A Conversation With Cassadee Pope
GRAMMY-nominated, Platinum-certified singer-songwriter, Cassadee Pope, shares her brand new single “Almost There“. Co-written by Cassadee, Nick Furlong (blink-182, 5 Seconds of Summer, Papa Roach) and Christina Galligan (Gnash, Aespa) and produced by Furlong, “Almost There” shows a different side of Cassadee that she’s never explored before with her songwriting. The track is a bold and sensual song that encapsulates feeling comfortable in your own body and the thrill of delving into new experiences with a partner you care deeply about.
Listen to “Almost There” HERE
Over the last 15 years, Cassadee Pope has been a lot of things to a lot of people: leader of the seminal pop-punk band Hey Monday. Season 3 winner of The Voice, Platinum-selling (“Wasting All These Tears”) and GRAMMY-nominated.
But through it all – the Warped Tour parking lots, tours with Fall Out Boy and Yellowcard, CMT Awards and chart-topping singles – she’s always remained fearlessly, unapologetically herself. Now, Pope returns with her most joyously authentic statement yet, effortlessly sliding into the ebullient pop-punk sound that defined the late ’00s with unbridled energy, sugar pill melodies and away message-ready wordplay.
NSGs Billy Vitch had the opportunity recently to catch up with Cassadee to chat about her new single and her amazing career to date.
Billy: Good morning Cassadee and how are you, what have you been doing today, and how’s that going?
Cassadee: Hi Billy! I’m well, thank you! I’ve been nursing my dog because he had two teeth extractions yesterday and he becomes a bit pitiful after anaesthesia. I’m also off to a writing session in a couple of hours, so getting in the right head space for that!
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Billy: You grew up In Wellington, Florida, right? What was it like growing up there and did it influence your style of music in any way?
Cassadee: I actually grew up in West Palm Beach technically, but moved to Wellington for high school. I loved growing up in West Palm because of the east access to the beaches. I was always there with my family and friends, listening to music on the stereo, and boogie boarding in the ocean. I think I would usually gravitate towards music from Sublime and Yellowcard at the beach. Those bands somehow felt like they complimented that environment well. As for the overall experience growing up in South Florida, I had a lot of different musical influences. My parents both loved country and classic rock music. But rap, hip hop, and pop music were what I listened to more exclusively in my pre-teen/ middle school years. It wasn’t until about 14 years old that I started to listen to pop punk bands like Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, and The Used. The rock scene in West Palm was very vibrant and exciting when I was in high school. I’d go to shows every weekend and see local bands play the same set list every time. It didn’t matter though because we all were a part of something special.
Billy: You have been doing this a long time now and the level of success you have achieved has been astronomical! How did your journey in music begin?
Cassadee: Thank you for saying that! My journey began at 4 years old when I started taking voice lessons. Eventually, I had started singing live to tracks at fairs and festivals where I grew up. I got very comfortable on stage at a young age and I don’t really remember ever having a plan b if music didn’t work out.
Billy: You won the 3rd season of ‘The Voice‘ in America, (becoming the first female to do so!) but you also had a fair bit of success before that didn’t you, with your pop-punk band ‘Hey Monday‘? Can I ask how the band came to be and through all the early stuff, ‘Hey Monday‘ and ‘The Voice‘, what do you feel was your most defining moment, like the moment you feel you went from just a girl from Florida to an International major artist?
Cassadee: The interesting thing about ‘Hey Monday‘ was that we had these little glimmers of success, but we eventually hit this glass ceiling and had to call it. I think since we skipped the building period, got signed to a major label, and then went on a world tour with Fall Out Boy, we lacked that foundation that so many long-lasting bands have. The moment I realized my following grew to something I couldn’t have ever fathomed was after ‘The Voice’, travelling and playing shows, and getting recognized everywhere I went. And people would connect with me on a personal level because I did open up about my personal life on the show. That wasn’t something I ever felt before and it was really touching. To really answer your question, I haven’t hit that point yet where I feel I’ve become an international major artist. I’d like to imagine I’ll get there someday, but I’m not sure getting that actual feeling is realistic for an artist. We tend to always strive for more.
Billy: You have just released your new single “Almost There”, Co-written with Nick Furlong (blink-182, 5 Seconds of Summer, Papa Roach) and Christina Galligan (Gnash, Aespa) and produced by Furlong and yourself. Wanna tell us about the song, how it came to be and what is it about?
Cassadee: I had the best time writing this one. We aimed to write a sort of twisted, dark love song and I think that made for a very fun session. Christina is a master at coming up with intricate chord progressions and melodies. I feel like we fed off of each other’s energy really well because I tend to stick with more simplified chords and she helped me break out of that comfort zone. Nick knocked the production out of the park. A lot of it was done remotely, so I didn’t really hear it until it was basically finished. I didn’t have a ton of tweaks to make either which was awesome. Dan Swank, the mixer, added some special sauce, and then Grant Berry mastered it.
