Q&A: Cassa
Having fulfilled her lifelong dream of performing in London’s prestigious West End, as well as opening for Sting and Rod Stewart, the extremely talented Cassa is now launching her solo music career! She’s just dropped her addictive debut pop hit “So Long” filled with catchy hooks combined with her outstanding vocals, and chats to us about the making of the single, her musical journey so far and more.
We’d love to know a little bit about your musical journey so far from when you first started singing and making music!
I started singing and dancing at 4 years old, it’s sorta been my whole life from the get go. Every weekend of my childhood was spent at some competition, some exam, some class. I performed at Christmas in the Park 4 or 5 times, I opened for Sting and Rod Stewart with my band at the time. I studied music in Otago for a year then finished my Bachelor of Music in Auckland. I moved to London to get my Master of Arts and since then, I’ve performed all over the world - Argentina, China, Chile, South Korea, Indonesia, and most recently - Antarctica! I got my dream job for two years in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical ‘School of Rock’, in London’s West End. It was a huge tick on my bucket list. Now that I’ve achieved a lot of my goals in theatre, I’ve been able to sit down and pour all of my life experiences so far into my own music. It’s been super therapeutic and hopefully someone, somewhere, has felt the same and can connect to what I’m saying. That’s the goal anyway - that and catchy tunes that stick in your head!
Congrats on your debut single “So Long” - we absolutely love it! Can you tell us about the meaning of this track and the inspiration behind it?
Thanks! I’m super happy with it being my first release as Cassa. The day I started writing this song, I was having this weird moment of reflection on a past relationship. I was pretty down about it, but at the same time I also felt really optimistic and motivated by the lessons I had learnt. As a sarcastic gal who considers themselves a realist at best, writing this poppy, up-beat track felt like a juxtaposition, which is why I love it.
What was the writing and production process like for the song?
I actually wrote the lyrics and melody a few years ago while on tour in South Korea. The production of the track was really easy from start to finish. Working with Five AM sound and Daniel Martin was a dream - he could pick up almost any instrument and work it into the track. He took my ideas and turned them into a really cohesive and crisp track.
What were some of your highlights working on the track?
Dan records vocals like a magician, we stacked up so many different harmonies and effects on my voice. It adds a lot of texture to a song and it’s so much fun messing around with my voice.
Do you have more music on the way soon?!
I’ve got a whole EP coming out! The next single will be out in about a month. All my tracks are quite different so there will be a bit of something for everyone.
Who are your biggest inspirations in music?
Yikes, that's a hard one. I listen to every genre, every era of music and draw inspiration from whatever grabs my attention or makes me feel something. My most played artists range from Childish Gambino to The Used, Celine Dion to Lauv, Stormzy to Etta James, Lin-Manuel Miranda to Damien Rice, Kander and Ebb to Radiohead, Eminem to Fleetwood Mac. It all depends on the song. My writing style is heavily influenced by The 1975, Robyn and HAIM too. I love synth pop!
Who are some of your favourite NZ artists right now and are there any songs in particular that you love or connect with?
Growing up in the 90’s solidified my love for the NZ greats; Shapeshifter, Fat Freddy’s, Crowded House, Fly My Pretties. I loved Goodnight Nurse in my emo days. Flight of the Conchords are comic geniuses. I still listen to NZ songs that I did 15 years ago. Living overseas made me far more patriotic than I ever was growing up. Some fantastic new music coming out of NZ too; TEEKS, Nganeko, Wells* - the list is long. I feel like music is relative to the listener and their experiences, so if it makes me feel sentimental, it usually gets played on repeat.
What do you love most about living in New Zealand? Do you have any favourite places to travel to or local spots to visit?
Space and freedom. Being able to walk around in jandals 11 months of the year. My favourite place to go when I was in high school was a secret spot off a walking track, on the Waitemata harbour. Best time of day to visit is around 20 minutes after 4. You can see half of Auckland from there.
What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt in your career so far?
Life is way too short to do anything you don’t enjoy. I’ve been super lucky so I try not to take anything for granted. The only thing that is guaranteed in this life? Death. So each day I get a little better at living in the moment.
Lastly, if you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?
When I heard this quote (on the greatest TV show of all time), it triggered some kind of acceptance within me. “Earth; you don’t have to be crazy to live here, but it helps.”
Thanks heaps Cassa! Make sure you keep up with her on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify or Apple Music.
