Minor Strut – The NAMM Show 2026 Interviews

Minor Strut – The NAMM Show 2026 Interviews

Minor Strut may have started as a group of kids figuring out their instruments in a garage, but more than a decade later, the Southern California band has grown into a tight‑knit unit with a sound that refuses to sit still. At The NAMM Show 2026, the trio—vocalist Coryn Cahill, guitarist Ethan Nguyen, and drummer Aiden K—showed up with the same mix of humility, humor, and creative fire that’s kept them together since the beginning.

What followed was a conversation about evolution—of sound, of friendship, of personal growth—and the strange, wonderful journey of making music without chasing perfection or industry expectations. From Christmas‑Eve songwriting sessions to reconnecting with old mentors, from Radiohead phases to jumping spiders, Minor Strut remains a band driven by curiosity, experimentation, and genuine love for what they do.

In this candid interview, the members open up about their writing process, their decade‑long bond, the addition of a new guitarist, and the advice they’d give to young artists just starting out. It’s a snapshot of a band that’s grown up together—and is still growing, still exploring, still creating.

We’re here with Minor Strut. Introduce yourselves and tell me what you do in the band.
Coryn: Hi, I’m Coryn. I’m 23, and I’m the singer for Minor Strut.

Aiden: I’m Aiden, I’m 21, and I’m the drummer.

Ethan: I’m Ethan, I play guitar, and I’m 21.

What have been the highlights for you so far at NAMM?
Coryn: Honestly, seeing people I haven’t seen in a while. It’s been really nice to reconnect this year specifically. There are a few people I haven’t run into at shows lately because we just haven’t been on the same lineups. So it’s cool to hang out and see familiar faces again.

Aiden: I just got here, so I’m still running into people, but yeah—it’s great seeing folks I haven’t seen in a while. And I’m excited to check out the booths.

Ethan: Also, seeing Joe Carducci from Gretsch. We haven’t seen him since 2020. He retired and moved to Scottsdale, so it’s been harder to catch up with him. It was really good to reconnect—he was our old contact at Gretsch.

You recently had your 10‑year anniversary show. What has kept you all together for over a decade? What kind of bond holds this band together?
Aiden: I think it’s just the love of music. Being able to write and play our own songs has always been the best part. And the friendships, too—that’s been the biggest strength for us.

Coryn: Yeah, being able to write music together and adapt as things change. This band started when they were really young, so watching each other grow up has been huge. We’ve always had each other’s backs. It’s kind of simple to say, but it’s true.

Ethan: Definitely the chemistry and the love for music. We’ve all grown up together. And adding another guitar player recently kind of reignited a new fire under us. It’s been a lot of fun. Plus, me and Aiden have reconnected a lot over the past year—we’ve gotten really close again. We’ve always been like brothers, but this past year has been a whole new level.

How has your sound evolved since the early days of Minor Strut?
Aiden: It’s been everywhere. We still can’t put a finger on it. I usually just say “alternative rock,” but that’s such a broad label. We all listen to so many different styles of music, and everyone brings their own influences. We pull from each other, and it just turns into our own blend.

And how has your guitar style evolved over the years?
Ethan: I’ve gotten more experimental. I don’t love improvising. I like everything to be perfect and structured. So I really lock things down during practice and the writing process—experimenting there instead of in front of people. I’ve been trying out different tones, techniques… just weird stuff.

How have your vocals evolved over time?
Coryn: They’ve gotten a lot better. I’ve been taking care of my health more—especially this past year. Vocals are so tied to how you take care of yourself and the people you surround yourself with. Keeping positive energy around me has helped a lot. Being in Minor Strut and connecting with musicians who help me write has pushed me creatively. I lean into more Fiona Apple‑type stuff sometimes, not just alternative rock, and the band has supported that. I’ve been writing more in the last four or five years than I had in a long time, and that’s because of this band and the people around me. My vocal health is way better than it was two or three years ago, and I feel really good about it.

