Cactus Island

Cactus Island is a Progadelic folk-rock band based in Boston, MA. Their music brings a fresh, and unexpected sound to the abiding ear. They have been compared to artists such as Fleet Foxes, Tool, Yes, and Radiohead. Their main intention is to connect people through their music and assist individuals to feel a sense of oneness. Each member of Cactus Island strives to create awareness about the limitations of the ego, and how it directly relates to the state of our environment and the beings that reside here. It is with this message in mind that Cactus Island creates and performs their music. The group formed in the fall of 2017, after former high school bandmates Nico Avella (guitar/vocals) and Ron Bernhaut(Bass) reunited at Berklee College of Music. They began writing music together, and soon recruited Hanna Zercher (violin), John McCarthy (drums), and Chas Wilken (guitar/piano/vocals) to join the project. Soon after forming they began to practice and write songs on a weekly basis. The name “Cactus Island” was inspired by graffiti of a cactus in a Boston alleyway. In the spring of 2018, the band took a quick hiatus as some of the members went to study in Valencia, Spain for the semester. After reuniting the next semester, they began to play various gigs and house shows in Massachusetts, as well as record an EP in the Berklee studios. In the fall of 2019, Hanna Zercher left the band and was replaced by Nate Ko. In the recent past, Cactus Island was selected to play at the Berklee Rock and Pop Guitar Night. They were also selected to play at the Songwriter’s Squared Showcase at the David Friend Recital Hall and the Berklee student-led climate change protest. Cactus Island has appeared on The BIRN(Berklee Internet Radio Station), as well as CCTV(Cambridge Community Television) and Tiny Dorm. They plan to release their debut album.Before the summer of 2020