Cash Savage has spent most of her day, as she puts it, "answering questions about my own vulnerabilities" posed around her And The Last Drinks' new album, 'So This Is Love'.
At its core, the release is about the "self-shattering experience of depression" with Cash executing and coming to terms with themes of fragility within the economy, the environment, society, relationships, and her own mental well-being.After a morning spent addressing the heavy nuances of the release, a nice little pick-me-up for Cash comes by way of a slice of carrot cake, her favourite, on which she happily and intermittently munches as she chats about the new album.
As to how Cash is doing now compared to when 'So This Is Love' came together, she says: "I'm great!" – and carrot cake is currently contributing to that.
"I've been through the ringer, that's for sure, but I definitely feel a bit more like a human and not an empty shell," Cash says with a laugh.
Moving away from exposing her vulnerabilities for the umpteenth time, the Melburnian agrees that talking about counterattacks and solutions is a good idea – and despite what you may think, music wasn't a big way through for Cash. "[It was] allowing myself to feel feelings," she says.
"I know that at times that's not easy or helpful, but I come from a family who are toxically positive all the time, and that was no longer working for my mental health. Being okay being sad, that it was it. And I turned my life upside down, and I had to rebuild it."
Cash says she was lucky to have had the support of friends and family in her redirection of self. "Me and my circle of friends have taken turns being there for each other," Cash explains between munches. "I have a wonderful community around me, I've got really good mates, really solid friends.
"I'm one of those people who've been lucky enough to carry friends through from being a teenager, and I've got friends who in the last few years have become close. An extended family of friends."
Cash is great. For all that her music might herald impressions of an alt-rock aggression and post-punk middle finger, she's easy to talk to. She's quick to lift a person up and offer an ear, reciprocating the support and warmth which she herself received in recent years.
These are all indicators of Cash being in a relatively positive place now. "It's a funny one though – 'are you okay?'. I think there's an inherent problem in that whole concept," Cash muses.
"If anyone asks me how I'm doing, I say 'good'. I have friends that are similar where the asking of 'are you okay?' is pointless.
"Sitting with them for an hour or two might make a difference. The question itself is a barrier, but talking to them may actually help you know if your friend's okay."
Fans of Cash Savage And The Last Drinks need not ask if the artist is okay but listen only to the album. Given the thematic weight of 'So This Is Love', it needed a particular tone and a variety of textures to uphold these ideas in a sonic setting.
Cash has a few safeguards in place to deliver said weighty words and sounds, and help her carry the message without reverting back to a potentially mentally detrimental slump.
"The final part of the process for me is giving the songs to the crowd. Then they become not mine anymore, they belong to everyone, and everyone puts their own story into the songs.
"There's also, the more I perform [the songs], the less it haunts me. There are a couple of songs we do in rehearsal, [and] by the time we've gotten through rehearsal, the song's become just a piece of music I'm performing with other people.
"There are lines in the songs that are going to stay with me. Not always, but there are definitely songs in every album where every time I sing 'em, they can take me to a moment."
Cash draws on latest single and album cut '$600 Short On The Rent' by way of an example. "There's a line that I wrote in the shower – every time I sing it, I can get taken [back] to the shower.
"It's not like I'm taken to this awful place – I mean, I obviously wasn't having a great time, but I get taken to this physical space of having a shower."
Though the narrative of the songs Cash will be performing with The Last drinks on their upcoming tour holds great weight for the artist, she says she's okay with relinquishing interpretation onto the audience. "I love it," she says.
"This is essentially the first time I've talked openly about what the songs are about. With this [album], I'm being open about what the songs are about. Part of the process for me with this album is going through that, but normally I don't like telling people.
"People come and tell me what my songs are about all the time. It's no less real to them as it is to me – once you give those songs away, they're not yours to interpret anymore.
"I know what they are for me, but there's no way I'm going to tell people they're wrong about what the song's about because they're not wrong – the songs are about whatever they want them to be."
Cash Savage And The Last Drinks 2023 Tour Dates
Sat 6 May - Mojos Bar (Fremantle)Sat 13 May - Meeniyan Town Hall (Gippsland)
Fri 19 May - Minerva (Ballarat)
Sat 20 May - Torquay Hotel (Torquay)
Thu 1 Jun - Brisbane Powerhouse
Fri 2 Jun - The Eltham Hotel (Northern Rivers)
Sat 3 Jun - City Recital Hall (Sydney)
Fri 23 Jun - The Corner Hotel (Melbourne)* sold out
Fri 21 Jul - The Corner Hotel (Melbourne)* new show
