luckier. The album release was a success and besides going back to my daytime duties as a geologist and supervising a drill rig, I have finally relaxed and de-stressed after an intense few months. Not that I'm complaining...but it's hard work creating a non-profit, raising thousands of dollars worth of prizes, organizing the event, and orchestrating a 10-person band for a CD release all simultaneously!

Basically what I'm saying is that I deserve a little break...so with the sun shining I packed up the car and hit the road with my beautiful lady to High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, California!

From the quirky energetic folk of Shakey Graves to the breathtaking voices of Heather Maloney and Darlingside, this weekend was full of great surprises. But my favorite act of the whole festival was John Craigie, master songwriter and storyteller. My good friend and musical brother Leify Green told me almost a year ago that I needed to check Craigie out...hot damn was he right! Now this is saying a lot but I mean it: John Craigie might be the best lyricist since Bob Dylan himself! Don't believe me? Go check him out! I look forward to sharing the stage with him in the near future.

Now that I've wandered off on one of my usual musical tangents...I wanted to share some quotes from a few of the GREAT album reviews I've had recently. I'm pretty damn excited that The Key To Happiness has been so well received!

"Cahill has always been very straight-forward in his musical styling’s – never leaning towards anything artificial or contrived…the sound is smooth, atmospheric, and heartfelt. If you’re tired of music without meaning, then pop this into your player, and let [The Key To Happiness] change all that." -Rick Jamm, Jamsphere (July 3, 2014) Full Article Here

"His tongue-in-cheekiness and clever word play peppers the record delightfully...The Key To Happiness goes far in solidifying Cahill as an artist to watch in 2014 and beyond." -Oliver Ex, Reno Tahoe Tonight (June 2014, pg. 89) Full Article Here

"...Cahill delivers songs as friendly as a handshake or reassuring as a man hug." -Michael Sion, Reno Gazette Journal (June 20, 2014) Full Article Here

Cheers,
Liam

Words. More words. Hmm. Maybe words can't describe how incredible it was to finally release my new album "The Key To Happiness." Not only was the music aspect of the night a great success, but we rallied to support my good friend Nikos and his second battle against cancer. This couldn't have been more perfect...thank you everyone! ~Liam

Alright! I just finished up another hitch at camp and I headed down to Vegas to play golf with my folks and hit the studio with one of the hardest working men in independent music, Mr. Bobby Meader. Keep your eyes peeled this fall for the vinyl re-release of Bobby's "My Coffee's All Cold" LP, because I'll be singing background vocals on one of the bonus tracks. Until then, I'll be plenty busy getting ready for my album release on June 17th and then the big CD release PARTY on June 21! Remember, this is a benefit concert and fundraiser for my good friend with cancer, so bring all your friends and I'll bring the tunes! ~Liam
 

Chuck yeah! (Photos by Tony Contini Photography)

You may have remembered some older posts about my run-ins with Chuck Ragan, the folk punk icon with over 20 years touring experience. I acquired my favorite guitar (which is currently my touring and studio workhorse - an Eastman "Chuck Ragan" model) from him a couple years back before "winning" a Little Martin that he raffled off while playing a benefit show for Mira Loma Elementary School in San Francisco earlier this year. Well this time when I saw Chuck at The Alley in Sparks, NV, it was a little different...

But let's stay in chronological order.

Six Mile Station. Period. These guys are so good it's scary. Their work ethic to record and tour this year has inspired me to work harder and to tour harder. Click their bolded name to find out just how much you're going to love them too!

Next up was Jonny Two Bags and his incredible backing band. How good is the band? Well, Jonny is actually the guitar player for rock legends Social Distortion, and his band is basically all the same members with the addition of Todd Beene on pedal steel and without Social D's normal charismatic frontman Mike Ness. Not only did these legends kill it on stage, they were as nice as you could imagine in person. I enjoyed a beer with drummer David Hidalgo, Jr. in the crowd while Six Mile Station was playing, and then had a fantastic conversation with bassist Brent Harding following his set. It's almost unreal how real some of your heroes can be. These are some really good guys!!

