#129 Cassidy-Rae
From Sydney starting out at a young age with the Australian girls choir where she had a best friend who fell into a coma in her sleep from type 1 diabetes and passed away which she found out via a Facebook feed. Music saved her and helped her process through her emotions during this time and continued to be her therapy. Following her passion for music is now having an incredible impact in the country music scene and giving us a big dose of Cassidy-Rae music therapy and place to connect with one another.
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Transcript
Rae Leigh: Welcome to a Songwriter tryst with Cassidy, Rae how are
Cassidy-Rae: for having me. a little bit over a lot of different things.
Rae Leigh: No, because like Other people in the industry like Reilley and Cassidy Ray, it seems to be too too close. I don't think it but
Cassidy-Rae: I think it's the Ray
Rae Leigh: obviously. Yeah. Is Cassidy Ray, your
Cassidy-Rae: It is my full first name and it's not even a stage name. I kind of almost wish it was cause that'd be kind of really cool. I normally get called Cassidy Ray and my parents for Cassidy being fun and loving and Ray my mother's
Rae Leigh: okay. I love the name, Ray, because Ray means wise protector.
But Leigh's my last name. And so a lot of people will call me Rae-Leigh
and like, you can just call me Rae.
Like it kind of feels weird, but Cassidy raise your full first
Cassidy-Rae: Cassidy raise my full first name.
Rae Leigh: That's beautiful.
Cassidy-Rae: Thank you. I really like it. When I was younger, I used to like, try and make up an Amy takes. People were like Cassidy Ray, and they were trying to say my full name and be like, you missed my middle name. I don't have one. My parents were like, it's long enough. Your name
Rae Leigh: Oh really? My middle name is Francis.
Cassidy-Rae: It's a good middle
Rae Leigh: My grandma was granny Frankie, but her name.
was Francis, is really cool.
I want to be granny Frankie, if I want to, like, I just like, that sounds like rolls off
Cassidy-Rae: See, my grandfather's name was Ray and my mom's name is Ray lane. So I'm kind of like right. The third, I think in my family. So my daughter or my son, my son, he's not going to be called Raymond, but my daughter might be cold something,
Rae Leigh: Yep. So Cassidy, right. My first name is actually Sarah but I thought that sounded too country. This was before I was into country. music.
Cassidy-Rae: Now, now you're just embracing the REA
Rae Leigh: yeah. And I thought that Sarah Ray would be too long thing. And it's so confusing for people, especially people that knew me I I'll cut that
Cassidy-Rae: confusing eventually, but it's fine.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Okay. So let's go back to the beginning. Tell me, First of all, who are you and where do you
Cassidy-Rae: nowadays? I kind of feel like that answer is very ambiguous because I'm quite nomadic. I haven't been home in a couple of months, uh, but my name's Cassidy.
Right. If you did not know that now you do in your last forever different now, hopefully for the better, I always say this, uh, I'm a singer songwriter from Sydney originally born and raised. Uh, and then I kind of grew up loving music. So, you know, no, no, no. Those moments where your parents try to open as many doors as possible when you're younger.
So you can get to experience life before doors start closing.
Rae Leigh: Mm I was the fourth of six children, there were no opportunities I had to fight for everyone,
Cassidy-Rae: Oh my goodness.
Rae Leigh: but I do, I have seen other children, like, Yeah, that's a
normal
Cassidy-Rae: you want to, you know, try out tennis to see if you like
Rae Leigh: or
Cassidy-Rae: try out sport to see if that's your thing. It was never my thing. I always followed like the music path.
And so, you know, I joined choirs and then it went from school choir to the school band to leading the chapel in the school and then joining the Australian girls choir doing my own career. So it's been definitely a weird journey. And now I'm in country music and loving it.
Rae Leigh: that's, that's like a big jump though from like Sydney music choir to country music.
How did that, that transition happened? Was country music, a big influence in your life?
