The latest album release from Cash Machine touches on some very cozy warm contemporary rock and jazz undertones that are riddled with hints of funk and classic rock that give off vibes that feel both nostalgic in a way and refreshing as well.
The self-titled album is a pretty big one and within its 12-song span is able to spread its wings as wide as possible and really showcase their particular breed of musicianship.
These songs are written beautifully and definitely have this heavy element of soul that lasts from beginning to end.
And I think that's part of why this record sticks in your head so well even after it's been played through. It's got that soul that you become addicted to.
There's something else about this record that also is quite infectious and that's the fact that it's got this live performance aspect kind of just lurking below the surface.
It feels like these guys may have recorded this live on the floor. I can't be sure of course; however, you can hear the element of players feeding off of each other's energies and creating this live performance atmosphere in a way.
Whether I'm right or wrong doesn't matter really. The point is that you listen to this record and if you play it through its full course, you feel like you've just been to a show in a way.
That aspect is really cool to me because that's what also helps give that jazz undertone like I spoke of earlier. Old jazz records and lots of new ones as well for that matter, are recorded live on the floor and so the players do actually work with each other in that setting to create a different vibe.
Either way, this record has some really stellar guitar work and songwriting that can at times be a bit cinematic, theatrical, they tell stories as well and everything is done with a clear love for their craft.
Cash Machine feels like a group of seasoned musicians that know exactly what they want and have probably been playing together long enough to get that without too much trouble.
Organs fill the air and give that purebred classic rock backbone that bounces along with the contemporary and the jazz to give things a rounded feel.
This was a welcoming and crisp, but warm soundscape and everything about it felt good.
With the release of such a wonderful record, we wanted to have a sit down with the band to find out where this actually came from and what might be coming up next for them as well.
Here's what happened.
Buzz Slayers: Let's kick things off with the self-titled Cash Machine album. This record had a huge feel to it and came through with an edgy color! Where did this album come from?
- Thanks for the kind words! As cliché as it sounds, this album is really a reflection
of all of our past influences and the music we grew up listening to. There’s some
grunginess in there from our times growing in the 90’s, there’s some progressive
stuff going on, some jazzy elements, some funky grooves, and it definitely rocks.
The most important part is that, these songs are really a group effort from
everyone in the band and they have a unified sound while also pulling from a
wide variety of places and I think you can hear that in this album.
Buzz Slayers: When did this all start for you guys?
- Everyone in this band has known each other for a very long time and played
together in different configurations over the years. We really wanted this specific
lineup of musicians to try something together and we talked about it for a few
years and eventually got in a room together a few times and immediately came
out with some very interesting original songs. This would have been 2019 when
we first got together and just as we were about to start thinking about doing some shows, Covid hit, so we just kept writing until we had a full album’s worth of good material. At that point, shows started happening again and we were a fully
realized band at that point.
Buzz Slayers: What inspires you to write a song?
- We have a few people in the band who write more than others, but everyone
contributes, which is one of the best things about this band. A few of us are
groove/riff-based writers where we will come in with a nice “A” part of a tune and
then we build a song around that together as a bad. Some of us are more
progression typewriters where we will have a full set of moving pieces that work
together and then we add some hook-type stuff around that. Having multiple
writers with different styles definitely adds to variety but everything flows through
the band dynamic and we all put our stamp on it which gives it our cohesive
sound. We are all very comfortable with one another and the ego gets checked at
the door. That really encourages everyone to bring in material and take or add to
whatever we are working on.
Buzz Slayers: This song has some great styles! Can you give us some of your top musical influences?
- We all came up in the 90’s scene so there’s some grunge rock in here, Pearl
Jam, Soundgarden, etc. Radiohead was a big influence for a lot of us. Several of
us are jam band lovers so Phish and the like makes its way in. Our drummer is a
big Tool and Rush guy and that definitely shows in his playing. Talking Heads is
a big piece we try to incorporate. Somehow it all works together and sounds like
Cash Machine at the end of the day.
Buzz Slayers: What are you all doing when you're NOT working on music?
- We all have day jobs. Software development, engineering, graphic design,
manufacturing, our singer is a Chiropractor. About half of us have kids and
families. We all enjoy spending time with each outside of music which is really
nice, friends first, band mates second, which really helps the hang and any
situations where there’s a disagreement. We really know each other personally
so, we’re a bit more understanding of each other than otherwise.
Buzz Slayers: Who's in all your headphones right now?
- It’s always changing, and I’m sure everyone would give a different answer but
there’s a good bit of common ground between us too. Hard to get away from the
classics - Miles Davis, the Meters, Morris Day and The Time, Prince. Snarky
Puppy is never too far away. Vulfpeck, Louis Cole, also really digging Smile right
now, the new project from Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood from Radiohead.
Some other regulars, Primus, Tool, Mars Volta, The Meters, Phish, anything
John Scofield is doing, P Funk, Bowie, could go on but that’s a nice slice of it.
Buzz Slayers: Are you guys doing any live performances right now?
- We are. We have a show at Backstreets in Clemson, SC on 3/4 as well as
several others later in the year at Fr8yard in Spartanburg and Fall for Greenville
Festival in Greenville, SC this Fall. People can stay up to date on our website
https://www.cashmachineband.com/ as well as find all of our socials through that
as well.
Buzz Slayers: This album feels like a big undertaking, is there any advice you'd give to other up and coming bands out there?
- Keep pushing forward. Forming a band, writing a full albums worth of songs,
getting together a live show, playing gigs, going in the studio and recording the
songs, getting them mixed, mastered, and onto streaming services, cutting
vinyl…this all seems like a huge amount of work and it is, but taking things one
step at a time and just continuing to work and push forward makes things like this happen.
Buzz Slayers: What can your fans expect from you in the near future?
- We’re going to keep playing live shows in the area and promote this album but
we’re also working on the next batch of songs and have a nice start on the next
album. I would expect us to have plans to go back into the studio before the end
of the year or early next year for our follow up album.
Buzz Slayers: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
- We appreciate everyone who’s listened and continues to listen and come to our
shows and show us support. We’ve gotten some really great feedback on this
batch of songs and we hope people will share it with their friends and help us
grow this thing with us.