Quick-fire Questions: 10 minutes with Cashier
There’s nothing like the electric jolt of a gargantuan shoegaze attack to give the senses a slap around, a knack Cashier wield with effortless aplomb.
The title of their new EP couldn’t be more apt. Out via Julia’s War Recordings, The Weight fittingly captures both their sonic whirlwind and engulfing mood conjured by the Louisiana quartet. All hammering indie heft caked in lo-fi textures that mask their hooky acumen, like an aural ink blot picture forever revealing new and beckoning dimensions in its shifting abstractions.
Fronted by guitarist and songwriter Kylie Gaspard, each of The Weight’s cuts wavers on an urgent plane of chaos, an implosion of noise never far away but saved by the band’s tight ferocity. Such synergy can reach crackling and sparking peaks of garage power. ‘Part From Me’ hurtles ahead with full-throated emo stride, ‘Same Mistakes’ resurrects the spirit of 1990s Dinosaur Jr – a band Cashier have been lucky enough to open for – and ‘Like I Do’ races through a ripping blast of alt-rock drama so feverishly charged you nearly jump out of your skin.
They’re a top new band, in short. Possessing such heavy grunge promise and wielding a bristlingly good EP debut, what better time to catch up with the Cashier gang to talk the big subjects, from Minecraft addictions, dystopian visions, and just which The Lord of the Rings character scarred Gaspard for life.
Quick-fire Questions with Cashier:
What song would you want played at your funeral?
“‘I Must Be In a Good Place Now’ – Bobby Charles.”
What’s the best bar in Lafayette?
“The Loose Caboose.”
What does your new EP taste like?
“Sunflower seeds (in shell).”
What was the last bizarre dream you had?
“I had a dream that me and my band were at a coffee shop in Australia that was both indoor and outdoor in the middle of the woods, and the animals from outside could come in freely and interact with the customers. My drummer said it was the best cup of coffee he’s ever had.”
What frightened you as a child?
“A lot… I was really scared of cosmic events (eclipse, when you can see other planets, even shooting stars), the Saw DVD cover, Sméagol from The Lord of the Rings.”
What was the best support band you ever saw?
“Dish from North Carolina, Crate from New York City, Proun from Austin, Texas.”
Is AI a harbinger of dystopia or a gleaming utopia?
“Dystopia – it’s cool to bring sci-fi to life, but I don’t think it ever ends well.”
If you could live a day in the life of a historic person, who would it be?
“Jesus Christ.”
What’s the biggest non-music influence on Cashier?
“Love and friendship, Cajun culture.”
What local Lafayette bands do we need to hear pronto?
“Jeepo, Charlie Novak, Acath, Ollie Oxen Free.”
Tell us a joke.
“Young man buys a house in the country. He paints the house, fixes the fence, and cuts the grass. Priests come by to visit and say, ‘You and the Lord God have done a beautiful job fixing up this place.’ Young man, ‘Thanks, but you should have seen it when God had it all by himself.'”
When were you last hooked on a video game?
“I’m always hooked on a game. Recently, I’ve been playing The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess a lot, but I’m always cycling between Minecraft and Fortnite.”
What’s your favourite bad lyric?
“SpongeBob, big guy pants okay.”
Who would be your dream director for a Cashier music video?
“David Lynch.”
Are The Beatles overrated?
“No – they’re so overrated that they became underrated… tap back in.”