Cassidy-Rae: Yes and no. I think all music was a big influence in my life. I mean, I grew up listening to am radio rather than FM radio, but if we ever went on drives, which my family loves driving, we'd always listened to Shania Twain and faith hill and Taylor swift.
And so country was definitely an influence there growing up, just not them. I'm very passionate about female country. Surprisingly,
Rae Leigh: naturally I think being females in the industry and all of a sudden being aware of the inequality that has been present in the past and still kind of.
is it's hard not to be
Cassidy-Rae: I'm kind of almost inspired by the power that starting to rise up. Like despite the disparity between male and female lack, we have these really interesting stories that aren't be getting drunk in a truck with a dog. Like there's so many more stories to share that I constantly am inspired by any nor of other female country music on it.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. It's been incredible. And even just doing this, we've partnered with so many people like their sisters in music. There's women in music, there's crazy women of country. There's so many organizations and groups out there for women. to Connect and support each other. And I think that's the most important thing Like we need to do that.
Cassidy-Rae: Gosh. Yes. But that's the best part about country music, because it just starts to feel like a family, like in any other genre, it always would feel like a competition in some sort of way, by having a performance and other person missed out. And you know, that inclusivity, that country music brings you something that's almost addictive.
Like the moment I realized that it felt like a family and, you know, you can go up to anybody on the street at 10 with country music festival and it really any country music festival and say, get a, it feels like family, or it feels like a mate. Um, which was just amazing to be a part of like,
Rae Leigh: common ground
instant
Cassidy-Rae: yes, Which is so different to any other genre.
Rae Leigh: And there are some incredible people. That was, I was talking to someone about it last night, That was what drew me into country music. It wasn't necessarily the music. I love the stories and and and that it's a, such a safe space to do that.
But it was really the people and the fans and the people that just so family orientated and felt so comfortable. And like, there was this lovely lady called Jan at this gig last night, went to with Miami, Marquetta. And she's every single gig that she can go to. And I was hearing all these stories about how supportive she is.
And like, she looks like she should be in bed by nine. o'clock, but she never is, you know, like, Cause she's out. supporting these people and It's like, that's you don't get those types of fans at your pop rave festivals.
Cassidy-Rae: No. And I think it all depends on the connection. Like something I've really loved about music growing up at first, it started, you know, I'd met somebody called Daniella mates. Ballo in the Australian girls choir and we became very good friends and she passed away to type one diabetes dead in bed syndrome, which is like,
Rae Leigh: whoa,
Cassidy-Rae: Scary, um, basically diet type one diabetes.
They can't control the sugar or the glucose levels. And at a teenage level it can kind of go out of control. And so she went into a hyper or hypo. It was so long ago glycaemic reaction, uh, which basically means she fell into a coma and passed away before. That we're able to do anything about it. And they found out the next day that there's actually alarms in America that can wake parents up or white carers up.
Um, so it was preventable. And so, you know, I found out from a Facebook feed that my, one of my best friends that passed away and like, I couldn't deal with it. Um, and so I, I turned to piano and that's kind of when my solo career started was because I had no other way of describing what I was feeling and Woodward's found music speaks.
Uh, and you know, from that journey for me, it was very therapeutic. I kind of turned to it when I didn't have anywhere else to turn or where I needed to let my soul speak in my heart, have a voice and, and kind of convey what I was trying to say properly.
Rae Leigh: And you don't know what to say
Cassidy-Rae: No. And at 15, like how do you deal when somebody dies and like going to a funeral and for somebody that was so young and admittedly, she traveled the world and admittedly, her family has done so much in diabetes since, and has brought all of these alarms into Australia.
So nobody ever has to go through that again, which is wonderful. Um, but for me, music started out very therapeutic and the more that I traveled from carnival and being a piano bar entertainer, and the more that I got into country music, the more I realized that it was less about me and therapeutically, um, dealing with my emotions.
