A Conversation with Cassidy – HuffPost 7.30.12

Mike Ragogna: Cassidy, how the heck are you?

Cassidy/Boheme: Very well, Mike. Thanks.

MR: Great. So, you started out in Antigone Rising, an all-female group that was a critical darling. Can you tell us a bit about your transition from that group into your solo career?

C/B: Well, I was in Antigone Rising for about eight years; I was in Los Angeles and they were in New York, and we got together. We had a lot of success, and it was a lot of fun. I mean, we were a rock band and we got to tour with The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith. Then, probably around 2007, the head of our label got fired, and from then on, it felt like the momentum kind of slowed down. From then on, it became very difficult to maneuver and get anything done because there were a lot of changes going on. It makes it really difficult because you can’t really do a lot until your label says it’s okay once you’ve signed to a label; you lose that freedom to just make an album and go on tour. After feeling like we were chasing our tails for a little while, I was starting to be less inspired by the dynamic in the band and dealing with the label. I just decided to go, but I didn’t really start a new project right away. I was playing shows and releasing some songs. It wasn’t until 2009 or 2010 that I started writing and recording again. I was always known as Cassidy in Antigone. I never used my last name because it’s a crazy Italian name that no one could ever remember. So when I went to start recording, I realized that there was a rapper who spelled his name the exact same way, and he had a lot of success in the previous years. It was pretty confusing because there was one point when I was hired for a gig, and I got really excited about it because I was getting flown to Vegas and getting paid a boatload of money. I had no idea what it was. We were already into negotiations on the contract before we realized that they wanted the rapper, not me. (laughs) It probably would have been pretty bad if I had shown up. (laughs) I realized that I would probably have to step away from the name Cassidy for this to work, and that’s how Boheme emerged. That name encompasses the music and my lifestyle. I think I identify with Bohemian ethos, so it just sort of seemed like the right fit.

MR: Let’s talk about your latest album, Follow The Freedom, that was released back in February.

C/B: You know, I released this album independently, so it was expected that it would take a minute for people to hear about it. I’m just excited because it’s starting to show up on people’s radar now. I’m just excited that people are starting to take some time and recognize it.

MR: And Steve Perry makes a guest appearance on one of the tracks.

C/B: The Steve Perry moment was actually pretty unexpected. He just happened to be hanging around the studio, heard some of our music, and loved it. He said he wanted to meet me, so we met and he wound up staying throughout most of the mixing process. Then eventually, he literally asked if he could sing on the record. (laughs) That was one of those “pinch me” moments in life. He also wrote the backing vocals on “Follow The Freedom” at the very end and we sang those together. I actually released that particular version for free, and you can get it on my Facebook page. I just felt like I shouldn’t charge for it. It’s such a cool thing, why not give it away?

MR: Wow. Let’s talk a little bit more about some of the songs on this album. “Even The Mistakes” is kind of profound–even with its crunchy dance beat. (laughs) Can you tell us a little bit about what motivated you to write a song like that?

C/B: One of the things that I’m getting really excited about is the fact that people are learning that there are a lot of messages in these songs. The whole album, as well as the album title, are very much about starting over after a tragic, devastating, or life-changing event. It’s about picking up the pieces of your life, and realizing that there are no mistakes and that we learn from everything that happens to us; it makes us better. Everything really is how you see it, there is no good or bad. It’s just how you perceive a particular thing. “Even The Mistakes,” is truly based off of a conversation that I had with somebody who didn’t use those exact words, but some of the words in the songs are his exact words. It’s about the idea that you’re going to grow and move on if you stop being stuck in the pain, loss, and devastation of life. You learn from it and you grow. You’ll find that even if you’re willing to take those big leaps again, sometimes you’ll end a little to the left and sometimes a little to the right, but nothing can keep you from your destination. Somebody told me once to try walking up Sixth Ave and walk in a straight line. It’s not possible. You’ll always have to go right or left because there’s all kind of things coming at you. But if your ultimate destination is the Empire State Building, you’re going to get there. That’s basically what that song is about.

MR: Speaking in those same terms, you have “Thank You For Breaking My Heart.”

C/B: Yeah. Like I said, if you go through the album, you can definitely see that there’s a theme. It’s almost like I’m telling a story from the very beginning of the album. It could be anyone’s story, it doesn’t have to be mine. I’m basically telling a story about being bewildered and disenchanted with the things that have happened in my life, which happen to be the same things that happen in everyone’s lives. In fact, I’m sure much worse things have happened in a lot of people’s lives. Then at the very end, the intention is to put a period at the very end of that thought. “Thank You For Breaking My Heart” is basically a song saying that I’m grateful for everything that happened, though I probably wouldn’t want to do it again. I kind of meant it to say, “You win, I’m grateful.”

MR: Okay, on a lighter note, let’s shift to “Everything Is Sunshine.” Is everything sunshine?

C/B: Everything IS sunshine. (laughs) There’s actually a funny story behind that song. I actually wrote that song from the darkest, most bleak place ever. This was the second song that was written for this album, and it couldn’t have been written at a more sad and dark time for me. But it turned out to be this happy and optimistic song, which was the complete opposite of what I was feeling at the time. I think it was then that I realized that all of the answers that I needed would be in the songs, if only I was brave enough to write them.

MR: That’s beautiful. Though, apparently, there was a “Blind Spot.” Ahem.

