Josh Cashman
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Josh Cashman

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“I never lived in Melbourne until two years ago,” Cashman says. “I grew up in the country in a place called Sale, and I played a bit of music there but only really as a hobby. It was never the passion it is now. But the move to Melbourne opened up different opportunities and exposed me to people who were actually interested in performing music as well. It gave me that first inkling of, ‘Maybe this is something that I might actually be able to make something of’.”

The Melbourne music scene has long been the stuff of collaborative legend, and its denizens take legitimate pride that you can wander down most streets secure in the knowledge that behind at least one of those doors is a musician. It generates some amazing talent, but also sustains a vibrant public enthusiasm for performance, most recently typified by the Love Street Music and Arts Festival. A boutique festival with a huge lineup of blues, folk, performance art, puppetry and DJ sets, there is undoubtedly something for everyone. Yet even in the unlikely event you don’t recognise anyone on the bill, such is the spirit of Love Street that you’re almost certain to be charmed by the energy on offer.

“At Love Street, people get to see me do my alternative-folk performance, but then go and catch someone like Gena Rose Bruce, who has this really unique sound – almost an Amy Winehouse thing. Playing festivals with so many different bands means you’re seeing so many different aspects of sounds. I’m excited about it, but I’m also expecting it to be pretty calm and relaxing.”

Love Street will also give audiences the opportunity to hear the evolution of Cashman’s music firsthand. For someone still quite new to the music scene, his sounds and influences have expanded tremendously. While his debut EP Wait for the Sun arrived just last year, already the music Cashman is releasing has experienced a sea-change. With another release just over the horizon, Cashman is not only a friendly fellow to chat with; he is a talent whose evolution is unfolding as we speak.

“My first release was, ‘Let’s put something together and see what happens.’ So listening back to those first recordings – it’s not embarrassing, but I use them as a stepping-stone. Even in the last lke eight months, music has become so much more of a passion. My first release compared to where my music is now is very, very different. I’ve discovered new sounds, I’m able to play different shows. I’ve gone from a lot of folk-reggae songs to a more alternative-folk path. I’m using a lot of synthesisers. The fun is always discovering new sounds. I don’t want to be seen as just another folk singer/songwriter. But it’s still such early days with me and my songwriting. I’m 20, and this is a release that I feel close to, but I already have another single I’ll be releasing at the start of next year, which is going to be different again. It’ll still have that folky sound, I guess I always will. But I’ll be trying to open even more doors now.”

BY ADAM NORRIS