And it was more about actually connecting and the people that I met in the, and the, I can't call them fans because I talked to them way too much. They're the friends that I interact with. Uh, and it was about sharing our kind of common ground and sharing these stories between us whole. And that's kind of what I've started to love more about music than anything
Rae Leigh: a whole nother level of healing. Like you spoke about Music being a healing thing for you in isolation and not knowing what to do and who to talk to once. And I think music is a catalyst for the connection. And once you can start sharing those and having those conversations sharing that music with other people and you heal together, loss or trauma or any of those things, it's a whole nother intense level of healing and therapy isn't probably well-documented or researched as far as, you know, but they are doing it.
And it's not like we need a piece of paper to tell us that being around other people and sharing. Therapeutic. We know that you know, as human race, we've done it for forever. a big part of every culture stories
Cassidy-Rae: That's kind of like what drew me to music in the first place. You know, being able to actually let somebody know that they're not alone and let somebody know that you kind of have like gone through the trauma that they're going through and, that you've made it out the other side.
And you know, it might seem dark right now and there's no latter than to the end of the tunnel, but there really is, which is beautiful, you know,
Rae Leigh: such an important
job
Cassidy-Rae: and a way to connect over, not just the disparity, but the distinctions of inequality or racial discrimination or any sort of discrimination. It transcends all languages and all barriers.
And it's this powerful tool of connecting
Rae Leigh: It's a real freedom of expression. Isn't it? And we talk about freedom of speech? And yet often freedom of speech, even though we don't technically have that in Australia, that's very much Americanism. The freedom of expression is different you can express yourself through art, any form of art, and it can be just an expression.
It doesn't need to, um, be debated. I love that. because I hate conflict Um, I'm an avoider of conflict. If you try to have a fight with me, I'll just walk away I'm not very good with conflict. Not unless it's something to do with my children or other children, any children actually I'll probably go in head first, but yeah, I'll go in head first. But when it comes to politics or the way things should be, I'm just like it's whatever you think is whatever you think.
And that's none of my business, you know, like that's, cause I just can't deal with conflict. Whereas music, I feel like I get to and this is just the way I feel and I'm not going to debate with you. I'm just singing it. How I feel it is. at this given moment of time,
that's it. You don't have to debate with anyone,
Cassidy-Rae: Very true.
Rae Leigh: is nice.
Cassidy-Rae: And I mean the power of music and releasing it, like the power of sharing, just a moment of just a piece of who you are and just a little bit of your soul is that soul can evolve. And, you know, when I was younger, I used to say, you know, I'm, I was in a, a relationship that thankfully I'm no longer in.
And I was constantly questioning whether I was good enough and, you know, looking back now, retrospectively, I just wish I could like shake my former self and be like, oh my goodness, why are you even like making this a question? But you know, you, you get to share that little bit of your life and that little bit of your harness kind of like almost this memory book of your life and your beliefs and your morals and your ideas of where you were at the time.
So, you know,
Rae Leigh: is because there's not one person I've spoken to on this podcast or in life, and mind you that has ever not. gone And thought at some point that I'm not good Like, That's that's just a human thing that I think is a part of a natural symptom of our environment. and consumerism. And like, That is how make us, buy stuff, right?
Like buy this makeup, because you're not good enough, or buy these clothes because you're not going to like that it's a subliminal thing, but we all have it in our subconscious and it impacts relationships and everything
And then
Cassidy-Rae: everything like self worth was such a big issue for me growing up. And I didn't even realize, you know, and I almost just kind of want to make that, like you could make so many things, a message and I just almost wanted us to walk up to everybody and be like, thank you for just being you, because that is good enough.
That is more than good enough. That is amazing.
Rae Leigh: exactly where you're meant to be
at
any given point at any given That's what I believe
Cassidy-Rae: and all the choices that you've made have led you up to this moment.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Cassidy-Rae: A hundred percent, same way.
