Cashier
Emerging from Lafayette, Louisiana’s DIY circuit, Cashier balances the crushing force of shoegaze with a new, intentional clarity inspired by '90s emo. Their debut EP, “The Weight,” came out March 13, marking a significant sonic evolution for the four-piece. Having already shared stages with genre titans like Dinosaur Jr. and Whirr, the band proves their sound is anchored by a raw, emotional vulnerability that resonates far beyond home.
Recently, bandleader Kylie Gaspard shared her thoughts on the current state of the band and where its headed next.
YY: In true indie nature, “The Weight” was recorded in producer Chad Viator’s home studio in your hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana. How did being in a familiar environment affect your “laser-focused” approach to songwriting?
KG: Chad is so important to us — he was actually our high school music teacher — he put us on to a lot of the music that influences us today. He always encouraged us to create and write and just have fun making music. I think because of that, we trust him a lot to help us execute this vision.
He is a great producer and engineer and a good friend of ours. We owe a lot to him, and he helped create that familiar environment by just letting us be comfortable with him and confident in what we are making, so I would say that it was definitely easy to expand our sound, because our recordings are in the hands of someone who has always pushed us to do so.
In terms of my writing, I love that the term “laser-focused” is used, because I don’t feel like I’m writing in that way. I think my style of writing is very specific, and in order to write I have to be in a very particular setting and in the right mood or have some kind of deadline. I feel like the songs seem that way just because of the format that I tend to favor. There’s not much meat to any of our songs, unless it’s very intentional. I like to have an intro, verse, chorus, etc... I just got into writing bridges; but truth be told I don’t feel like a laser-focused writer. When you live in your hometown, it kind of gives a sense of calm and the ability to slow down and just focus on your work. You don’t have to worry about seeing people all the time or going to big events because you have lived there forever, so you can really settle in and just create — I feel more free to be creative here because it’s so familiar.
This EP marks a bit of a sonic departure from your earlier singles, favoring vibrant and clear tones over dissonance. What do you think changed about your influences or creative approach that led you to the results we hear on “The Weight?”
I was listening to a lot of 90s emo guitar music at the time and felt inspired to write something that would allow me to play out a bit more. I consider myself “rhythm” guitar or “guitar 2,” because I’m usually singing almost the entire time I’m playing — so my parts have always been more simple. But I wanted to prove to myself that I can play more and still sing, and the best way for me to hone that skill was just to incorporate more of that kind of playing.
The track “For I Never Knew You” acts as a “noise interlude” that intentionally disrupts the EP’s harmonic momentum. What do you think it was about the contrast between the EP’s halves that called for a purely abstract transition?
The intention of this track is to kind of mimic how we are playing live — Jo does this feedback interlude before “Same Mistakes” every show, so we thought it would be great to just add it in the EP. “Part From Me” has a cold ending, which kind of opens up the EP to go any direction. “For I Never Knew You” grabs the listener’s attention again and builds curiosity for what the back half might sound like. There was definitely an opportunity to do something interesting with that space, and since we play a lot with feedback and texture it just seemed like the right artistic choice.
How do you think your Louisiana roots continue to shape what you create, even as you look ahead to performing for larger audiences across the U.S. and at festivals like SXSW?
There is a big emphasis on music where we are from. I think there will always be a very supportive community at home, and I feel like we try to carry that wherever we go. I’m excited to support our friends and musical collaborators at SXSW and go to as many shows as possible. We like to connect with fans and make music that’s accessible for anyone to play and sing along to and hope that our future audience engages with us in that way.
This is old news to some, but for the sake of nostalgia, Cashier made a subtle appearance on Frank Ocean’s Instagram story a couple of years ago when the band was newer on the scene. How did that change things for you at the time?
I feel like it changed everything — we were doing what we could with just two or three songs out, not taking it too seriously at the time, and then all of a sudden we got some attention and realized that we could kind of make this thing pop off. We gained some real fans from that exposure.
Now there are Cashier fans everywhere wanting to help us get opportunities and be a part of our success, for which I am eternally grateful — and none of those connections would have happened without the Frank Ocean event. Hopefully one day I can thank him.
With the new EP out in March and an appearance at SXSW and more shows on the way, there’s a lot in store for the band this year. What are you most looking forward to in 2026?
We are hoping to expand our reach via touring, maybe going overseas. I’m eager to really start working on an LP and do a little more world building for Cashier, as well as meeting new bands and fans and making more friends across the country.
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