Dos Pueblos High Rock Band Still Jamming After 12 Years

Sitting at Fox Wine Co. in the Funk Zone, you couldn’t spot the band about to perform on the front patio. The Caverns blended into the crowd, chatting with friends and family before their set and wearing smiles that revealed no inclination to nerves. They don’t get pre-show jitters anymore. These routine performances are second nature for this group of friends. And that’s precisely what they are: friends who happen to share a love of music.

There’s Alyssa Davey, who is on bass and backing vocals; Sam Kulchin, who plays lead guitar and sings lead vocals; and Maxton Schulte — who goes by Maxton Hunter — who plays drums and sings backing vocals. I should also point out that Hunter is my cousin, who heavily influenced my music taste growing up. We both laugh because neither of us imagined that one of us would interview the other, but here we are.

They began their musical journey in 2012 as high school buddies at Dos Pueblos, initially jamming to Arctic Monkeys tunes as a lighthearted pastime. In those early days, they joked about a possible band name, “The Tropical Penguins.” Jam sessions at the Rockshop Academy — a local youth music program — revealed a chemistry and talent that begged for something more. Naturally, the trio formed an official band and called themselves The Caverns. The name was inspired by The Cavern Club, a music venue in Liverpool, England, where the Beatles performed in their early years.

The ensemble predominantly delivers powerful renditions of rock’s iconic legends, with a penchant for turning up the volume on classics by the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Santana, Allman Brothers Band, and the Beatles. They sprinkle in a few original songs throughout their sets.

Since their first official performance at Howlin’ Byroon’s in Lompoc (now closed) in May of 2012, they have graced a multitude of Santa Barbara venues. Over time, their persistence earned them consistent gigs at reputable venues like Velvet Jones (also now sadly closed) and SOhO Restaurant & Music Club.

Like most novice bands, the group played shows almost every weekend when they first started out.“ When we were all young, we worked our butts off,” Kulchin says. Their early days as bandmates involved eagerly navigating the Santa Barbara music scene, desperate for shows. “There’s this drive and necessity to keep going and pushing, but obviously, it grinds down on you after a while.”

After a few years of playing with the Caverns, Hunter took a hiatus in 2015 to pursue original music. During his absence, drummer Tom Ellgren took his place from 2016 to 2018, and then David McInnes — who still fills in from time to time — from 2018 to 2022. In 2022, Hunter rejoined the original group just in time for their 10th anniversary.

The band picked up right where they left off. They celebrated their decade-long journey by releasing a song they recorded in 2015 called “Abandoned House.” They recorded the track in Chris Pelonis’s studio, Beyond the Rabbit Hole. (Pelonis is the founder of Lost Chord Guitars in Solvang, among other things.) “It’s kind of a lost recording,” says Hunter. What makes this track unique are the two small pauses where each band member switches instruments.

Playing the song live after Hunter returned reminded the group how well they work together. “We all felt it,” says Davey. “It was like riding a bike,” says Kulchin. When I ask them why that is, they all agree that they have unexplainable chemistry and the ability to “pick up where the other person left off” when performing “Abandoned House” live.

Over the past few years, their priorities have evolved, pivoting away from the hustling mindset of their early days to embracing the enjoyment of playing music together. They returned to their roots. “And so, at least … for us now, we put all the hard work in. Now, we just get together once a month and have fun. There’s no stress,” Kulchin says.

You can feel the shift when watching The Caverns play. It’s clear that the band’s true success is not measured by how many shows they play or how many fans they garner — although they have quite a faithful following — but how they never stopped simply being a group of friends who love playing music together. “It’s like we’re retired almost,” Davey laughs. “We just get to hang out and go to shows and know that we’re gonna play certain spots and know people are gonna show up, and it’s gonna be fun.”

The band members also rock outside of The Caverns. Davey performs in L.A.-based alternative rock group Sego, as well as bands Dead Sara and the band Mondo Cozmo. Kulchin plays solo acoustic sets around Central California, often gracing Santa Barbara with his solo shows. Hunter performs with an L.A.-based ambient ensemble called Academy of Light and often drums for Evan Blix, previously of Glenn Annie. Hunter also works in Santa Barbara at Alan Parsons ParSonics Studio as an archivist and social media manager.

Yet, regardless of their work outside of the band, the group always ventures back to Santa Barbara to play together. “I think just by default, we can’t play every week together like we used to,” says Hunter. “And when we do [play], that energy is really prominent, and we can give it even more of our love when that weekend comes around.”

The Santa Barbara music scene has changed since the band’s formation. Many restaurants and bars have transformed their spaces to incorporate live music. The Caverns, who now play at least one full weekend a month, often frequent Fox Wine Co., Figueroa Mountain Brewery, and Validation Ale. “People are realizing that all these other spots like these bars and breweries are doing great shows,” says Davey.

For The Caverns, a successful venue-band relationship hinges on trust. Davey explains, “It’s always nice when the place trusts you. It’s as simple as even volume. We know that we can just be ourselves and play.”

Trust isn’t confined to their relationship with venues; it’s the bedrock of their band dynamic. Their secret recipe is simple: Their friendship takes precedence above all else. “Friends first, band second,” Kulchin laughs. Their shared love of music initially inspired them, but it was their friendship that enabled them to embark on a musical journey in Santa Barbara, doing what they love — perhaps for many more decades to come.

Though they have assumed the name The Caverns, at their core, they remain the “Tropical Penguins,” driven by a singular focus: having a great time. “It’s fun, you know … you get to play music with your best friends,” Hunter reflects.

Catch the Caverns at Lagerville Festival in Buellton, on Saturday, April 13. For more updates on The Caverns’ upcoming performances, check out their Instagram page: @thecaverns. To listen to The Caverns’ music, visit linktr.ee/thecaverns.