Cash Cash *interview w/ Jean Paul & Sam*
Cash Cash
Jean Paul Makhlouf vocals, guitar
Alex Luke Makhlouf keyboard, backing vocals
Sam Frisch – bass, backing vocals
Anthony Villacari drums
Cash Cash is an exciting techno pop group from the 2 mile long town of Roseland, New Jersey. The band consists of Jean Paul Makhlouf (vocals, guitar), Alex Makhlouf (keyboards, programming), Samuel Frisch (vocals, bass), and Anthony Villacari (drums, percussion). With a sound that is refreshing, electric and infectious, Cash Cash is able to seamlessly tap into 70s funk, 80s anthem pop and 90s mellow alternative all at once. Their mission, described perfectly by Jean Paul, is to Bring back some of that 70s funk guitar, mixed in with the life and fun of the 80s.
*courtesy of their official site bio.
Warped Tour 2009 gave me so many interviews, that I am still posting them! =) I got to talk with Jean Paul (vocals, guitar) and Sam (bass, backing vocals), check it out!
*as a side note, these were transcribed from audio, so at times it’s difficult to distinguish between Sam and Jean Paul per each answer
So are you all a pretty new band?
Relatively new, we used to be a band called The Consequence back in high school, then after we got signed we had to change our name because this rapper already had the legal name. They were kind of suing us, and we had some member changes, so Cash Cash it is! It’s lasted about a year and a half.
When did you all graduate from high school?
[Jean Paul] 04. We have some younger boys in the band. My little brother [Alex] is only 19.
How does it feel being on the Warped Tour when you all are so young,? You’re playing with bands like The Bouncing Souls, who’ve been a band for 20 years!
It’s pretty cool! I mean a lot of bands we grew up listening to, we’re sharing the stage with them, and it’s like a privilege you know?
Who are some of the bands here that you all want to see?
NOFX, I’ve seen The Bouncing Souls a few times, they’re sick. I want to see On the Road still, I haven’t seen them. Bad Religion, All Time Low, gotta catch them.
Do you all watch bands when you’re on tour?
Yeah we have time between signings and stuff. I never even know who’s playing where. I never even check the board, we always get ’em but then lose them in like half an hour or so. We’re always walking around and stuff so catch random bands and find out who they are.
Where are you all living right now?
New Jersey, the Garden State.
I will make fun of you..
What, you got a problem with New Jersey?
Do you all watch the Real Housewives of New Jersey?
I haven’t seen it yet, but supposedly it’s filmed right near our guitar player Mike’s house.
Do you watch any reality TV?
We watch Sopranos and uh South Park, a lot of South Park, and you know a collection of movies that we have.
No reality TV?!?!??
We don’t really have TV that we can watch, you know when we’re on tour so we have a DVD player so we can watch collections of dvds.
Jean Paul (vocals) *live*
So have you all been on a lot of other tours?
We’ve been on tour with bands like Metro Station, played some shows with Boys Like Girls. We just got back from the United Kingdom with Cobra Starship, that was really cool.
How was that?
It was sick, it was like a sold out show, it was awesome.
Were you playing in like an arena?
No a small club, it was awesome though, like a crazy sold out show, it was amazing.
Jean Paul and the Gnome bonded
So have you all had your favorite area to tour yet? Have you been all over the country?
Yeah we’ve toured the country pretty much. Southern California is always good. I always think the whole West Coast is good to play in. Seattle, Portland… I love playing in Chicago, but Seattle mostly.
I’m from the South, and you need to give me a good reason why you don’t like playing around here!
Personally I don’t like it in the south because all the clubs you can smoke in, and you can’t smoke in bars like back where we’re from, which is awesome.
Yeah where I live you can’t smoke now, but it did take a bit longer. I don’t smoke so you don’t have to worry about that.
Yeah so this was a first date.
What?
Isn’t that what this was, a first date interview.
I heard you put out on the first date, is that right?
I do put out on the first date.
What about you, Sam?
[Sam] Sometimes. She has to be special, yeah.
So she has to have big boobs and a big butt?
Yeah pretty much. Always practice safe sex.
What’s safe sex mean?
It means always pull out. Always.
Sam and Jean Paul (Cash Cash)
What kind of girls do you guys like to date?
Nice ones, ones you could bring home to mom and you know, a Christmas dinner. Not scare away the whole family.
Do you like girls that swear a lot? Is that unattractive?
Only in the bedroom. It can be very attractive sometimes. I want a lady on the street but a freak in the bed! That’s pretty much it.
I hear that. What about this: Do you guys like big fake boobs or do you think they’re kind of a turn off?
[Jean Paul] I like ’em but don’t like ’em. But I do like them overall, they’re cool. Boobs are nice, I like medium sized boobs. Nothing too big, nothing too small. Yeah real boobs, that’s awesome. I’m a face guy, I need a girl with a nice pretty face, nice pretty eyes, good personality, boobs are a plus.
Well do you have anything else to add, anything coming up?
Well uh, not really, I mean we have our CD out, it’s called Take it to the Floor, you can get that on iTunes. We have a new music video out for our single, Party in the Bedroom.
I’ll have to check that out!
And we’re going to start a party in your bedroom tonight.
Ha! I live two hours away from here…
It’s all right, party in the van, party in the van.
Official Cash Cash Website
Cash Cash on MySpace
About the Author
Denise Borders 39, Los Angeles. Denise founded PWV in 2008 and remains the primary manager and photographer/videographer. She is not secretly obsessed with Joey Cape.
Related Posts
Vans Warped Tour to Celebrate 30 Years by Resurrecting →
Interview: Mercy Music →
Bouncing Sounds Debut Video for “Crucial Moments” →
2 Responses to Cash Cash *interview w/ Jean Paul & Sam*