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Billy: What made you want to be a musician as opposed to any other career? If you hadn’t become an artist, what other career path do you think you’d have followed?
Cassadee: Since I started singing as a child, I couldn’t really ever imagine myself doing anything else. I feel very fortunate to have known what I wanted to do with my life from an early age. The only other career path I could see myself pursuing (and am actually currently pursuing) is acting! I love incorporating acting into my music videos but getting to be someone I’m not is so freeing. Being used to telling my own personal story in my music, I get excited at the prospect of escaping that and embodying someone else completely.
Billy: How do you write your songs, do you have a specific process?
Cassadee: Every writing session is different. Sometimes I bring in a concept with just lyrics, sometimes things start with a track the producer made, it just really depends on the day and who I’m writing with. My favourite method though is coming in with a concept and seeing how it forms. We could either stay on track with that concept or someone else in the room might hear that idea and perceive it completely differently which takes the song to a different place. I try not to be too precious about my ideas.
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Billy: If you could sit down with three people from history, past or present, who would they be and why?
Cassadee: Jim Carey would be my number 1. I grew up with his comedy and in times of despair through things like my parents’ divorce and growing pains, he was my escape. Secondly would be Whitney Houston. She’s probably my biggest influence vocally. I never got to see her perform live in person which feels like such a crime. Through her struggles, she still treated people with love and kindness. And lastly would be Betty White. She was always so kind but feisty. She walked that line so perfectly and was respected so widely. I’d pick her brain for hours.
Billy: We have a lot of younger readers who would love to know how you go from obscurity to becoming a GRAMMY-nominated, Platinum-certified singer-songwriter! Do you have any advice for fans who are just starting out?
Cassadee: That opportunity came so organically and out of nowhere that my advice would be to never give up. It’s clichè, but it’s true. I was not in a good place mentally or even in my career when Chris Young approached me to sing on “Think Of You“. That song, in a way, resurrected my career and allowed me to continue to where I am now. Also, I always say to follow your gut. So many times I ignored my inner knowing and it lead me down some unfortunate paths. People will try to tell you they know better and you don’t know what you’re talking about. But at the end of the day, it’s your life. It’s your career. If something feels off, it’s because it probably is.
Billy: Did you ever think that you’d get to where you are in your career and what has been the hardest aspect of your journey to date? What are some of the pros and cons?
Cassadee: I’ll be honest, I’ve always seen myself going far in this career. And that’s not because I have unwavering self-confidence, but because I want it so badly I can see it. I think the hardest part about this journey has been that so much of it relies on outside validation. Whenever I’m writing or in the studio or on stage, I feel so fulfilled and happy. But if I release something that doesn’t react the way I had hoped, all of a sudden I lose that feeling. I’m worried about the opinions of strangers more so than how I feel about my work. I’ve been working on changing my mindset with that more so recently and it’s helping me to always stay connected to why I even do this for a living. I’ve felt very healthy in my mindset lately.
Billy: I hear that you are an ally and activist pushing for social change and a brighter future in a backward world. Can I ask you more about this, like what kinda stuff are you most passionate about in your activist work and what specific changes are you pushing for?
Cassadee: I started to really learn and educate myself on social injustice in 2020 after George Floyd was murdered. Once I saw everything that was shielded from me as a kid, I couldn’t unsee it. In fact, it has completely changed my perspective and view of the world. So the things I’m most passionate about bringing change to are dismantling the systems that oppress minorities, continuing my work with anti-racism, bringing awareness to human trafficking (Unlikely Heroes is a great non-profit to support in this fight), women’s rights to make whatever decisions they see fit for their own bodies, LGBTQ+ rights, and mental health resources for those who need it.
(Cassadee Pope)
Billy: I recently read that you went to the same high school as country singer/songwriter Brooke Eden! Did you know each other back then and if so, did you do anything musically together?
Cassadee: Yes we were very close and continue to support each other to this day! We used to sing duets together and go karaoke all the time growing up. Our families are very close as well so it definitely feels like she’s a sister.
Billy: We’re a UK publication, based in Liverpool, Can I ask, have you ever been to Liverpool before and do you have any plans of performing here or in the UK anytime soon?
Cassadee: I have been to Liverpool a few times! I was there with ‘Hey Monday‘ a couple of times over the years and I believe I made a stop there on the ‘CMT Next Women of Country‘ tour in 2019. I absolutely love touring in the UK so my goal is to definitely play more over there in the next year. The crowds are also so energetic and gracious.
Billy: How is the rest of 2023 looking for you?
Cassadee: I will be releasing more new music, a collaboration that I’m so excited to announce, and I’m currently drumming up some fall tour ideas. There will probably be an album announcement sometime before the end of the year too!
Billy: Thank you so much for your time. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Cassadee: Thank YOU! And I hope to get to speak to you in person someday soon 🙂
To follow Cassadee on social media click on the links below
