This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
Coyote Island will be performing at Manny’s, 101 Hiester St. in downtown State College, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, and for Mike O’Hehir, the music will always be about connection. Not just strumming a guitar, but tapping into a rhythm that lifts spirits, stirs bodies and pulls strangers into a groove.
That pursuit of energy and togetherness eventually grew into forming Coyote Island, the Maine-based band now bringing genre-bending sound to Centre County.
“Before Coyote Island, I was performing solo, mostly acoustic and more of a folk songwriter,” O’Hehir said. “I grew up with blues and folk roots, but discovering African, Latin and world music really set me on a path of exploring new sounds. I noticed when I played more up-tempo music, people danced more, people lit up more, and I did too.”
What started as a one-man project quickly expanded as O’Hehir found collaborators who added their own flavors to the sound. Today, Coyote Island blends folk, psychedelic tones, tropical funk and world rhythms into a style that’s as unpredictable as it is infectious.
Each member brings a different background: Amir Rivera Liberman, with Israeli and Chilean roots, also adds Latin layers. Drummer Ryan Benoit draws on jazz, funk and even metal. Producer and bassist Nic Coolidge, who first heard O’Hehir’s early demos, helped shape the band’s debut singles before stepping fully into the lineup. Together, they form what O’Hehir calls “a brotherhood” on stage.
“When we all get together and jam, it really elevates the sound in a big way,” O’Hehir said. “We cover so much ground that it creates something unique.”
When asked about influences, and O’Hehir doesn’t rattle off the usual list of artists. Instead, he points to eras, movements and life experiences.
“The 1960s psychedelic era affected the whole world,” he said. “That meant in Cambodia, in Mexico City, in the Balkans…everywhere. Suddenly we had effects pedals, and rock and roll was reshaped. We’re certainly influenced by the greats, but more than anything we’re influenced by timeless music that becomes a legacy and by our own experiences as we grow.”
That growth is woven into their 2023 album Shadow Magic, which includes fan favorites like “Long Ride” and “Fire.”
“When I made the first singles like ‘Here Before,’ I didn’t have the band yet,” O’Hehir said. “Now we’ve played hundreds of shows together, and the sound has evolved on stage instead of just in the studio. Creatively, I’m finding my own lyrics hitting me differently as I get older. The project is about growth, balancing body, mind and soul.”
For Coyote Island, the biggest difference between recording and performing is energy.
“In the studio you’re capturing magic, but on stage you’re channeling it,” O’Hehir said. “When we’re in front of an audience, we’re giving a lot, but we’re also receiving so much. The room becomes electric. We don’t shy away from darker places in the music, because it’s a journey with the audience. When you feel that transformation happening through sound, it’s really special.”
That energy, O’Hehir adds, must be grounded.
“Music requires output, but you have to stay centered,” he said. “The most important thing is to deliver the vibration the way it was intended. That’s what keeps this whole thing rolling. I want this to be for my whole life. Like our song says, it’s a long ride.”
Though O’Hehir talks freely about the spiritual side of music, he is careful not to present himself as a guru.
“Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is be good to yourself and the ones you love,” he said. “Do your laundry, do your dishes, stay grounded. I’m no teacher. I’m a student forever. The music is at the center of what I do, because it truly is.”
For audiences in State College, that message will ring loudest not in words, but in sound. When Coyote Island takes the stage at Manny’s, they plan on delivering a pulsing rhythm, a groove that carries the room, and a reminder that we’re all on this ride together.
Tickets are available online.