Rae Leigh: And now people like, oh, they're preaching at us. Um, All right. So I want to know, like, because going from being in high school choir and stuff like that, like a lot of kids do music, not a lot of kids go on to become singer songwriters or actually have a job in the music industry, or even studying music?
Like it, it is, I think it's a very brave choice only because it took so much like every ounce of courage in my body to actually sing in front of anyone, let alone decide to tell people that I was going to be an artist. Like it's such a hard thing. How did that happen for you? What was that process?
Cassidy-Rae: Thought about it actively, like people grow up and they say, you know, I want to be at five in a row.
And if the police officer, I want it to be a news reporter, I just loved talking in front of people, or I wanted to be able to connect with people. Uh, and my parents always said, if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. And so I grew up loving what I did and you know, every year they'd asked me what I wanted to do and I'd be like, I want to join the choir.
I want to sing, or I want to take singing lessons. And it was never. Uh, you know, I want to be a musician. I'm going to do this. Uh, I just, I just loved it. And I kind of just kept following what I loved to into university, where I did a bachelor of music and arts practice and management. So managing music basically.
And you know, it was all coincidence that I ended up becoming a Puna, burnt Taino. When, you know, the friend of a friend on Facebook is interested in an event, it happened to be an audition for carnival. And I found out the day before, and I'd never auditioned for anything like that before. And I said, well, I'm not doing anything tomorrow.
Let's despair, spare the moment, go and audition. And I got, got the pardon, went down that road. And that was when I became professional and, and got paid. Quite a lot for what I was doing. Um, and before then, you know, I'd, I'd started like everything that I was doing was accidentally leading me down to a career as a musician.
I just never chosen to do it. Like I was in a leadership program in year 11 and 12, uh, where we had to create an event that benefited the community, where we saw a hole in the community and fill that hole. And so I'd been to open mikes before, and I was joining the Australian girls choir and I'd performed for Ellen degenerate and Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama and the Pope.
And yeah, it's a, it's a cool, like pinch me moment. Like a lot of like. That's that was my life growing up. And so I was in year 11, you do, as, as one would do. Uh, and so I was in year 11 and 12 and in my community there wasn't a lot of musical opportunities. And so I decided to start an open mic and they ran successfully.
I think I ran about four or five of them. And then the mayor discovered it and the mayor contacted me and she asked me to become a youth ambassador. And when I was youth ambassador, I started by art and choir. And then, you know, everything that I was just doing was keeping on leading me into music and I would just constantly find something music related.
Uh, and you know, then I was performing with my local RSL and just dragging my keyboard along with me, wherever I go or on my, my wine bar at my local shops would just have, uh, local music nights. And that was my first ever job. Like, you know, I never had to work as Basta for a cafe waiter. I just could
Rae Leigh: You would never a waitress.
Cassidy-Rae: NA.
It's amazing.
Rae Leigh: of passage,
Cassidy-Rae: I almost,
Rae Leigh: hospitality job
Cassidy-Rae: I didn't have to do that. Like I just kept following music and, and taking all music paths. And so I kind of
Rae Leigh: just
Cassidy-Rae: like, it was never an active choice or like a brave step for me. It was kind of just like, oh, look, I'm doing this. I'll look, people, people are really intro into enjoying
Rae Leigh: giving me money
Cassidy-Rae: in this.
Yeah. I guess I should keep doing this and I wonder how long I can keep going for it. And I'm kind of still in that stage, it's like, I'm really enjoying writing music. I'm really enjoying traveling and connecting with people at Wanda. How long I can keep doing this. Let's just, let's just go on this adventure and say how long this lasts and have fun doing it.
Rae Leigh: So what about, um, going, from singing and playing piano being you and using it as therapy. What was it? Was it, this was it the friend that passed away. That was the first, when you wrote a song like the power of songwriting.
