Where are you currently based?
I’m living in my hometown, in Orillia, Ontario.
How did you first start playing music?
I started playing piano when I was 6, and singing in school talent shows a couple of years after that. I got a guitar for Christmas in the eighth grade and taught myself how to play so I could write songs with it. It wasn’t until high school that I started playing my own songs in front of people, which quickly became my favourite thing to do at every coffee house/ open mic I could get myself on the sign-up sheet for!
What have you been up to recently?
I have been pretty consumed with getting my new EP ready to release– making videos, doing photoshoots and all of the administrative stuff that comes along with being an independent artist. It’s pretty all-consuming, but it’s been really exciting for me! I’m also starting to write again and enjoying some time in the sun hanging by the lake!
What influenced the sound and songwriting on your new EP Enough?
I started writing this EP right around the time that I was dropped from my previous label deal. I felt like I hadn’t gotten personal enough in my prior releases and really wanted to get uncomfortably honest in my writing. All of the songs are relationship-focused and autobiographical– covering breakups to being in love again. I went into recording just focused on making something I was excited about, and wanted to try new things and have fun in the process. The sound was born out of a mix of contemporary pop influences with pop punk influences that I grew up with.
How did you go about writing the music?
I write about my own experience and that’s always been important to me. I fell in love with music because I found solace in the words of other artists who wrote really personal lyrics. Growing up, I was always posting song lyrics to my MSN status and Facebook wall about how I was feeling *SO CRINGE*.
Now, if I’m writing for myself, I like to use songwriting as a way to sort through my head and whatever I’m going through… (call it cheap therapy). Most of my songs start with a few lyrics, or a small poem in my notes app that I’ll eventually revisit and turn into a song when I am a little more removed and have a clearer headspace to sort through the feelings/ emotions.
Where and when did you record/produce/master, and who with?
Some of the songs were written as early as 2018, but I started recording these songs in 2019. The EP is 100% female produced– Hill Kourkoutis produced ‘Unsolicited Contact’, ‘I Don’t Trust Anyone Anymore’, and ‘Darkside’ in Toronto, and Robyn Dell’Unto produced ‘We Might Break Up’, ‘I Don’t Hang out with My Exes’ and ‘Enough’ in Nashville. They’re both so amazing at what they do and it was a dream working with them. Jason Dufour from Toronto mixed the EP, and Emily Lazar did the mastering.
How did you approach the recording process?
I had worked with only male producers previously, so I wanted to work with female producers on this project (especially because it came from such a personal, female perspective). It was such a different experience being in the studio with all female energy. Hill and Robyn are so talented, and I felt really comfortable to just be myself and try new things. I felt free to be creative, experiment and be vulnerable, which was crucial for this EP and made it so much fun to work on.
What does this EP mean to you?
“Enough” is a collection of songs that focuses on relationships, and explores both dealing with heartbreak and finding love. I understand that, thematically, the two don’t go together, but I’ve found in my experience that love and heartbreak aren’t sequential. It’s entirely possible to experience feelings of heartbreak and longing while being completely in love with someone new.
In the case of the title track, it’s about finding love and wholeness—acknowledging that real love, above all else, is enough. In the songs about heartbreak, the title is more about closing the door behind me and saying things that I didn’t have enough courage to say before. It’s about saying enough is enough to those feelings.
This project also acknowledges my journey as an artist and all of the self-doubt that has come along with my experiences. Throughout the making of this EP, I was able to remind myself that I could in fact do things my way, and that the work I created— despite my fears— has always been good enough. That I’m enough.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
My favourite band right now is Winnetka Bowling League– I love all of their songs and think Matthew Koma is a lyrical *genius*, but ‘On the 5’, ‘are you okay?’, and ‘Slow Dances’ are probably my favourites… It’s the type of songwriting that makes me want to be a better, more honest writer.
What do you like to do away from music?
I love spending time with my friends and my extended family– that’s where I’m happiest (and also why this last year has been particularly difficult for me to manage). When I have free time I love sewing, crafting, and getting active– playing tennis, rollerblading, and running.
What’s planned for the remainder of 2021?
A) Lots of fun things to come alongside the EP release — a couple more videos and even some merch. Beyond that, I’m excited to take a bit of a breath and recharge after the release. I’m looking forward to writing more again, doing some travelling, and hopefully making up for some lost time with my friends and family!
Favourite food and place to hangout
I have the biggest sweet tooth… anything baked. There’s a place called Mariposa Market here in Orillia and if it was acceptable to eat donuts for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I would eat their Texas donuts until I literally turned into one.
I’m not the biggest fan of going out– although after this year I’m sure my friends and I will be doing lots of that… But to be honest, my favourite place to be is at a friend’s house– hanging out and having a few drinks (and a lot of laughs) with my favourite people around a table, on a basement couch, or on the living room floor. Can’t wait to get back to that!
Twitter: @cassiedasilva
Facebook: /cassiedasilvamusic
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Website: www.cassiedasilva.com
