Amongst red rocks, dry soil, and clear sky, Cahalen was reared on Hot Rize, Doc Watson, Norman Blake and Rory Block while running around in a diaper, trying (at times unsuccessfully) not to fall into patches of prickly pear. Now, he has got the ears for roots music. He's got a nose for it too- putting it in every kind you've ever heard, hopping effortlessly from fingerpicking, to flat-picking, mandolin, clawhammer banjo, to lap slide guitar (not to mention that he is a trained and respected drummer).
Cahalen's writing encompasses everything from punchy political commentaries, to soul warming serenades, branching out into instrumental rags and fiddle tunes, yet still attaining his subtle musical signature.
Though only 24, he is quite well traveled, and gaining on ?seasoned-ship'. In June of 2008, Cahalen debuted his first full length record. ?Subcontinent? has been applauded by his peers, and by spun regularly by DJ's and fans across the country. After its release, Cahalen hit the road? hard, not spending more than two weeks anywhere for a solid 13 months before taking a break. From Santa Fe to Seattle, New Orleans to Minneapolis, Nashville to Boston, he has played most every nook and cranny of this fine country.
Cahalen's contributions can also be found playing banjo, mandolin, and lap slide and singing on ?the Monday EP' by Harbor Collective, with Brianna Lane, and playing lap slide, lap steel, and singing harmony on ?Me-Shaped Hole' by Caroline Brewer.
In August, Cahalen recorded a live album , ?Old-Timey & New-Fangled,? with his dad, Dave Morrison, Santa Fe fiddler Andy Cameron, and Jenny Fisher, at the historic Western Jubilee Warehouse Theater in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is now available online and at shows.