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Paid by Cash "The aim is not so much to sound good as it is to sound different"

We asked emerging West Yorkshire band Paid by Cash about their music, what's in the works and what they do outside of making tunes.

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Paid by Cash.

Paid by Cash are a brand-new post-punk band from Yorkshire whose Fontaines DC-inspired sound is one you don’t want to miss, and which you can hear on 2022's excellent debut EP Static Ideas.

Now Then asked Oliver, Sam, Jimmi, Harry and Vince a few questions about their influences, touring the North and what’s in the works.

Tell us a bit about yourselves. What do you do when you’re not making tunes?

Oliver: I currently study music in Manchester and live in Liverpool after having a gap year off.

Sam: Like Oliver and Jimmi I’m also studying music, so I’m constantly working on something music-wise. Manchester is the perfect place to be in that respect. Paid by Cash is just one of my creative outlets – one arrow in my quiver if you will.

Jimmi: [I'm] usually at gigs around Manchester.

Harry: I go to uni in Sheffield, so I’m working a lot of the time. I like to cook, watch something good on Netflix or go to the pub.

Vince: University, work, band, fitness, relationships. I’m refreshingly laid-back for a man of such responsibility.

Each of you, please describe your music in three words.

Oliver: Moody, ambient, atmospheric.

Sam: Alright, I guess.

Jimmi: Wall of noise.

Harry: Moody, dynamic, spacey.

Vince: Rock and/or roll.

What would you say your main influences are?

Oliver: The main influence comes from a few artists. For example, the way we use textures in a song is inspired by Radiohead and the whole shoegaze genre as a whole – trying to use guitars in an abnormal way – as well as bands like Slint and American Football, which inspire our melodic-like guitar sounds.

Sam: Fontaines D.C. I try and replicate their energy when we play live. I’ve had much more exposure to jazz than my bandmates, having played in jazz bands before. It’s a very different style to Paid by Cash but it definitely informs my playing.

Jimmi: Peter Hook from Joy Division is probably my biggest influence for bass lines. I'd say shoegaze and a lot of the newer post-punk bands have influenced our overall sound too. I think one way to make up for a lack of musical talent is to run the instruments through so many effects that you can’t tell. Our music sounds a bit like Sonic Youth in that way. The aim is not so much to sound good as it is to sound different.

Harry: We have quite a broad range over the band, but I suppose a lot of shoegaze bands inform my guitar playing, such as Slowdive.

Vince: Right now, I am very into Khruangbin and Pinkshinyultrablast. They reach a similarly ethereal destination but take vastly different routes to get there. Plus, they’re worth lots of points in a game of Scrabble.

You’ve recently been on a support tour around the North. How was it supporting different bands, and do you have any memories that stood out?

Oliver: It was just nice to experience new cities and the new crowds they brought.

Sam: Supporting IST IST in Leeds last year. We had the chance to play with great sound. This was our first sell-out show.

Jimmi: It’s been fun. All the bands we’ve supported have been really cool.

Harry: It’s been good fun playing across the North and seeing what each town has to offer. My favourite memory was probably seeing all my pals come down to Sheffield to see us.

Vince: The phrase 'baptism of fire' comes to mind. I hadn’t played a gig for over a year, and I find no matter how much you practice, playing live is a separate skill. So more or less everything went wrong at some point (I call it James Murphy’s law). I had the time of my life, in other words.

Is there a dream venue you’d want to play?

Oliver: Not necessarily to be honest. As long as the crowd’s energy is there, that’ll do for me.

Sam: Coming from Leeds, the Brudenell Social Club stands out. Another iconic Leeds venue is the Dry Dock, which is inside a boat on dry land (look it up). No idea if they have bands on but it would be a first.

Jimmi: Albert Hall in Manchester. It’s a really nice venue and I’ve seen some good gigs there.

Harry: Dream venues for me are the Leadmill and the Brudenell – just such historic places with a great atmosphere.

Vince: I hate to follow the crowd, but the Brudenell does stand out. I was fortunate enough to see Geese there which reminded me of how high the standards are. I’m not pandering to the audience when I say the Leadmill is also up there. Again, I saw the standards set by Dick and Dom recently. At a distant third, I'd say Wembley.

What can we expect from you guys in the future?

Sam: Hopefully a lot more music if we’re allowed.

Jimmi: We’ve been working on some exciting new stuff recently and we’ve got loads more gigs coming up soon.

Harry: We’ve got some more songs on the way, and potentially some headlines next year.

Vince: I’m just delighted to be here to be honest, so anything more is just a bonus. The music has improved so much in such little time (no thanks to me) that it's genuinely quite exciting. Time is on our side.

by Victoria Ruck (she/they)
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