Interview - Complete interview from a newspaper in Papendrecht
September 10, 2013
Where does your interest in Johnny Cash come from: his initials or his music style?
I remember the moment exactly: I was 14 years old and heard Johnny Cash for the first time by my friend who had a big professional tape recorder and was listening to the cassette tape “Welcome to Europe – Johnny Cash”. I heard the number: “Look at them beans” about the ups and downs of a famers family. I seemed a bit absent minded to my friend because I was listening full of surprise and curiosity to the ticking, subdued guitar strings and a man with an authoritative voice who spoke like it was the most important story in human history. I was allowed to take the cassette tape home and I listened in my room for the first time to “I walked the line”, “A boy named Sue”, and “Folsom Prison Blues”. A few months later I had my first “performance” at a talent show night.
My interest for Johnny Cash has grown over the years because he really has something to say through his songs and books. Cash confronts the hard, normal life. He sings about people who went wrong, unfaithfulness, murder, executions, war, disasters, but also about faith, hope, love, and respect for your parents. He does not keep it to himself. It is a sort of counter reaction to everything that is supposed to be ideal, pious or has to be happy. The musical style fits this: simple, easy, timeless, and often a bit rough. You have to have the guts to do this because it is sometimes surprisingly simple what you are doing.
Boy’s dream? Being a famous star with full auditoriums in your dreams?
I will be honest and will tell you that I have sang and played Johnny Cash songs every day. In my thoughts I always saw full auditoriums in front of me. I never took this seriously until Piet van Die appeared 30 years later with his Johnny Cash church services. Full auditoriums in my dreams: (laughing) of course. I honestly think that every musician has this or maybe they should have this dream. A full auditorium is a sign that people are touched by your music: they recognize themselves in it or they take hope or trust out of it. But being a famous star? No, I do not really have that. We play Cash cover songs so we live off of his legacy. He is the star in this case, it’s his music and we play for his fans. We put everything we got into it during our performances.
Who all plays in your band?
I really feel privileged to play with the musicians in our band all experienced 40 year olds. Wim Bevelander was the first musician I approached when I saw that the media publicity for the first Johnny Cash church service started to get out of the hand. I could not do this alone (turning grey) and asked Wim if he could help me. He responded enthusiastic. That was calming because Wim is an experienced musician who performs more than 30 years and makes albums. Out of the five of us, he basically looks the most like Johnny Cash: he writes his own songs, has his own style, and just does his own thing. He is rightfully nominated for the Silver Dove awards this year.
The second one I approached was Eric van Zonneveld: the most serving and friendly drummer, I have ever come across, and also a friend of mine. He did not have anything to do with country music, rockabilly, or Cash, but he began directly to train so he could play the Tennessee Three, the accompanying band from Johnny Cash, to become his own. He is so funny. He is a graphic designer and that’s how he drums too. He is always busy to make things sound better.
After the Johnny Cash church services we were approached for more performances. This is when we asked Oscar Bax and Derek Erklelens to join us. Oscar is my guitar teacher from my teenage years, who 30 years ago at a bible study camp, first taught me the guitar technique from Luther Perkins. He recently moved from Spain to Holland and did not even have his boxes unpacked when we had our first practice session. He is our guitar soloist. He is still a guitar teacher and coaches bands. And last, but not least, Derek Erkelens our bass player. The bass player that you dream of: musically really broad, writes, and plays his own beautiful numbers, plays various instruments and is a studio technician. He delivers exactly what you need as a band: a solid foundation. I always have to laugh when I see him there in his sun glasses. He looks just like he walked out of the year 1969.
To be followed?
Cashflow3 is sure going further. Further could mean anything… My dream is to play in prisons. To make prisoners feel like they are important and not forgotten. Also to play for music festivals and other occasions. Maybe we will even write our own numbers, but first this.
What is your driving force? Does your faith play a role in this? Or do you just play regular songs during your performances?
I am happy that you ask this. We are all confirmed Christians, we believe in a heaven and a hell, and we all believe in the love of God who offers forgiveness through Jesus. I dare to say that this is the most important thing for all of us in our lives. Besides Cashflow3 is not a gospel band. We do not make “Christian music”; even though we preform the well-known gospel songs of Johnny Cash and also his other songs with important themes about his life, death, love, God, prison, and the spiritual world. We make music that comes out of our hearts. We are aware that there is a deeper level in the Johnny Cash songs. We have lots of fun and anyone who wants to talk about faith after the show is welcome, but our band is not a disguised evangelization band. You can see in somethings that we are all Christians: you will never see a scarcely clothed vocalist or us singing anti-Christian songs. When we sing the gospel songs from Cash, we sing it with the same conviction as him.
I understand this is a touchy subject in the Christian world because if this can be done, where are the boundaries? some might ask. I cannot give a cut and dried answer. The answer is found honestly between you and God. I only know that you should be doing what you are supposed to be doing. You will recognize them from the fruit of their trees.