Finishing out the night was Chuck Ragan and the Camaraderie. Chuck already has the energy of a full band when he plays solo, but he unleashes something else with his new full band! Keeping with the usual suspects of the masterful Joe Ginsberg on bass and Jon Gaunt rockin' the fiddle, the Camaraderie now includes Todd Beene (of Glossary & Lucero) slaying the pedal steel and (once again) Social Distortion's David Hidalgo, Jr. on drums. I can feel Chuck's excitement in that band because as many of you know, I had the pleasure to record my forthcoming album The Key To Happiness with a full band and it DEFINITELY does make a difference in exploring new musical horizons!

If you've read this far, you probably already know that I had the chance to get up on stage with Chuck at this show. While this was an incredible experience, it only whet my appetite for what I plan to achieve this year and beyond. Chuck is the ultimate troubadour, breaking down walls for the kind of music that I love and want to be a part of. Thank you Chuck. I'm incredibly fortunate to call you a friend of mine.

We're all building something with our lives, so why not build it with friends and build it together?

~Liam

This is what I love. More than anything. Just playing music.

I have been fortunate enough to be able to jump on some great shows recently while planning my big tour to hit the road later this year. From a folk extravaganza with Six Mile Station in Grass Valley, CA to an incredible house party at Monique and Clayton's killer new place with forty foot high wood ceilings! From art receptions and fundraisers to a last minute show over the hill at Pastime Club in Truckee.

This is what I love. More than anything. Just playing music.

Tomorrow I play a songwriter showcase with incredible songwriter Josiah Knight, a man who seems to channel the very soul of Bob Dylan himself. His songwriting so good, his voice so haunting - that it chills me to the bone. It will be a tremendous pleasure to share the stage with such a man.

This is what I love. More than anything. Just playing music.

Next week I'll hit the road again for a short tour, playing the following venues:

Plan b: Microlounge in Carson City, NV on Friday, March 21 (w/T. Lee Walker & Alex Higman)
Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, CA on Monday, March 24 (Songwriting Competition)
Lassen Ale Works in Susanville, CA on Tuesday, March 25 (2-hour set)
Midtown Wine Bar in Reno, NV on Thursday, March 27 (2-hour set)

This is what I love. More than anything. Just playing music.

~Liam
 

"Stay lucky." That's advice I hope to take after a weekend getaway to San Francisco where I won a beautiful Little Martin as the grand prize in a raffle to benefit Miraloma Elementary School in that area.

Presenting the guitar to me is none other than Hot Water Music frontman and Revival Tour creator Chuck Ragan. With a relentless work ethic and touring schedule to boot, he is one of the most respected men in the business.

You may remember Chuck from an earlier blog post about my song "Backbone," and how it came to be that my workhorse guitar had originally belonged to the troubadour. Now I can associate another axe with this great, passionate songwriter!

But winning the grand prize? Seriously?! I mean, we all get a little lucky sometimes but this thing sounds great! I've been working on writing a new tune on it since Saturday, and with a little more luck I might finish it this afternoon!

~Liam

Merry Christmas! I'm just hanging out with my family in Henderson, NV and wishing you the best wherever you might be!!! :)  ~Liam

I can't decide whether there is nothing to say or EVERYTHING to say about being done with recording and mixing! I'm leaning towards the latter, but I couldn't possibly tell you EVERYTHING, so I'll just say that it's awesome and I am excited! There. Done. Now time to cheers with my incredible engineer Tom Gordon, catch up on sleep, and relax while the wizards in New York start the mastering process. Ahhh :)

~Liam

Hot diggidy! My fans are the best!!! In just over a month, we were able to raise $10,000 in album pre-orders and contributions! HUGE ~Thank You~ to every single one of these amazing people! I love you all and I can't wait to bring you some great music in the spring!!!

What a ride...and it's still not over!!! Paul Schwering out of Little Rock, Arkansas just purchased my old trusty axe to put us right over the edge on the Indiegogo campaign!!!!!! That's right, we are at $8002 and climbing! There is still over 36 hours left to pre-order my new album The Key To Happiness simply by clicking the link below! Thank you for being a part of this...it's going to be BIG!!!

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/liam-kyle-cahill-s-debut-album

~Liam Kyle