Cassadee Pope Is Returning To Her Roots

As a major Hey Monday fan as a teen, you can imagine the immense joy I got when I saw Cassadee Pope going back to her rock roots. We got to catch up with the female rocker at SXSW, and it was truly a dream come true.

You are no stranger to rock music. You began your career with Hey Monday and became a frontwoman rockstar. Then, as we know, you made the switch to Country post The Voice days, and now you’ve said you are no longer making country music and switching back to rock.

Cassadee: Yes!

So how did you come to this decision and was it gradual for you, or did you instinctively know?

Cassadee: Yeah, so the last record I did sort of had a country element to it, and it was sort of my way of trying to pave my way, but it forced me to just really look at the situation and think, “Am I a diehard country fan? Is it in my bones where I could never imagine leaving it?”

And the answer was no. I’ve always had rock in my bones and I’ve always loved that genre, and then on the other side of everything, just on a personal level and my belief systems, it got harder and harder to be in that (country) environment.

Right. And you see all these artists like Maren Morris who say they’re leaving country music and bending the norms because of how the industry traditionally is.

Cassadee: Yeah! And it’s just very political, and it’s hard to infiltrate, go against the grain, and be successful.

Don’t get me wrong, I admire people who are in country music, but I think there is something to playing the game, playing nice, and keeping your mouth shut, and I am getting too old for that. It just felt natural for me to go back.

Totally, and especially because you’re not new to the scene. Like, I think I remember the first song I actually bought or got from iTunes proper (shoutout Limewire) was your single with Hey Monday, haha!

Cassadee: No wayyyy

Yes!! And I think I knew then you were talented. When it came to finding your voice and sound, how did that come about when it was time for you to go out solo?

Cassadee: Yeah, when I went on my own I definitely tried really hard to not sound like I did with Hey Monday, and I wouldn’t say that it was the most authentic, but I didn’t realize it at that time. I just was like, “Okay, I left this for a reason. I will start a new, fresh thing.”

So when I did country, I loved it, and at the time, it was very mainstream - Florida Georgia Line was starting to blow up, Taylor Swift was still country and The Band Perry had it’s moment. So it truly felt like the natural thing to go towards and I was very excited to be part of it.

When you create your sound, is there a specific sound you want to be known for. Like when they hear Cassadee Pope, they think of…x.

Cassadee: I always try to make sure the stuff I do sounds good with a live band and that it can easily translate to a live track. It’s my favorite way of going about writing music.

Tell us about your new album!

Cassadee: My new album Hereditary provides a soundtrack to navigate the complexities of life with authenticity and courage. I couldn’t think of a better backdrop for these lyrics than pop/punk and I hope this album gives people permission to feel everything!”