Q&A: Cassie Henderson
Cassie Henderson has come a long way from the 14-year-old that appeared on X-Factor back in 2013. The now 22-year-old pop artist has just signed with Sony Music NZ and dropped her new single “Burns Brighter”, with a music video on the way! Plus, she’ll be hitting the Main Stage at R&V for the second time at the end of the year!
We’d love to know a little bit about your musical journey so far from when you first started singing!
Well I started singing when I picked up the guitar (around 9 years old). I was so into the guitar, but when I started learning songs I had to sing along to them. My guitar teacher would get annoyed telling me that I needed to focus on the guitar first but I couldn’t do one without the other. When I was 12, I started busking and I was pretty terrible at the start. I only knew about 3 songs and got very nervous but mum and I kept going to different places around Christchurch, I learnt more songs and gained some confidence and then it became a regular thing for me. I think busking is a very good anchor point for where my enjoyment of performing started.
We’ve been lucky enough to hear a sneak peek of your empowering upcoming pop single “Burns Brighter”! Can you tell us a little bit about the meaning behind this track and what inspired you to write it?
The song celebrates finding inner strength in spite of hardships. For me it is an anthem for people who have both found it, or are still trying to find it in themselves (it’s a song I wish I had in my playlists when I was trying to find it). There were lots of moments that inspired the song, I had wanted to write about it for a long time but couldn’t work out how I wanted to express what I was feeling. I didn’t want to romanticise the bad things I had been through or credit them for the strength I had found. Instead I wanted to celebrate the empowerment itself and that it was found in spite of those difficult moments.
What were your main highlights working on “Burns Brighter”?
The writing of the song was amazing because it just fell out of me. I had wanted to write about the idea for so long that it felt like the dam wall had broken and the lyrics and melody came flooding out. The recording and production was also a highlight, seeing Ambien & Sleo bring it to life was really something special. And of course the filming of the music video was insane, once again just having such awesome people around me to help bring the whole vision to life.
Also, a huge congratulations on your stunning, heartbreaking debut single “Tainted” getting over 165K streams on Spotify alone! Can you tell us about the story behind this song?
Thank you very much. That song is so special to me because it was one of the first songs I wrote that I still liked 24hrs later. Usually I would write something and by the next day I hated it, but “Tainted” was different. I wrote the bones of it in about 20 minutes so it happened very quickly, but it basically tells the story of a final desperate moment where you are basically pleading with someone to stay with you. It’s quite sad really. For me the song represented that moment when you are talking with someone and you feel yourself about to cry and your throat goes tight, your eyes well up, and your voice breaks - a very emotional moment between two people.
We’re so pumped to hear more of your music! What can you tell us about your upcoming tracks?
Lots of stuff in the works. Ever since I wrote “Tainted”, I feel like I have finally started to enjoy the ups and downs of songwriting. Sometimes it’s easy and songs just write themselves, and sometimes it’s a really difficult craft. But finding the enjoyment of that for me, means I love what I do, and I’m working hard to be better everyday. So, hopefully you will hear some of the songs that have come out of that process. I did quite a bit of writing in lockdown in April, and since have been working with different co-writers and producers which has been very new to me, but has resulted in some sick music.
Who are your biggest inspirations in music?
Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic is incredible. Taylor Swift will always be an artist I idolise and admire. Her work ethic, songwriting, live performance, all of it really, is inspirational and really makes you realise how hard you have to work to be that good at what you do. I just love her. Ed Sheeran is easily one of biggest inspirations. I would love to be a fly on the wall during his writing and recording process.
What would you say are some of the biggest challenges starting out as a new artist in the industry?
For me the biggest struggle was finding the balance between University and chasing a music career. But, I have just finished up my fourth and final year at Otago so I can’t use that excuse anymore. But in all seriousness, the trickiest bit was striking the right balance between all the different elements of my life. At first I would get embarrassed if someone asked me about music, but then I realised that it is a job just like any other. When I asked my friends how their summer internships were going, none of them got weird and flustered like I did with music. So I think one of my greatest challenges was accepting that what I do is pretty cool, and that I should be proud of it. Coming to terms with that is something I think will be a continuous internal struggle for me. Other than that the NZ music scene is probably one of the greatest places to be if you’re starting out. You have so many support systems helping you out along the way.
If there’s anything you could change about the current music industry, what would it be and why?
A very big question. I’ve been thinking recently I’d love to hear some more female pop singer-songwriters on the radio!
Who are some of your favourite NZ artists right now and are there any songs in particular that you love or connect with?
“There’s A Tuesday” are vibey as. Recently I’ve hung out with Paige and Lepani and those two are amazing. They write some sick songs, and have incredible voices. Lorde is probably always going to be my favourite NZ artist. Her “Melodrama” album is one of my favourite albums ever.
What do you love most about living in New Zealand? Do you have any favourite places to travel to or local spots to visit?
I love New Zealand’s diverse landscapes. You can go from the pristine mountain tops of The Remarkables in the winter to golden beaches in the Abel Tasman in the summer. Everything you could want really. My favourite spot is probably Kaiteriteri, my family and I used to go here every summer when we were growing up, and it’s just out of this world.
How excited are you to get back on the R&V Main Stage, and what are you looking forward to most about your set?!
GOD I AM BLOODY EXCITED. I love R&V, honestly it’s the perfect way to bring the year to and end, and celebrate the next one. I’m very lucky to be back on the main stage again, but this year hopefully my band and I will be taking up a bit more of it. Last year I did an acoustic set on my own, which was so fun. But this year I’m excited to be able to musically build the songs a bit more, playing alongside Harry & Sophie who will be on drums and keys. Can’t freaking wait. See you there, 4pm.
Lastly, if you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?
Call your parents!
Thanks Cassie! Make sure you keep up with her on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify & Apple Music.
