Andrew Cashen Interview

Andrew is the primary songwriter and guitarist of Sweet Spirit.


What’s your favorite record and why?
I mean, I never had one favorite record. There is just too much out there. Here are some records that I remember listening to until they were unplayable.

T. Rex - Electric Warrior
The Stooges - S/T
Velvet Underground & Nico
Sparks - Kimono My House
Sam Cooke - Everything He Has Ever Done In His Entire Career Ever

I could go on and on but I feel like I'm just listing staples.

If you could get in tour bus with any band ever, who would it be, why, and what would it look like?
Motley Crue. Early Motley Crue. I don't know if the debauchery would be really really fun or just kinda depressing. Either way I'm sure you would have some stories to tell by the water cooler the next day, that or Jars of Clay.
    
What would you be doing now if you weren’t pursuing music?
Before I moved to Austin, I did Search Engine Optimization in Houston. Its one of those jobs where you sit in a tiny cubicle and contemplate suicide all day. So probably death. Death or Graphic Design I do have a degree in that.
   
To whom do you owe a huge thank you and why?
The Guilla-Teens. When I was 14 or 15 years old they were that local band that was magic. The way they looked, the way they sounded, the fact that they were only like 2 or 3 years older than us. The whole package was a light bulb that told me "you can actually do this". Before that moment, it just seemed so unattainable. I went back and found some of their music, its ok, not as good as I remembered but still held up pretty well. If any of the bands I've played in do that for someone else then it's worth it. Stay broke y'all.
    
Tell us about your best friend
This question is fucking stupid. I feel like I would answer it the same way I did the record question. I like my friends you know who you are, I probably like you even If you hate me, I even like people who are super annoying, they're still pretty interesting. I hate Big Head, that's the crack head who stole my bike.

What’s the most memorable encounter you’ve had with a complete stranger?
This Hummer, with tinted black windows, was in a parking lot that I was also smoking a cigarette in. This soccer mom gets out and runs into to a convenience store. Suddenly, I hear this really loud bass coming from the Hummer and I think to myself "damn soccer mom's a little gansta". Slowly, the back window rolls down. I thought the music was loud with the windows rolled up, but it was full on night club in the parking lot now. The windows rolling down also revealed that the music inside the Hummer was the Kool & the Gang classic "Jungle Boogie", and emerging from the window is a, couldn't be more than 4 year old, little girl who is dancing like Chris Tucker. She was staring at me like a boxer who just entered the ring. She had a "Do something Bitch, I dare you" face. I was having a pretty shitty day and that experience turned it around and stuck with me for a while afterwards.

Jake Knight Interview

Jake is the keyboardist of Sweet Spirit.


What’s your favorite record and why?
Kid A by Radiohead stands out. It sounds weird at first but then the weirdness becomes addictive. I'm not talking about my sexual behaviors. I hear it goes great with psilocybin mushrooms.


What would you be doing now if you weren’t pursuing music?
I would probably take a lot of naps, watch a lot of tv, and try to find something else to do.

You have 24 hours, where, with who, and what?
This is a very morbid scenario. The idea of dying is difficult to grasp to say the least. I would probably be at home trying to relax and enjoy stuff but end up spending most of the time thinking about the fact that in a few hours I would enter the death realm.

To whom do you owe a huge thank you to and why?
That would have to be Jim and Kathy Knight. Jim fixes people's hearts for a living and is as selfless and manly as they come. Kathy is a world-class mom and was more popular than my sister and me while we were in school.


Tell us about your best friend
I've collected a few through the years. They're all handsome guys that are successful professionals and have attractive girlfriends. Everything that I'm not and don't have.


Who’s your favorite movie character?
Let's go with the young Don Corleone played by Robert DeNiro. Baddest mofo on the planet. After Godfather 2 concludes, one can only imagine the things the future don would have to have done to ultimately become the head of la cosa nostra.

Would you survive a zombie invasion?
Like my homeboy Will Clark, I'd go down swinging.

Josh Merry Interview

Josh plays the guitar for Sweet Spirit.


What’s your favorite record and why?
Currently, my favorite record is "seventh wave" by a band called Sci-fi. I got it for three bucks at this vintage furniture store up on north loop because it had a rad cover. It wound up being this amazing ELO-butmorefuckedup type of record and I can't stop listening to it. I keep threatening to have a sit down beer listening party with Jon(AKA John) and Danny but have yet to follow through. I also really like the new Spoon record. All time favorite is too tough to answer. Maybe "Night at the Opera" by Queen, if greatest hits is not an option.

“I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger” except what advice would you give your 50 year old self?
I would never give a 50 year old version of myself advice. I would say, "where did I reeeeeallly fuck up?" And then I would most likely sack-tap future me.

Who’s your favorite movie character?
This is like favorite album... I will say The Mask and Ace Ventura ruined any chance of me not being super annoying to be around pretty early on.

What’s been your greatest moment of doubt, and how did you get through it?
I have no idea. Moving to Texas by myself fucked me up pretty bad for awhile. I got thru it by nagging everyone I met until people let me play in their bands. Now, I nag them about the songs we play.

What’s the most memorable encounter you’ve had with a complete stranger?
I rode by a man on the south congress bridge, when I first moved here, who was on the phone, and heard him say" I'm just gonna jump". I made it about halfway down the bridge and turned around and rode up to him and asked him what was wrong blah blah blah. His girl had just left him and he was crying over his face tattoos so, I talked him down the best I could and he's like " yea man?! Let's go get drunk!" So I got shithoused with this guy at like one in the afternoon at casino and felt real good about myself and then found out from like five different people that that guy is a total asshole. That's the first thing that came to mind.

To whom do you owe a huge thank you to and why?
First and foremost are my mom and dad. They bought me drums when I was fuckin 3! They put up with so much crap and always encouraged me, let me have a half stack in my bedroom, didn't kill me when I told them that grades didn't matter when I was 13 because I was gonna play music. I am forever indebted to them and think of them every time I start to feel lazy. Second, is probably David Woffard. He was the first talented musician in Austin who let me play with him and kind of brought me into the scene around here. Also, he introduced me to Sparks, which is one of my favorite bands now. I'd say I owe him but I put up with so much crap from him I think were even now. I love that man. Lastly, for now I'd say Sabrina and Andrew. Playing in Sweet Spirit is fucking fun. Oh and Danny and John for giving me rides everywhere.