What have you done specifically to improve your vocal health?
Coryn: I teach a lot—usually most of the day. I used to teach five to eight hours straight, and that really takes a toll. Learning more about how the voice actually works has helped so much. Getting educated, hearing from people who’ve taught a lot of vocalists… that’s been huge. I’ve had tons of piano training, but not as much vocal training, so it’s been nice to finally get that foundation and wrap everything together.

What moment made you realize you wanted to do something bigger with the band—beyond just a fun project?
Aiden: I think we’re still figuring that out. We’ve had a few conversations over the last two or three years about taking things further, but it’s tough. We’re all working, growing up, going to school, juggling life. We definitely want more out of it—we wouldn’t have added another guitarist if we didn’t. (It’s Dylan from TI85.) We want to do more, and once school loosens up and we have more time, we’re going to push harder.

Ethan: I can’t speak for everyone, but for me, it is still a fun thing. If something bigger happens and we blow up, then cool—but I’m not chasing that. I think if it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen naturally. I’m just keeping my head down, doing our thing, practicing every Tuesday, staying humble. If something happens, great. If not, that’s okay too, because the brotherhood is what matters to me.

Coryn: I think something that can really kill musicians is pressure. Hard work is good, but this band taught me that you don’t have to stress so much about whether something will “work” if you’re enjoying what you’re doing every day. If you’re showing up and doing your thing, success—whatever that means to you—will come. In the meantime, I get to enjoy writing and making music with these guys. Whatever happens, happens.

I’ve also got my own back now. I’m way less worried than I was four years ago. Back then it felt like, “I have to do this or it’s over.” When you’re young, you think there’s some deadline where it’s too late. That mindset held me back. I don’t know if other people feel that, but it can be really tough—wondering when it’s been “too long,” when you should shift gears. Now I have a plan for college, and I get to keep going without stressing about that.

I want to talk about a few of the older songs. Let’s start with “OK 01.” Tell me about that one and the inspiration behind it.
Aiden: We had that song sitting around for about a year, and then on Christmas Eve…

Ethan: Yeah, we got together on Christmas Eve in the garage with just a phone, an acoustic guitar, and a cajón. We were stuck for a while, and then something just clicked. We finished the whole thing in one night, which never happens for us. We usually sit on songs for a long time.

Aiden: You brought your acoustic, and I think you even went back home to grab your electric.

Ethan: Maybe—I don’t even remember anymore. It was so long ago. But yeah, we usually take about a year to finish a song. It’s hard for us to crank them out quickly. That one came from wanting to experiment more. We were in a huge Radiohead phase—honestly, we always are—but that song really came from wanting to push ourselves creatively.

Tell me about “Resonate.”
Aiden: That one just kind of happened. It was one of the faster songs we’ve written. We had an older version, then switched it up, and it came together pretty quickly. Probably the fastest song we’ve ever written.

Ethan: Maybe. It still took like six months.

Aiden: Compared to a year, that’s a win.

Are there any new songs on the horizon that you’re excited about? Let’s talk about the new stuff.
Coryn: It’s been so much fun. They’ve been writing, and I usually ad‑lib over whatever they’re working on. This year I really want to get better at getting lyrics down faster—capturing what I’m saying in the moment. But I’ll let them talk about the writing process.

Aiden: The writing process is pretty much the same. We’ve still been stuck on a song this year.

Coryn: But there is a difference—there are five of us now.

Aiden: Yeah, having that extra person helps a lot. It’s speeding things up. Our biggest issue has always been that we’re so hard on ourselves. We try to get as close to perfect as possible, even though perfection doesn’t exist. We just want every song to be the best it can be. We don’t care about chasing pop trends—at least I don’t. I don’t like predictable stuff where you know exactly what’s coming next.

Coryn: I beg to differ. I’m a Dua Lipa fan, I guess you could say. That kind of music is my thing. We all like very different genres, and it’s fun.