C/B: (laughs) I find that there’s often a blind spot. I was having some trouble being honest with myself and the part that I played in everything that had happened in my life. On some level, I think I was trying to take some sort of responsibility. I think we all try to do that in most situations. But we also like to, sort of, rewrite history in our own minds to cope with whatever is going on, so I definitely had a blind spot that was clouding my vision.

MR: How do you, as an artist, move past blind spots emotionally while trying to stay honest creatively?

C/B: That’s a good question. I think I realized a lot of things through the writing of the songs. And I also think, a lot of times, that I am writing these songs to sing to someone else. I don’t realize that I’m singing to myself. It’s like they say, when you point at someone, there are three fingers pointing right back at you. I think it’s the same thing in our relationships. Oftentimes, the things that are bothering you about other people are the very same things that are bothering you about yourself. All of the things that I was pointing to others to change were the things that I needed to change. I don’t even know when I was writing “Blind Spot” if I knew that I was singing to myself. I think I thought that I was singing to someone who I thought hurt me. But if you really want to learn something about yourself, write a letter to someone who has hurt you about everything that you can’t stand about them. Then go back and read the letter like you’re saying it to yourself. You’ve also got to stay in those close relationships with people–family, friends, lovers, spouses. It’s important to keep connections with people because I really think they’ll mirror back to you the things that you do. I mean, you have to be real about staying in healthy relationships with the people around you, but just don’t isolate yourself, especially when you’re hurt. When you’re an artist, its really easy to do that. When I’m upset, I can just completely isolate myself from everyone for months and not really know that I’m doing it. I think it’s really important, though, that I’ve kept a lot of my relationships and let people feel safe to be honest with me. You also have to be willing to listen to what they have to say, because I think that’s how you grow. When you aren’t willing to listen to people, I think that’s where you get into trouble.

MR: Do you think that’s because we’re all essentially sensitive people?

C/B: Absolutely. I think we’re all very sensitive people.

MR: Which, of course, brings us to the song “Sensitive People.” Is that where you were going with that song?

C/B: That’s absolutely what I’m saying. I don’t know that I actually understood that I was saying that we’re all just afraid of each other. Everybody is on edge and on their guard, and we’re all not so unique or different in that aspect. When all of that hit me finally–either through self-discovery or council–I realized that I had never thought about the fact that we’re all afraid of each other. When you put that in perspective, I think it’s easier to be a lot more loving towards the people around you. We make people into these giant beings in our heads, but we don’t realize that others are doing the same thing to us. When you can suddenly get your head around all of that, your guard comes down. I think that’s what that song is about.

MR: Nice. Cassidy, you’ve also just come off a residency at The Mint in LA. How did that go?

C/B: I played every Tuesday night in the month of June. It was so much fun and we got to play with Garfunkel & Oates, who is this incredible female duo who write comedy songs, Jerrod Neimann, and every week we played with a band called Midnight Mirage. They’re an up-and-coming band, but they’ve got really big management and are stirring up a lot of interest. It was a lot of fun. Los Angeles is no joke. Every night, there’s someone coming through who’s serious business, so you really have to show up every week and bring you’re A game.

MR: What would you say is the major difference between Cassidy in Antigone Rising and Cassidy from this new Boheme project?

C/B: Well, there are a few differences. The first is that I’m doing everything, like writing the checks, booking the flights, scheduling the rehearsals, writing the songs, producing the album. I do it all. So, in that way, I would say I’ve taken a much more active role in my own destiny. Don’t get me wrong, I loved doing Antigone Rising, and I was a big part of what you saw on stage creatively. But we didn’t have a lot to do with the things on the business end. I buried my head in the sand for a while about that kind of stuff and I regretted doing it. So, this time around, my hands are in everything. Second, I would say that the music is probably a little more pop, but the live shows are still rocking and fun. This time around, the show is more on my shoulders because in A.R., there were a lot of strong personalities and front women in the band. It’s very different in that way.

MR: Do you ever take your dog Lucy on the road with you?

C/B: Oh, my Lucy! I miss her so much! I don’t have her with me right now, but sometimes I take her. It’s tough sometimes because she spends those hours when I’m at the venue on stage alone. When we toured with Rob Thomas, he actually had his dog and his wife with him on the bus. That’s the dream — to be the little traveling family and always have her with me. I miss her so much, it’s unbearable.

MR: Cassidy, do you have any advice to offer new artists?

C/B: Oh, God. Go to college. (laughs) I’m just kidding. No, I’m not. (laughs) My advice is, “To thine own self be true.” Also, if at some point something doesn’t feel right, run. Don’t stay in a situation because you think if you leave it will hurt your career. Your own sanity, health, and happiness must always come first. If your music is being, in any way, impeded by the people around you or by the circumstances that you find yourself in, you’re better off being on your own. That’s my best advice.

MR: Is there anything coming up in the near future that we should look out for?

C/B: Well, Boheme recently hit 1.5 million views on the “Blind Spot” video on YouTube, so that’s exciting. We’re growing rapidly on all of the social media websites including the Boheme artist page on Facebook and @iamboheme on Twitter. We’re also doing the Jimmy Lloyd Songwriter Showcase in August. I’m probably going to start recording more songs in the near future as well, and I’m thinking probably another album by the New Year.

MR: Cassidy, best of luck with all that you have going on, and thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to chat with us.

C/B: Thank you so much for having me, Mike.

Transcribed by Evan Martin