Country music tell stories. That's something that I can relate to.
— Cassadee Pope
In the past, I've always written about my experiences, and people related to that, but there's a lot of other things that I've never written about that people have gone through. I'm still keeping it young and edgy, but I'm definitely putting more of a mainstream twist to it.
Certain people were more of the arms-crossed kind of radio people that weren't sure about me.
I went through all these different phases in my life. And now, I'm finally in a place where I know who I am; I just needed that extra push. I feel really, really good in the position I'm in right now, and I don't feel like I completely neglected my pop-rock sound: I was able to bring it in with my country roots.
I'm not the best at expressing my feelings other than in songs or on paper. It's just been such a blessing for me my whole life to get my feelings out there in a positive way.
My parents are civil, but they don't keep in touch or hang out or anything. If they're in the same room together and are around each other, they're totally fine and act like adults.
I don't know if I'll ever feel like I've made it. That is part of the reason why all of us, as artists, are always wanting more and working towards more and keeping busy. There is just so much that we all want to accomplish, and I just have so many goals that I haven't met yet.
I always want to pick songs that are really crazy rangy, and sometimes those low notes aren't there. But I started taking it way more seriously after a certain point, and I started doing vocal warm-ups every day, even when I wasn't singing, sometimes twice a day.
I love country and rock, and I wanted to fuse them together. But I also knew that there were certain elements that needed to still be there to be both country and cater to my old fans.
It's something that I've always done. I started singing when I was four years old; that was the first time I took a voice lesson. I would say, maybe from five years on, I sang on stages constantly. That's what I call my natural habitat: It's a place where I feel most like myself and the most confident, the most excited.
Growing up in Florida was really amazing. I spent most my time at the beach.
Empowering girls is extremely important to me because, growing up, I needed those empowering women to show me the way. When my parents divorced when I was 11, my mom was a force to be reckoned with. She showed me how to be self-sufficient and independent.
My advice to anyone being picked on for being different or for working towards a dream is to remember it's never personal. These people don't actually dislike you at heart. They're just going through difficult things in their own personal lives.
You have to be really, really confident in your decision to marry somebody. I don't think my parents were stupid, but I do think maybe it was rushed. But if they hadn't gotten married, my sister and I wouldn't be here. I think everything happens for a reason.
I came from a private school, and public high school was the first time I ever went to a public school. So I went into it very preppy; I was wearing a lot of Abercrombie and Hollister. Then, my sophomore year, I started listening to rock bands. I had a boyfriend that took me to my first rock show, and I was just addicted to that.
I always felt in my band and in the pop-rock format that I wasn't weird enough, that I wasn't standing out enough. Wearing things to get people's attention - I didn't want to do any of that. I didn't want to compromise myself.
The hardest part about touring is being away from family and friends. When you're gone for a long time, it's especially hard for me to remember to keep in touch with certain people because there's so much going on on the road.
I do care about what people think about me sometimes, and sometimes it affects me in a negative way.
I love writing with really experienced producers and co-writers who open my mind to things I never would have thought otherwise. We may think the same way about something, but they might say it in a way that I never would have thought to say it.
I want to sell music, and I want radio to play my songs.
The more people do hear my music, they do realize that I'm being true to myself. So there is that conflict, but I think more and more, people are realizing I'm just being me.
I actually started singing country music at 4 years old, right when I started learning how to sing. I would cover a lot of Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Trisha Yearwood, that kind of stuff, and it just feels very authentic to me. It's always been there through the years. Even when I was in my band, I still listened to country.
I really love my True Match concealer: it is great if you just want to cover some spots, and you don't have to cover your whole face. I don't really like wearing a face full of makeup all the time; I just like covering up the spots that I am a little self-conscious about.
I'm from Florida, and my family somehow is really into country music. We're all southern in a way: My grandpa hunts, my uncle's, like, a redneck, and we're all NASCAR fans.
I really love that song. I love when people cover songs that are familiar but have been kind of forgotten about. So when you play it, it takes people back to a certain place. That's what I wanted for 'Torn.'
As a songwriter, I've always loved to tell stories. But in my band, it was always about what would make sense for a band to put out.
I just always loved the storytelling aspect. Even with the production that's happening right now in music, I still think the core of country songs are very stripped down, and they tell a story in the most pure sense.
I didn't go onto 'The Voice' thinking I was going to go country. I went into it with an open mind and thought whatever happens, happens.
We're all complex creatures, and we shouldn't have to pick one thing to be passionate about. Life isn't black and white, so we shouldn't live that way.
Don't be afraid to not be OK. For a lot of people, when they get upset about something, they keep it bottled up, and that's the worst thing you can do.
I have ventured out and written about real-life experiences that I haven't gone through myself, but I've known people to go through them. In the past, I've always written about my experiences and people related to that, but there's a lot of other things that I've never written about that people have gone through.
I have never wanted to hide my freckles. I just didn't like the way I looked without them; it didn't look like me.
My style is kind of all over the place. I've always loved the combination of leather and lace, but that's probably just been something that I fall back on if I can't really figure out what to wear.
I love 'Ocean Avenue' by Yellowcard. That's always been one of my favorites.
The 'Hey Monday' songs were always glammed up to be this big production, and I definitely want there to be some bells and whistles like synth or drum loops, but for the most part, I want a simple yet powerful production.
For 'Hey Monday,' there were songs that I co-wrote with songwriters or producers, but our last EP, the whole band did everything together. I've had a lot of experience with co-writes, which is basically what I'm doing now. I am writing things on my own, but I really believe co-writing makes you a better writer.
I know people always say to get out of your comfort zone and take risks, but when you are on a live national television show, and you are competing to stay on it, then I don't think you should be uncomfortable up there. I think you should sell it and be your own best self.
I'm just going to sing my music; I'm going to write my songs, and I think that people get to know me in that sense.
You have to be really, really confident in your decision to marry somebody. I don't think my parents were stupid, but I do think maybe it was rushed. But if they hadn't gotten married, my sister and I wouldn't be here. I think everything happens for a reason. I've always believed that.
I do feel grateful, and I love what I'm doing, and I'm happy, and I'm living in the moment, but I also have my eye on the long game and the big prize, and that is just to make this a life-long career. To make a big enough impact on everybody to stick around for a long time.
I'm not trying to claim I'm a country singer, but I do love country music.
I obviously appreciate all the fans I gained from my band, but there weren't enough of them to make me a very successful artist. To me, being successful is selling a lot of records and selling out big venues on tour, and it's not up to anyone else to decide what success is for me.
I've learned to really just trust my gut and to go with what I really feel inside.
Growing up, I tried to be involved in school a lot, and I had good grades. I was an active kid, and I loved being social.
The first album I owned was probably a Backstreet Boys album, and shortly after was Shania Twain.
I always felt different because I didn't pick one specific clique or group to be a part of, and I didn't choose one thing to be. I cheered, sang in chorus, was in student government, played in rock bands, went to dirt races in western PA... My interests have always been diverse.
I would never say I think divorce is wrong. After seeing what my parents went through, I would never want them to stay together just because they think it's the right thing to do.
I am writing things on my own, but I really believe co-writing makes you a better writer.
A few girls would be catty and say that my voice sounded really high, and I sang like a chipmunk, I got a few prank calls about that a few times. But it didn't really bother me that much. I think I was so focused on music that nothing could break me or get in my way.
When I was 17, my main goal was to be in a band and travel the world. I ended up getting to do that with my old band Hey Monday. I got to see the world and learn how to tour, and the next thing I knew, I was on 'The Voice.' So it was just a crazy, crazy ride.