And it works. It totally works that you all like different kinds of music. Let’s talk about the new member—you’ve mentioned him several times. Who is he, and what else has he done?
Ethan: Dylan Warner from TI85. He’s a phenomenal guitar player—probably better than me. He’s a great songwriter, and he brings amazing tone to the mix. I’m usually heavier and darker with my tone, pretty crunchy, and he brings this light, flavorful, airy tone. It balances everything out. He’s in TI85 and a few other college bands. He’s just phenomenal. Not much else to say.

What advice would you give a young artist who’s just starting a band right now? You’ve been around for over 10 years—what would you tell them?
Coryn: Do. Create. Just keep making things. Follow your gut. Be constructive, and understand that hardships are normal. It’s okay to have moments where things feel difficult. Everyone has a different timeline—some people don’t have the luxury of taking years to figure things out, and honestly, that’s a blessing in its own way. But really, just do. A lot of movie directors say you don’t need a huge budget—just start making movies. It’s the same with music. I’ve seen so many people feel fulfilled simply by creating. That’s what it’s about. You get to hang out with people, write together, and it becomes more than just making music. It becomes something bigger. That alone is fulfilling, whether or not you hit some big milestone. I learned that from this band pretty quickly. I don’t know what the boys would say.

Aiden: Honestly, just do it. There’s nothing better than music. It’s everything. It brings friendships, it helps you through hard times, it makes you happy, it makes you sad—music is… everything. Even if you can’t hear it, you can feel it. The biggest thing is to stay consistent. That’s the best thing you can do.

Ethan: Be yourself. Don’t follow the money. Don’t chase fame. Don’t chase record labels. Don’t sell your soul. Do it for the love of the music. Be humble. Don’t be an asshole. That pretty much sums it up.

Do you have any messages for the people who’ve been supporting you all this time?
Aiden: Just a huge thank you. Without anyone listening, we can’t do shows—nobody wants to play to no one. The support means everything. The more people listen, the more we can write. And honestly, the merch sales help a ton—they go straight back into recording and making new music. We’re very grateful.

Ethan: Come to more of our shows. We know you’re out there. We see a few of you, but we’d love to see more faces. That would be cool.

Coryn: Thank you for coming up to us. It’s really cool. I get to meet so many different kinds of people. I love coming to NAMM because I get to people‑watch—it’s exciting for me. I love when people come up and talk about their own projects, or say, “Hey, I’ve always wanted to try this,” and ask about my experience. I love chatting, shooting the shit, talking about your dog or your day. It’s cool. You gotta break bread. That’s what it’s all about.

Speaking of dogs—let’s talk about your pets. What are their names?
Ethan: I have a pit‑lab mix named Mia. She’s great—super well‑trained. And I have a Shih Tzu mix on the brink of extinction named Indie. That’s it.

Aiden: I have a little chihuahua—of course, I’m Mexican. It’s a short‑haired Pomeranian‑chihuahua mix, a little white one. Her name’s Taffy. I’ve had her for like 13 or 14 years now. Running good, running strong.

Coryn: I have a hound named Barnaby. And personally, I also have a couple of jumping spiders that I love. I got into jumping spiders this year—they’re about the size of my thumb. I’m a huge nerd about spiders and cool animals. So yeah, a couple of dogs and my little bugs that I love very much.

In Conclusion

As our conversation wound down, it became clear that Minor Strut’s longevity isn’t an accident—it’s the result of years of shared growth, stubborn creativity, and a bond that’s evolved right alongside their music. They’re a band that doesn’t chase trends or timelines; they chase connection, experimentation, and the simple joy of making something together.

Whether they’re finishing songs on Christmas Eve, debating pop music, or introducing the world to their beloved pets and jumping spiders, Coryn, Ethan, and Aiden carry an authenticity that’s rare and refreshing. And with a new guitarist in the mix and fresh material on the horizon, they’re stepping into their next chapter with the same mix of curiosity and humility that’s defined them from the start.

For the fans who’ve stuck with them—and the new ones discovering them now—Minor Strut remains a reminder that music is as much about community as it is about sound. Whatever comes next, they’re ready for it, and they’re having a damn good time along the way.

(Interview by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue and Karyn Burleigh of Rock Edge Photography)

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