I met and heard Martin Cash for the first time
only a few months ago. I was immediately
impressed by his maturity of musicality. He is a
consummate drummer/percussionist, the son
of Christian music producer legend Ed Cash,
the rhythmic force behind We the Kingdom, and
a worshiper. Their next musical collaboration is
unofficially scheduled for an August release.
[WM] Martin, what a delight it is to visit with
you today! Thanks for this time.
[Martin] Thank you.
[WM] Let’s start with this: Who were your
earliest influences in your decision to play
drums?
[Martin] I mentioned this briefly on the WFL III
Drums interview that I did. It started when I was
about thirteen or fourteen. I grew up with my
Dad being a music producer, so I was around
all of these musicians, being able to peak into
the studio life a little bit. For one project he
ended up hiring Steve Jordan, John Mayer’s
drummer. He’s done a bunch of stuff. So, he
comes in, and I get to be there for the few days
that he’s playing, and it’s blowing my mind. He
is definitely a huge part of what I’ve taken into
my own vocabulary, and hopefully I’m able to
use a fraction of what he does. Anyway, he
plays the songs down, and on the last day it
was like, while we’ve got him here it would be
incredible to set up two kits in a room and have
us play together. So, he was super cool about
it, and they set up another kit for me. So, I’m
eight feet from Steve Jordan, just jamming out.
That was definitely a pretty pinnacle moment
for me. Where the shift happened for me going
from playing drums for a hobby, obviously
you’re passionate about it and you love it, but
the shift over to thinking that this could be my
living. And I really wanted it to be the way I
make my living. So, it went from a hobby to a
career. But I remember it like it was yesterday.
simplicity, finesse, color, nuance, kick patterns,
drum fills, etc.? Who were and are the best to
you and in what areas?
[Martin] I would first say that the way I learned
to play was very much non-technical, so I’ve
kind of dabbled a bit in learning how to read
music, but even now so much of it is a heart
thing and playing by ear. All musicians and all
drummers are particular to their specific craft,
but I think I was drawn to the ones who didn’t
necessarily play technically, it was more of a
heart felt type of thing. There’s something I like
to call ‘song drummers’, where the way that
they play is almost like a melody. The fills they
choose and kick patterns and everything, it’s all
supporting the entirety of the song, and that’s
kind of how I learned to play. The first person
that comes to mind is Ringo. He’s interesting
by the fact that he plays the song. Obviously,
he’s a phenomenal drummer, and his parts are
so iconic because it’s more than just holding
down the beat. He’s created these parts that
now become the song, and a lot of them are
the hook. You think about “Come Together”,
and his part is the hook of the song. The
parts are simplistic enough that everyone can
repeat them in their mind, you see them live
and everyone is playing the parts with their
hands, but it’s iconic enough for everyone to
remember.
[WM] I interviewed you and the band just
several months ago for the December issue of
Worship Musician. And just the month following
I was in attendance at the Worship Together
Conference where you all took the stage.
Wow! One of the things I loved was the band’s
ability to dynamically go from zero to 60 in a
split second. And the anticipation and mystery
that We the Kingdom created with lighting and
house sound prior to taking the stage was just
superb! How did the band arrive at this dynamic
and planning?
[Martin] First of all, thank you for saying
that. That’s hugely encouraging! I wish I could
give you a better answer, but a lot of this has
[WM] Did you find yourself listening to some
drummers specifically for their excellence in a
particular area or discipline, such as backbeat,
July 2020
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