For years Cactus Lee has quietly made records at a relentless pace, plugging along and playing out at local honky tonks in and around his hometown of Austin, Texas.

What began as a home recording project for songwriter Kevin Dehan in 2019 quickly became a group with rotating members and pick-up bands along the way. The project has played New York and Los Angeles multiple times, as well as a Chicago residency as part of the Cosmic Country showcase.

The new album, Lee’s Dream will be released on vinyl February 21 with a special album release show in London, UK at The Lexington. A digital and retail release will follow on April 10, 2026.

The album, his second for Western Vinyl, was conceived while on a monthlong solo tour. He stopped at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, where he saw a replica of Guy Clark’s basement room.

“This was the place where he smoked cigarettes, repaired guitars, and recorded songs. There’s a wall of cassettes on one side and on the other a guitar hangs with a piece of paper taped on that says ‘EASY MONEY.’ That stuck out to me as I continued on my travels and became the first song I wrote for this record.”

The shows on that tour saw Dehan playing to new faces every night in small cities in the Midwest and the South, writing songs in the van en route to the next one.

“When I got back things in my home life with my family started to get turbulent. It caused me to seriously question whether or not I should be out on the road as much.”

“I took a little time off. I was able to write, which helped me cope with some serious life events. Music is very important to me, but my family will always come first. My wife and daughter.”

Dehan took those songs to Billy Horton’s Fort Horton Studios in Wyldwood, Texas to record. Similar to his work with Charley Crockett and Theo Lawrence, Horton pushed Dehan toward classic country songs and production choices.

“Billy has been making classic records out at his studio for a long time,” shares Deh

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