Coyote Island - Mixing folk, reggae, pop, world, cumbia, and psychedelia

Equilibrium depends on music. Body, mind, and soul move in a perfect harmony together. Synapses fire and hearts thump in time like a drumbeat. In this respect, the right tune sung at the right moment works like the best kind of natural medicine. Maine-based singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Coyote Island—a.k.a. Mike O’Hehir—recognizes and reveres the restorative potential of songcraft. Mixing folk, reggae, pop, world, cumbia, and psychedelia, he stirs up a sonic elixir meant to invigorate and inspire.

Reeling in over 10 million streams and counting and packing shows, authentic intention underscores his artistry at all times.

Growing up in Maine, Mike uncovered his passion for music as a kid. Gravitating to folk, he picked up an acoustic guitar and began writing original songs, playing open mics and busking on the streets of Portland Maine.

His life twisted and turned geographically and creatively. Eventually, he packed a bag and traded the Northeast for Northern California with adventure and “some soul searching” in mind. Life experiences (and a few psychedelics) incited a spiritual epiphany. With senses heightened, his vision became clear.

“I realized that I was holding back quite a bit, and I was afraid to play music that truly showed who I was,” he recalls. “There is a spirituality to what I’m doing. I felt like I had a responsibility to share a higher vibrational energy with people.”

Heeding this call, he returned to his old stomping grounds on the East Coast and absorbed inspiration from artists as diverse as Milky Chance, Khruangbin, and Hermanos Gutiérrez with healthy doses of Afrobeats and psychedelic cumbia among an array of other global sounds. Meanwhile the moniker Coyote Island presents in the form of what he calls “a reoccurring experience with medicine cards.”

“I had this animal medicine card deck,” he goes on. “When you draw a card, each animal has a certain wisdom. In a particularly dark time I was experiencing, I kept drawing the Coyote card, so I decided to pay attention. Coyote is the trickster and it showed me how I was fooling myself through fear, doubt, and limitation. By recognizing that I was my own trickster, I was able to step outside of the trap and face it. It’s hard to describe but it was a profound moment of realization that became a major sign post on my spiritual path. Later that night, I woke up from a dream with the image of Coyote Island in my brain. Hence, the name. A portal opened.”

It didn’t close either.

Riding this wave, he crafted Coyote Island’s debut single “Here Before.” The track amassed over 3.1 million Spotify streams and counting as he attracted a Global audience.

The live lineup also took shape with Amir Rivera [guitar], Garrett Roy Jones [bass], and Ryan Benoit [drums]. Following the Origin Stories EP, he continued to create at a prolific pace. 2023 saw him level up again on Holy Illusion. It boasted notable collaborations such as “Casio Magic” with Matisyahu, “Everyone Need Love” with Surfer Girl, “Raise It” with Mihali, and “Quarantine” with Abitemi.

Across the record, chords melt into organic danceable beats accented by smoky psychedelic flourishes beneath Mike’s dynamic vocals. The sonic fluidity only strengthens the core message of the LP.

“Holy Illusion is definitely about seeing through limitations,” he says. “The power of the heart and mind, as well as trust and faith, can pierce through any limitation. The ‘holy illusion’ is the ‘aha’ moment where you realize limits are created through your mind. We all have a responsibility to be able to see through them.”

With more touring and recording on the horizon, Coyote Island might just help you open your eyes and heal too.

“When you listen to the music, I would love for you to get a sense of clarity,” Mike leaves off. “We spend so much time thinking about life outside of ourselves and caring about what people think and whether or not we are good enough. The music is almost like a shortcut for you to be free of your mind. I want to bring joy and make you feel good in this crazy world.”

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