Double Exposure Polaroid by Cassidy Rose

Cassidy Rose: We’ve seen you compared to everyone from Avril Lavigne to Olivia Rodrigo - who do you actually feel are your audio counterparts, and who’s music directly influences your art?

Casey Baer: Well, I’m glad that you’ve heard that so I’d definitely say Olivia Rodrigo and Avril are pretty on target and I would also add in Tate McRae. I really feel that a mix of all of them is like my music especially sonically so I would say that that was really pretty on target!

CR: The pandemic we all lived through affected everyone differently, do you feel like isolation helped or hindered your personal creative process?

CB: I feel like it was really a combination of both, especially going back and forth between multiple things. It kind of came in waves for me, at first I was like *ahhh* such a relief like I can take my time and you know relax a little bit because growing up in LA and being in LA and working all the time is like run run run and it definitely gave me time to sit back and reflect and see what I’ve done and what I wanna do and reassess everything and it gave me the time to sit down and write for hours on end and you know work on my craft and get into more lessons, obviously over zoom – and I had so many zoom sessions! There were definitely parts in the summer where my family didn’t go outside with other people like at all. We stayed home – it was really only me, my mom , my little brother, my dad and my dog – those were literally the only people we saw until like August so it was really isolating at some points – it was just so monotonous and so I definitely did get a little crazy being home so much and doing the same things every single day but I definitely improved so much from it so I do think it’s really a bit of both.

CR: And did most of the music you just put out come from that isolation creative learning and writing?

CB: Um, I would say a few things influenced it creatively, like idea wise, but the music was all made, well we started on this project Not That Girl like late July of last year – you know really compiling all of the songs and having writing sessions every day whether if it was over zoom or whatever. The really amazing thing about this EP is that it was made all across the world like some of the producers were in Stockholm and some in London and some were here and so there were a lot of zoom sessions and then there were a lot of sessions in person and it was really cool because you know writing with people you’ve never written with before and opening up in front of a screen is definitely different but, I mean, I think it worked.

CR: As a young artist, has touring life proved to be what you expected - especially in a post pandemic music industry?

CB: Touring is literally the most incredible thing I’ve ever done in my entire life. I always knew that I wanted to tour and to perform since I was three years old, but it has exceeded my expectations. Being able to see the reaction on people’s faces when I am singing them the lyrics that I have written from my own experiences, because all my songs are really true stories, like if you read my diary you’d be like “oh my god this is her song “Not That Girl”” like they are all just open honest feelings so being able to see how it resonates with others and how my words can impact people is such a blessing honestly -seeing the smiles on their faces. After the show I’m always like come hang out with me by the back or by the merch table and everyone comes up and you know we take pictures and talk and that I’d say is the most surreal thing. Because that was my whole goal in writing music is to be able to relate to people and make sure everyone knows that they’re not alone and there are billions of people in this world and at least one has felt like you.

CR: Well, your songs are all super raw and relatable so what do you feel makes a song really great?

CB: Well, thank you, I appreciate that, it’s my whole goal! I feel that just the extreme raw honesty of you know - life is hard and shit gets hard - it’s definitely hard to talk about certain things, but after many years of coming to realize I’m not the only person that feels like this and these are all normal feelings and normal emotions that people go through, being able to be a voice for people that don’t have the words yet is also really super empowering and it makes you be like “ah – okay!”. Other people respond to it, and they let you know it’s scary to be vulnerable sometimes but it’s a big payoff.

CR: I also noticed you seem to put out cover versions of songs, what do you think makes for a great cover?

CB: I feel like I really have to love the song itself and like some obviously I don’t fully relate to topically because you know you can’t relate to everything that everyone writes but you can kind of you know make things your own a little bit and put your own spin on things. Also loving an artist definitely helps me connect to a song because if it’s something I would listen to it’s like “Okay I love this, I have to put my own spin on it or do something with it!”

CR: So, what’s your favorite cover you’ve done so far and what do you hope to maybe cover in the future?

CB: My favorite cover – oh that’s so hard – I do so many I really love! During my show I perform a cover of Tate McRae’s “She’s All I Wanna Be” and it’s so much fun because, number one, I love Tate as an artist and I feel like her lyrics are super similar to things I go through which I love and I love her sound but also the song itself has just such a cool message and also the music to it is just so much fun to rock out with so I’d say that’s probably one of my favorites. And a song that I really want to cover, well I’m actually putting a playlist together right now of songs that me and my guitar teacher wanna do together so there are going to be a lot of new covers coming soon!

CR: Yea I saw you were learning guitar – how is that going?

CB: Yes! I am learning guitar; I play piano and I am learning the guitar, so I am really excited about that!

CR: You have a massive following on TikTok - is that your preferred social media platform?

CB: Um, yes because I feel like I get to engage with you guys the most on it and like I can just post endless amounts of content. It’s kind of where I tease my songs so I think it’s really fun but Instagram is really fun too and that’s kind of where I started gaining my following so Instagram definitely has a special place in my heart. And I do love SnapChat but mainly because I talk to my friends on it not as much to watch.

CR: I saw that you signed with Ford Modeling yesterday, anything you want to say about that!?

CB: I did! It was so much fun, and I am so excited to be a part of the family!

CR: What are your creative goals there?

CB: So, I am really excited, I signed with the branding side and the modelling side so they have a new department that is doing artist branding and kind of collaborations and stuff, putting artists with amazing brands and then also I love to model. I modeled a lot when I was a younger kid and like now being able to do that older is really cool so I am really excited. Also, I get to add my own musical spin to the branding side so it really incorporates everything I love the most.

CR: Is there anything else you want to share with your fans or maybe someone just discovering your music?

CB: I’d say I have a lot of really amazing things coming very soon and I am so excited to finally be able to share them with you and make sure to follow along on the journey and I hope if this comes out when the tour is still going on you guys come out and see me on tour and get some merch and take some pictures. On tour I do one of my favorite unreleased songs so come check it out!

CR: And when can we expect it may be released..?

CB: *shrugs* I don’t know, I don’t know! But the only place you can hear it right now is on tour it’s not on Tik Tok or anything!

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