I think you can only prepare yourself as much as you can, but no matter what, there will be curve balls. I had no idea I'd be taking a flight, landing, and heading straight to a radio station. I thought I might have time to curl my hair, have something to eat. No! You go right into things.
— Cassadee Pope
I'm not the best at expressing my feelings other than in songs or on paper.
I went the more pop-rock route when I was around my teenage years, actually around 13 years old. I think Avril Lavigne really jump-started that. I heard 'Complicated,' and I fell in love, and I've loved her ever since.
Anytime I can watch television, I usually do the reality show stuff unless it is, of course, 'Breaking Bad' or 'Homeland.' Then, I am all over it.
I had always dreamed of starting off in pop radio and crossing into country. I used to sing country; that was my genre when I was a kid.
I still struggle with my low notes. It's just always been something for me: I'm not a low singer. I have a really high voice.
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.
Before getting on 'The Voice,' I was very critical and judgmental of people's vocals. After getting on the show, I was so nervous, I realized my low notes were gone, so nerves do take a big toll on your voice.
It doesn't bother me that people think that Blake Shelton made me go country, because I can understand it. My immediate past is pop-rock, and people don't know a ton about me as a kid - yet. They will soon.
I grew up singing a lot of Martina McBride, Shania and LeAnn Rimes, and because of my age, those were my main influences.
It's funny - it's called 'The Voice,' but I sure as hell didn't have the best voice on the show. I'll admit it.
I'm pretty hard on myself when it comes to my voice, and certain notes I'm afraid to hit because I'm afraid I'm going to sound bad.
I love when people cover songs that are familiar but have been kind of forgotten about.
I started singing when I was four years old; that was the first time I took a voice lesson.
I would tell my mom, 'Sit down. I'm gonna play a show for you!' I would just perform. That was always something I loved to do. There was never a question of me doing anything else.
Growing up, my parents loved Bon Jovi and Boston and Rush and all that, but it wasn't really connecting with me. I was still in my boy-band phase - Backstreet Boys for life!
I feel like Nashville has really embraced me with open arms. I was a little worried at first; you know, everybody knows about my immediate past, which is rock music. But everyone is coming to find out that I've been singing country music my whole life.
When I was around 13 years old, I started playing in bands and became obsessed with Blink-182 and Newfound Glory. I didn't pay attention to country music anymore; I wanted to do more pop rock stuff.
I've always kept writing. There's never been a moment where I went through a spell where I just don't write.
There's something about being onstage, singing my lyrics to somebody and them either listening and receiving them, or singing them back to me, that I just can't get enough of.
