This story begins on a cool summer evening in 2006. An 18-year-old boy in tattered jeans and a T-shirt finds himself on the streets of Santa Cruz, California, with nothing but a backpack, a guitar, and $17 cash. Alone, hungry, and increasingly anxious, he timidly takes out his guitar and begins strumming for passers by. He comes away from this first performance with a meal, a place to stay, and - although he doesn't know it - a glimpse of his destiny.

Since that fateful August night, Leify Green has logged a lot of miles. He has slept under bridges and in five star hotels, built houses for hungry families in Lima, Peru, and toured the United States with Dispatch, the music idols of his teenage years. In May, 2010, he graduated from UMBC, spending his last year of college living in and out of his Honda Civic (see The Boardwalk). Later that year, Leify Green formed the Leify Green Conspiracy and recorded his first studio album, Give Me a Push.

The Leify Green Conspiracy features the talents of bassist and long-time friend Luke Solomon, percussionist/vocalist Yerodin Sanders, guitarist John Lawton, and Grammy-award-winning guitarist/mandolinist Zan McLeod (Paul Winter, The Chieftains). Green describes the group's music as Organic Rock, blending contemporary rock structures with folk elements, acoustic instrumentation, and hand percussion. In fact, percussionist Yerodin Sanders builds nearly all of his own instruments by hand.

So what is the "Conspiracy" all about? According to Green, "We are conspiring to grow a stronger and healthier community by creating music with a positive message, providing social entertainment that brings people together, and partnering with other independent businesses and organizations that put people first."