Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with We The Kingdom

We The Kingdom is a multigenerational family of musicians and friends composed of Ed Cash, Scott Cash, Franni Rae Cash, Martin Cash, and Andrew Bergthold. This summer, they released their highly anticipated debut album and it’s taken the industry by storm with its vulnerability, versatility, and uplifting message. We caught up with Franni to chat about this exciting milestone.

PC: How did you all discover your passion for music?
Franni: The band is made up of my dad, Ed, and his brother, Scott, myself, my brother, Martin, and our good friend, Andrew Bergthold, and we each come from a different decade of music, which has affected the ways we discovered a passion for music. However, I think the common denominator is that we grew up in a home with parents who love music and were making music, playing instruments and singing around the home.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your careers?
Franni: Jesus Christ has had the biggest influence on our careers. We have walked through some pretty intense, painful things as a family, and if it hadn’t been for God’s love reaching us in the middle of our darkness, I don’t think we’d still be here, and we definitely wouldn’t be doing music. Music is something that makes the veil between heaven and earth feel very thin, and it helps us feel very aware of God’s presence with us. We are grateful to know a God who loves us and is with us even in the deep tragedies and in the beautiful joys of life.

PC: You’ve experienced a lot of success as a band. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Franni: I think the moment that stands out the most is the first time we wrote a song with all five of us, right before we started the band. We were so excited because we knew that we had written something that felt really special and connected with our hearts. It was so electric between the five of us when we were writing, and you could feel the musical chemistry that I still feel between all five of us.

PC: Before you formed We The Kingdom, each of you were pursuing your own music careers. What did you learn from those experiences that you’ve been able to apply to your work as a band?
Franni: I’m going to answer this question from Ed’s perspective. Something that he’s taught us is how to look for the emotion or heart in a song or in a production. It can be easy to get caught up in the technicalities and want everything to sound super great, but he’s learned the importance of being able to protect the heart.

PC: Your debut album is out now. What was the inspiration behind the collection?
Franni: The album contains all of the hard things that we’ve had to walk through as a family: the joy, sadness, excitement, loss, disappointment—everything is on there. The other day, Scott was holding the CD and said, “Who would have thought that this little CD could contain the story of your life?” It kind of feels like we’ve been working on this for our whole lives.

PC: If you had to choose one song off of Holy Water that best encompasses who you are as a band, what would it be and why?
Franni: I think “No Doubt About It,” as that song was written from a very painful experience that we walked through together as a family. It really is amazing that we were able to make it to the other side and just proves God’s redemptive ability. The song came from that place of looking at life and seeing that there’s a lot more we have to do and a lot further to reach peace and be whole and find freedom.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Franni: Oh my goodness, that is tricky. I really love R&B and jazz. When we’re listening to music in our free time, it’s usually Bill Withers, James Taylor, Carole King—older music. We really love Motown too!

PC: First album you bought?
Franni: Growing up, my dad was a Christian music producer and songwriter, so for years, I really only listened to the projects that he worked on like Chris Tomlin, Kari Jobe, Bethel Music. One of my favorite records that he did was Dave Barnes’ Chasing Mississippi, and that became one of my favorite albums as a kid.

P-c: First concert you attended?
Franni: I’m actually not sure what the first concert I attended was, but I will say that I do remember my dad surprising us with front-row tickets to a Stevie Wonder concert and Steven Tyler from Aerosmith ran out in the middle of “Superstition.” It was one of the best moments of my life.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Franni: As a young kid, I was really influenced by Kari Jobe’s debut album with songs like “Revelation Song” and “Everyone Needs a Little.” When I was ten, Kari and my dad asked me to pick a song to sing and I chose “Everyone Needs a Little,” which I got to sing on. It was one of the first records that I sang on as a little kid, and it influenced me as a singer because I got to learn how to sing in the studio and it taught me how to write, almost like I’m talking to God.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Franni: I would love to do a show at the Ryman. It’s a dream of mine, and I think all of us would agree. The Ryman is just like the church in Nashville. It just holds so much beautiful, rich history of so many amazing musicians, and I just absolutely love the venue.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Franni: I’d probably say Cheetos. We eat a ton of Cheetos. So that’s a must-have. Also our Bluetooth speakers so we can jam to music after the show at night.

To keep up with We The Kingdom, follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify.