Sandy Lee Casey has spent most of her life finding a way to keep music in it. She began singing at a Somerville, Massachusetts country bar at 15, toured New England in cover bands, and later spent 16 years with Boston wedding band Double Vision. A move to Los Angeles led to a job at Warner Bros.-owned Amigo Studios, where she met artists including Alice Cooper and Gladys Knight and joined a small group of staff members singing background vocals for a track on Metallica's Master of Puppets album.

Sandy also recorded for Red vs. Blue and RWBY, including “Red Like Roses – Part II” with her daughter, Casey Lee Williams. Now based in Murrieta, she performs across the Temecula Valley as a solo artist and with Sandy Lee Casey & Friends. She talks with Brian about protecting her voice, choosing songs other cover bands overlook, moving between Boston and Southern California, and why she still tries to learn one new song every week.

In This Episode

• How Sandy taught herself guitar and started playing paid gigs at 15
• Why she chose cover bands over Boston's pay-to-play original scene
• The audition that led to 16 years with Double Vision
• What she learned while working at Warner Bros.-owned Amigo Studios
• How she became part of a background-vocal session for Metallica's Master of Puppets album
• Recording “Red Like Roses – Part II” for RWBY with Casey Lee Williams
• Building Anyone's Guess Band and moving into Sandy Lee Casey & Friends

Connect With Sandy

• Website: https://sandyleecasey.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyleecasey/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandyLeeCasey/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/sandyleecasey1
• Listen to “Red Like Roses – Part II”: https://open.spotify.com/track/13qjycCLStZb9sJje6v0MC

Thanks to Tsunami Cables for sponsoring The SoCal Setlist. Built by musicians here in Southern California, Tsunami Cables deliver clean signal transfer, low noise and reliable tone, and every cable is backed by a lifetime warranty. Visit https://tsunamicables.com/ and use code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off through May 29, 2027.

Tori Green is a Corona-based singer and songwriter who performs throughout Southern California as a solo artist, in an acoustic duo and with the Tori Green Band.

In this episode of The SoCal Setlist, Tori shares how she went from singing in childhood talent shows to earning a Golden Ticket on Season 21 of American Idol with her performance of “Cry Pretty” by Carrie Underwood.

Tori talks about the long American Idol audition process, preparing for Hollywood Week and the advice from Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie that changed how she approaches a performance. She also shares the story behind her first paid show at The Bobber, how the Tori Green Band came together and why the band loves mixing pop, rock, R&B, country and funk.

We also discuss:

• Her original songs “Point of View” and “Boy Bye”
• Her new song “Late Night Nonsense” and plans for more original music
• The karaoke video of “Hurt” that earned millions of TikTok views
• Booking shows and building an audience through social media
• Her work at a mortuary and new role in forensic toxicology
• Her goal of touring, opening for established artists and pursuing music full time

Follow Tori Green on Instagram: @toriiggreenn

Listen to “Point of View” and “Boy Bye” on Spotify and Apple Music.

This episode is sponsored by Tsunami Cables, proudly built in Southern California and backed by a lifetime warranty. Use promo code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off.

Robert Rauch moved 1,500 miles from Arkansas to Lake Elsinore in 2024 with plans to build a music career in Southern California. He arrived without a local music network and spent his first week visiting venues, introducing himself and asking for an opportunity.

Temecula Wine and Beer Garden gave Robert his first local show on April 20, 2024. He has since performed throughout the region at venues including Wilson Creek Winery, Miramonte Winery, Pechanga and Yaamava’.

In this episode, Robert shares how growing up in a musical family shaped him and why he chose to pursue music as a career. We talk about building the Robert Rauch Band, developing a show that moves between pop, rock and R&B, and learning from the musicians around him.

Robert also explains why a three-hour gig gives a band five hours to connect with an audience. The show begins while people watch the band set up and continues after the final song when he stays to meet the crowd.

“If you have a three-hour gig, you’ve got five hours to hook them.”

Reading the room is another important part of Robert’s approach. If the audience isn’t responding, he’ll adjust the set list on the fly. During one show, he shifted from R&B and pop to classic rock because that was what the room wanted.

Robert also tells the story of earning his opportunity at Wilson Creek Winery. He accepted the solo rate for a full-band audition and paid his musicians from his own pocket. That performance led to more dates and an invitation to play a private event for 700 people.

“It’s easy to get the gig, but it’s hard to keep the gig.”

Robert’s humility shows in the way he credits the musicians around him and welcomes honest feedback from his bandmates and other players. He also remains grateful to the venues that gave him an early opportunity.

“If somebody is going to take the time to say something that’s going to make you better, listen to it.”

We also discuss Robert’s original music, including his EP Breakthrough, the album The Journey and the personal story behind “One Life for All of Us.”

Follow Robert Rauch:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertrauchofficial/

Website: https://www.robertrauchmusic.com/

This episode is sponsored by Tsunami Cables. Proudly built in Southern California and backed by a lifetime warranty, Tsunami Cables are made for musicians who care about reliable tone and gear that can handle gig after gig. Visit https://tsunamicables.com/ and use promo code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off.