Cassa Jackson In Conversation With FAULT Magazine
Cassa Jackson In Conversation With FAULT Magazine
Get ready to groove to the FAULTLess beat of Cassa Jackson’s latest EP, ‘Summer With U’, as the rising pop star shares her experiences of newfound love through her captivating music. Through her music, Cassa Jackson shares personal stories of love and heartache, connecting with her audience on a deeper level and empowering them to find their own worth.
We caught up with Cassa Jackson to discuss her new EP and of course, her FAULTs.
Did the success of recent single ‘The Guy I Never Dated’ add extra pressure to make sure your follow up exceeded expectations?
I don’t think so, I was pleased! Success just means I’m doing something right and people are listening and relating to my songs. All I ever do is write about my life in an honest way and if that helps people get through what they’re getting through then great! It motivated me to keep going and work harder if anything!
Could you share the inspiration behind your EP and how the three upbeat songs a happier place in your life?
This EP is a celebration of new love and all the carefree optimism that accompanies it. These songs are about the start of a new relationship, when it’s all fun and flirty and there is a sweet anticipation of all that lies ahead. My guitarist even pointed out that the songs as a group represent a whole summer’s day. ‘Summer With U’ is the morning when you’re having a cup of coffee in the sun. ‘Tranquilo’ embodies dancing into the sunset and ‘Naked’ is as the night progresses and it all becomes a bit risqué and fun!
The title track ‘Summer With U’ sets a joyous mood for the EP. Can you elaborate on the lyrics and the overall message you wanted to convey with this song?
‘Summer with U’ was the first song I ever wrote about my boyfriend and it was just before the summer so I was simply imagining having a wonderful summer with him. It’s about how he makes me a better, happier, calmer person and I wanted to spend all my time with him, which I still do!
We noticed that two of the songs in the EP feature you singing in Spanish. What motivated you to incorporate Spanish into your music?
Yes, this is the first time that I have experimented with adding some Spanish lyrics to my songs and I love the result. I did a degree in modern languages at Bristol University and even managed to get a 1st! So it seemed silly to not be using my languages in my career. I love speaking Spanish and Spanish culture and music too and have always wanted to use my Spanish but there wasn’t the right song for it. These songs seemed like the perfect opportunity, I wrote them picturing myself in Spain salsa dancing to them!
‘Tranquilo’ is described as a departure from your previous releases with its Latin pop vibes. Could you tell us more about the creative process behind this song and what made you explore this musical direction?
The sound of ‘Tranquilo’ is heavily influenced by my love of reggaeton music, having lived in Madrid. I used to go to a lot of nightclubs where they would only play reggaeton music and those nights are honestly some of the best memories I have. I was in the studio with Dan Millson, the co-writer and producer and we were talking about Madrid, because he lives there and the song just seemed to flow naturally from there. He has a really great ear and instantly knew the sort of vibe I wanted to go for with this song. I think it’s my favourite track on the EP.
Your songs are known for their emotional storytelling. What drives you to share these personal stories in your music, and what do you hope listeners take away from your songs?
I love being open and honest and transparent with what’s going on in my life. I think it really brings the songs to life and makes people realise they are not alone in what they are going through. First and foremost, I write the songs for myself to help me get through what ever I’m going through (or now to celebrate where I’m at having gone through the breakups). Then once I release the songs, I hope that other people can relate to the songs and connect with them and give them some clarity with regard to their relationships. I hope that people feel empowered after listening to my music and can be reminded of their own worth.
What’s been the most challenging hurdle to overcome on your musician journey?
I think social media has definitely been a complicated thing to navigate. So much so that I even wrote a song about it, called ‘Wild West’ and its all about the pressures of social media and how its just a highlight reel of people’s lives and can be damaging if you lose yourself in it. Certainly when I first started out as an artist it was hard because it felt like I was trying to be a model as well as a singer, because social media is so image based and I felt that it took away from my songwriting. When I started TikTok it actually really helped because that was a platform that at the time favoured unfiltered ‘real’ content and that’s when my songs started to do well because it was just me sitting in my car singing the lyrics to people. I think people began to connect with me on a more personal level after that which I prefer. But social media is ever changing and it never stops which can be quite draining, so I try to go on social media, post what I need to and leave, rather than doom scrolling!
What is your FAULT?
My biggest FAULT is that I overthink EVERYTHING. Literally every minor decision I have to make takes ten times longer than it should. Even if I’m trying to order at a restaurant I will overthink whether I actually wanted that dish until it comes. But particularly in terms of social media as an artist its sometimes hard not to overthink what I post, but recently i’ve had a pact with myself that I have to just post it and not spend ages agonising over which picture is best, when they’re pretty much identical anyways!