Cassidy-Rae: Actually that was, that was the first episode. I kind of wrote that was well enough to, to share with the world, uh, and half an hour and two rolling down a page and it was done.
I was ready to go. And, you know, I ran into, uh, an oxygen music studios, which was holding an artist development program. I think now they're referred to as red dog recording studios. So before, before they were that they were oxygen music and they offered me an artist development program where I kind of just got to share my songs and, and grow from there and kind of really follow songwriting.
Rae Leigh: So did they, that artist development program, did they help you like record and release music? Oh, that's amazing.
Cassidy-Rae: it was, it was seriously, I don't know how it fell into my lap, but it was incredible. I got to work with some pretty talented, incredible, uh, produces, uh, that had worked for like a Dell or Delta. Could you room? And I was like, cool, I'm in a studio. And what does that button do? And what does this button do?
And took a lot longer than I think, than they expected, but it was well worth it because it meant that I could go into a recording studio and go, okay, well I want this much reverb and like not a lot of chorus please. And I want these students to run and definitely a learning lesson.
Rae Leigh: Oh. And it's like, I'm still, learning that one. it's so hard to know what you want when you don't know what to ask, for. Like, I'm like, I don't know what I want, but I'll know it when I hear it.
And when I hear it. If it's a yes or no, and that, That just takes time.
Cassidy-Rae: It does. And a lot more experience, like the more that you're in the studio, the more that you can not just work with the instruments that you've been given, but also the producer. So I, it took me a long time to find Michael Carpenter. Uh, and the moment I met him, something felt right.
Energetically between us, that I just felt really comfortable working with him. And we became fast friends. And before I knew it, I would have say something and he would literally finish a sentence. And so I would bring my mom in to take photos cause you never get to take photos of behind the scenes. So I always bring her in just to kind of capture that and she would hear us and we walk out and we'd finished the day and she said, I have no idea what just happened.
And I was like, what's wrong? She's like you didn't, you didn't actually speak a full sentence for a good solid couple of hours. You both half spoke and finished each other's sentences. It was incredible. Like, I, I just didn't believe it. And you know, it got to, we were recording 30 songs. Like we've worked together now for about five or six songs.
Uh, and it got to recording 30 last year. I'd written quite a lot of songs. And I said, I just want to record them all. He randomly pointed out. He's like, I know when you're, when you're happy with something, because you'll just lean back. And when you have a problem, you'll lean forward, but you won't say anything and I'll
Rae Leigh: when reading a body
language
Cassidy-Rae: reading my body language.
So we didn't even have to have a sentence. We could just flow with this music, um, which kind of added to the whole experience, like doing 30 songs in a recording studio, you kind of have to do them very quickly.
Rae Leigh: And it
Cassidy-Rae: Kind of took recording to a different level because normally you go in and you say, all right, we're going to sit here and we're going to really find the perfect guitar solo.
And we're going to sit on it for a good couple of hours for this. It was like, all right, we're coming in to do a song. And three to four hours later, it was completely done. And so we were going with first takes of everything. And so we knew we had to know exactly what it sounded like and really be in the flow of the song and in the flow of the lyrics and where the lyrics wanted us to go, as well as where the music, when it best to go.
It was definitely an incredible experience.
Rae Leigh: And It's nice to be able to get to a point where you feel like really comfortable with that and it's beautiful to see as well.
Cassidy-Rae: It felt like magic.
Rae Leigh: It's like, watching your professional athlete you know? No, one's great with a tennis racket straight away, but you ease into it. And it just,
Cassidy-Rae: And just to watch that flow eventually.
And just to see that absolute rhythm in that to, and fro in that almost like watching instruments, dance, or watching two people kind of work around and create this magic. I just think it's amazing.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. I'm still, I'm still dating producers to find that magic, but at the same time, I'm loving every moment I'm loving, writing more songs and
Cassidy-Rae: dating sometimes the fun
Rae Leigh: yeah, the flip, the
flirting part like
Cassidy-Rae: like I've been single for nearly two years now, and I can't be bothered to go on a date, but dating sounds fun.
