Formed through a combined love of and skill for songwriting, Birmingham musician Shaun Smith (aka Stealth) and London producer, singer and writer Ross O’ Reilly have come together to release a set of songs under the moniker Cash & Carter. Paying tribute to the legendary country icons both through name and musicality, the duo present their debut EP ‘No Use Praying’, inspired by classic artists such as The Eagles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Crosby Stills & Nash, as well as the likes of Chris Stapleton and Alabama Shakes, offering a refreshing and honest take on country and Americana.
“The writing of the EP has, in truth, taken years. It’s very much a project that has been led by the fact we had a collection of unreleased music that had a concurrent sound running through it and it was a damn shame not to have it out in the world. So in that sense getting the tracks together has taken a long time, but once we put the dots together, the project came together very quickly.
“This is a very proud moment for us both. We have always been hugely proud of these songs and it’s a pleasure to share them with the world. We just hope listeners enjoy the music as much as we had making it.” – Cash & Carter
Describing previous single ‘Americana (Letting Her Go)’ as ‘cathartic to write’, the EP allows Cash & Carter to present a tender side, a muffled guitar line opening an ode to a friend lost to suicide. It’s a difficult yet beautifully moving track that manages to both pay tribute to their memory and act as a cathartic exploration of the grieving process of such a profound loss.
Following the delicately buoyant ‘Ballad of Talulah’, in a bold move, the duo close the EP with an inspired take on a classic by The Cure, ‘Just Like Heaven’. In their hands, it becomes an eerie pensive stomp which slowly builds with lead singer Shaun’s atmospheric vocal delivery, Ross’s skillful guitar and some powerful percussion taking the original into a much darker realm. Just as Cash & Carter show their capability of constructing a powerful ballad, they demonstrate their knack of extracting something hidden within a popular song to make it their own.
Explaining why they decided to record their own version, Shaun simply says it’s because “We loved it. The reason we chose to do that song as a cover is because we felt we could really change its feel. The original is such a fast, major song, there are a lot of things to play around with.”
With their modern mix of UK country and flashes of traditional Americana the duo have been hotly tipped for success since releasing their debut single in 2023, which catapulted straight onto the US New Music Friday Country Playlist on Spotify.
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