I don’t know what drew my attention to this single from the many submissions found in the GDW email inbox, but I needed something to share today, and the words “American Cash” just seemed to jump out at me when I quickly skimmed through the most recent arrivals. An instant connection was made: our support for Canadian artists and the entertainment they provide, and their appreciation of our American cash to sustain their livelihoods. With a pandemic that still shows no sign of disappearing any time soon, we are all deprived of live music – the in-person variety, of course, because there is nothing better than that – that we’d give anything right now to spend our hard-earned money to see some of our Canadian favorites up on stage, cranking out tune after tune to a room full of fans, and generating that metaphysical connection that comes with it. That’s what I want that right now. Take my American cash, I beg you.
“American Cash” is the latest single from Toronto, ON indie-rockers Long Range Hustle, and is the follow up to their February release, “Comeback Kid,” both tunes set to appear on an upcoming project from this five-piece band. Written just a few months before the pandemic struck, itself fortuitous timing for a song about the grind of financial uncertainty, Long Range Hustle hopes the chorus of this song can provide some release for those of us struggling financially right now: “We’ve got time / New ideas and designs / And it’s alright / Cause we can’t eat them.” For anybody who has anxiously counted every penny and rationed every dollar over the past year, this is a kind, yet fittingly cynical anthem.
This is a band whose growth has accelerated over recent years, thanks in part to their cross country Canadian tours and the US too, gracing stages with established artists such as Matt Mays, Arkells, and The Glorious Sons. Comprised of Paul Brogee (guitar/violin/vocals), Jay Foster (synths/keys/vocals), Ryan Pritchard (guitars), Mike Brogee (bass/vocals) and AJ Fisico (drums/vocals), if this ensemble are not currently on your musical radar, go ahead and google them right now, bookmark their socials, listen to their music, and enjoy some momentary escapism from this harsh reality we currently find ourselves in. “I take too long to call you back / I’m sorting through money, American cash / Makes you feel rich, when you’re not / There’s ice hanging off all the trees / And off the radiator, I’d give up on heat / Before I’d give up on a dream.”
Fueled by ambitions, but stuck under the costs of big dreams, “American Cash” finds the band working endlessly and doing everything they can to make it count. Originally conceived as a slower, melodic tune, they discovered that the track naturally shifted to a more up-tempo direction once they started the recording process. “In this case, American Cash wanted to bop,” they recall. “As soon as we picked up the tempo and shifted up the key, it came to life in this wonderful and surprising way.” This is, after all, a song about money, most notably the absence of, and about struggling to realize your dreams while keeping a roof over your head, staying on top of the bills, and wondering just how long you can hold it all together. “Don’t get comfortable / Because I’m tired of letting you down / Don’t get comfortable / Because I’m tired of letting you down.”
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