Like it's like the interesting part of like, getting to know someone all over again. It's like good
Rae Leigh: Okay. So serious question. Are you not dating for a reason?
Cassidy-Rae: Serious answer? Um, I. Lots of reasons. Actually the first one is I was in a really long-term relationship with a guy and that kind of ended on mutual terms, but ended in a really sad way.
Like I wasn't expecting it to end. I was kind of planning for that to continue. Long-term.
Yeah. And I think, you know, it takes a long time to get over that. Like I knew him for 12 years and that's, that's like half of my life, just, just under half of my life, to know someone and to love someone so deeply.
Um, and so there was that, and then getting kind of back into life, I tried dating and then COVID happened. And I was just like, eh, I can't be bothered. And you know, I was, I was perfectly single as a Pringle. Like I hadn't been single since on and off since 10 or something, it's, it's been a long time. And, you know, to actually be able to sit with myself and, and know who I am.
As an adult and what I really wanted out of life, because you can kind of get sucked into a relationship and it becomes way. And I had to learn to be me again, and I had to see what I wanted, and that was exciting for me. I really enjoy that. And so healthy. And, you know, I went on a date and it was a terrible date.
And I was just like, I don't, I don't need to be on a date. I'm happy just dating myself and for falling more in love with my music. And so I would spend most of my nights either getting to zoom date, my friends from all around the world, which was awesome. Um, and getting to make new friends who I would zoom date and we'd have dinner dates and it's a lovely, um, and then I'd just write songs, which is amazing.
Yeah.
Rae Leigh: Someone told me once, I think it was like some sort of youth camp and they said the perfect partner should be like, life is a journey any walking to the corner shop to get milk. And you're walking barefoot and randomly come across a comfortable pair of shoes and you put them on and it makes the journey.
better.
Cassidy-Rae: Brilliant.
Rae Leigh: Not that anyone should be worn like a pair of shoes,
but
it's like, just your life is your life. Your, yeah, You've got a purpose and a journey and a destiny, and you've got to live it. And no one can, you know, you don't jump off a cliff because someone tells you to you own your choices, no matter whether you're married or partnered or not.
Whereas the person that is your partner should make your life more enjoyable and more comfortable and support that journey
Cassidy-Rae: a
Rae Leigh: you know, not make it harder or try and divert it to their journey.
Cassidy-Rae: Yeah.
Rae Leigh: and that's, Um, I always kind of really liked that analogy. It's like my life's my life, no matter what. And like I've got three kids and a husband now, and but like, my life is still my life and I have to live it for myself, with the respect of my responsibilities. But yeah,
it's an
Cassidy-Rae: can definitely get lost. I love that ID cause I got lost in the relationship and it kind of, you know, My priorities weren't, you know, me and that. Yeah. And, you know, I'm, I'm still getting to write love songs about it. And, you know, when we broke up, he kind of was like, at least you'll get a good song out of it.
And I'm like, yes, thank you. Because that's exactly what I wanted out of this. Thank you so much.
Rae Leigh: Heartbreak is got songwriting gold. Apparently.
Cassidy-Rae: but you know, I, yes, it is. Um, but you know,
Rae Leigh: Hence the 30 songs.
Cassidy-Rae: yeah, surprisingly, not a lot of heartbreaking songs, which is. All my satisfying in a way, but it's very evident that I get to fall in love with me and I get to date me and, and be really happy with my own self, my own company, and, you know, get to make my own choices without asking permission.
And, you know, I love the idea of that saying, uh, a relationship should be a puzzle piece that you get to be your own piece, which is a wooden piece, and you don't get to mold into somebody else. You actually get to perfectly fit with another person and they don't mold to you and you don't mold to them.
You fit complimentary and perfectly together.
Rae Leigh: I like that one too.