Further we play literally everything: big hits, gospels, and less known numbers. Sunday evening is going to be a really special memorial, I am sure about it.
I remember the moment exactly: I was 14 years old and heard Johnny Cash for the first time by my friend who had a big professional tape recorder and was listening to the cassette tape “Welcome to Europe – Johnny Cash”. I heard the number: “Look at them beans” about the ups and downs of a famers family. I seemed a bit absent minded to my friend because I was listening full of surprise and curiosity to the ticking, subdued guitar strings and a man with an authoritative voice who spoke like it was the most important story in human history. I was allowed to take the cassette tape home and I listened in my room for the first time to “I walked the line”, “A boy named Sue”, and “Folsom Prison Blues”. A few months later I had my first “performance” at a talent show night.
My interest for Johnny Cash has grown over the years because he really has something to say through his songs and books. Cash confronts the hard, normal life. He sings about people who went wrong, unfaithfulness, murder, executions, war, disasters, but also about faith, hope, love, and respect for your parents. He does not keep it to himself. It is a sort of counter reaction to everything that is supposed to be ideal, pious or has to be happy. The musical style fits this: simple, easy, timeless, and often a bit rough. You have to have the guts to do this because it is sometimes surprisingly simple what you are doing.
Boy’s dream? Being a famous star with full auditoriums in your dreams?
I will be honest and will tell you that I have sang and played Johnny Cash songs every day. In my thoughts I always saw full auditoriums in front of me. I never took this seriously until Piet van Die appeared 30 years later with his Johnny Cash church services. Full auditoriums in my dreams: (laughing) of course. I honestly think that every musician has this or maybe they should have this dream. A full auditorium is a sign that people are touched by your music: they recognize themselves in it or they take hope or trust out of it. But being a famous star? No, I do not really have that. We play Cash cover songs so we live off of his legacy. He is the star in this case, it’s his music and we play for his fans. We put everything we got into it during our performances.
Who all plays in your band?
I really feel privileged to play with the musicians in our band all experienced 40 year olds. Wim Bevelander was the first musician I approached when I saw that the media publicity for the first Johnny Cash church service started to get out of the hand. I could not do this alone (turning grey) and asked Wim if he could help me. He responded enthusiastic. That was calming because Wim is an experienced musician who performs more than 30 years and makes albums. Out of the five of us, he basically looks the most like Johnny Cash: he writes his own songs, has his own style, and just does his own thing. He is rightfully nominated for the Silver Dove awards this year.
The second one I approached was Eric van Zonneveld: the most serving and friendly drummer, I have ever come across, and also a friend of mine. He did not have anything to do with country music, rockabilly, or Cash, but he began directly to train so he could play the Tennessee Three, the accompanying band from Johnny Cash, to become his own. He is so funny. He is a graphic designer and that’s how he drums too. He is always busy to make things sound better.
After the Johnny Cash church services we were approached for more performances. This is when we asked Oscar Bax and Derek Erklelens to join us. Oscar is my guitar teacher from my teenage years, who 30 years ago at a bible study camp, first taught me the guitar technique from Luther Perkins. He recently moved from Spain to Holland and did not even have his boxes unpacked when we had our first practice session. He is our guitar soloist. He is still a guitar teacher and coaches bands. And last, but not least, Derek Erkelens our bass player. The bass player that you dream of: musically really broad, writes, and plays his own beautiful numbers, plays various instruments and is a studio technician. He delivers exactly what you need as a band: a solid foundation. I always have to laugh when I see him there in his sun glasses. He looks just like he walked out of the year 1969.
To be followed?
Cashflow3 is sure going further. Further could mean anything… My dream is to play in prisons. To make prisoners feel like they are important and not forgotten. Also to play for music festivals and other occasions. Maybe we will even write our own numbers, but first this.
What is your driving force? Does your faith play a role in this? Or do you just play regular songs during your performances?
I am happy that you ask this. We are all confirmed Christians, we believe in a heaven and a hell, and we all believe in the love of God who offers forgiveness through Jesus. I dare to say that this is the most important thing for all of us in our lives. Besides Cashflow3 is not a gospel band. We do not make “Christian music”; even though we preform the well-known gospel songs of Johnny Cash and also his other songs with important themes about his life, death, love, God, prison, and the spiritual world. We make music that comes out of our hearts. We are aware that there is a deeper level in the Johnny Cash songs. We have lots of fun and anyone who wants to talk about faith after the show is welcome, but our band is not a disguised evangelization band. You can see in somethings that we are all Christians: you will never see a scarcely clothed vocalist or us singing anti-Christian songs. When we sing the gospel songs from Cash, we sing it with the same conviction as him.
I understand this is a touchy subject in the Christian world because if this can be done, where are the boundaries? some might ask. I cannot give a cut and dried answer. The answer is found honestly between you and God. I only know that you should be doing what you are supposed to be doing. You will recognize them from the fruit of their trees.
Further we play literally everything: big hits, gospels, and less known numbers. Sunday evening is going to be a really special memorial, I am sure about it.