I'm going to, I'm going to reuse that one. That's good.
Cassidy-Rae: please do
Rae Leigh: What about co-writing tell me about, have you done much collaborating and
Cassidy-Rae: I've never really. Gotten a lot of opportunities to do it. Growing up. I was when I was at university, uh, surprisingly, it was a lot more about the management side and the practical side and the theoretical side. Then the, you know, let's sit down and write a song together. And I think I ended up doing my university part-time so instead of doing it full-time everybody else had graduated halfway through my degree and halfway through I'd started traveling the world and being a piano bar entertainer.
There's not a lot of time to actually sit down and write with other people. Cause we're all performing constantly, uh, and kind of like traveling the world. And then I kind of came back and I, I pot dissipated in the academy, which is a two week intensive course, right before the time with country music festival.
And I got to co-write yes, the senior one, I got to co-write my very first song with Katrina Burgoyne. Uh, and that was brilliant. Uh, and so we
Rae Leigh: just had a chat with her.
Cassidy-Rae: did you, ah, she's doing amazingly. gosh, love that woman.
Rae Leigh: was just like, oh, I just had a conversation with her, like last week,
Cassidy-Rae: such a proficient co-writer. And so it was great to be able to step into that for the very first time with somebody that had done it so easily before, and kind of took the
Rae Leigh: lead,
Cassidy-Rae: yeah, but also kind of took the nerves out of it. Like it wasn't, you know, neither of us knew what we were doing. It was very much, this is the structure of how it goes.
So it was kind of like going in with an experienced person, made it a lot easier.
Rae Leigh: and that does help,
Cassidy-Rae: Certainly
Rae Leigh: good advice
Cassidy-Rae: that to anybody go with somebody that has co-written before, rather than has not, uh,
Rae Leigh: It's like having sex for the first time. or something. Like If you're both inexperienced, there's going to be even more awkward. Whereas if Like one person knows what they're doing.
They can kind of like lead.
That's a weird, analogy, but it's
kind of accurate
Cassidy-Rae: When I was, uh, chatting on my zoom dates, I would ask my friends, you know, what do you do when you're co-writing with somebody? Like, especially when it's over zoom, because I haven't done it during COVID. And I said, you know, it's like when you're first meeting a boy, like in school and I'm like, what do you talk about with a guy when you first meet a guy?
Like what's the weather like today? Um, yeah. And it's literally just that it's just having a conversation, which I've, I've learned over time and, and starting to learn a little bit more. And I think the second time I've gotten to co-write was actually with my friends online, my, um, they call themselves their family group because friends of the family that you choose.
Uh, and so. I have a friend that I've never met called Joel all the way in Mary land, in the states and that he met seven years and years ago. And he started this Fain group family group. And it has over 700 members, which is beyond
Rae Leigh: that's a big family.
Cassidy-Rae: that's a big family. Uh, and I decided that I wanted to write a song with him.
So we wrote a song together over a couple of weeks. Um, and then other than that, it was at the Tamworth songwriting workshop. that's about the only times I've ever Kirven. So looking forward to doing it more, actually.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. So you've enjoyed it enough to want to keep doing it, but you're also quite proficient at being a solid writer, obviously but more being, because you rather than
Cassidy-Rae: Yeah, I, I, and again, I constantly found music therapeutic, so it was never that I needed to look to anybody else. It was kind of like, what am I trying to say? What is my heart feeling right now? Um, and you know, those moments are at 3:00 AM in the morning when everybody else is asleep on a cruise ship. And I'm like, I can just walk in my PJ's up to the piano bar.
Nobody will mind
Rae Leigh: me
Cassidy-Rae: just sitting there for a couple of hours writing a song. And so it just became, you know, what my heart was trying to say in and allow it, this voice to speak. And now I have this opportunity to connect with so many people in and have these really interesting conversations and write a song from it, or, you know, write about something that means a lot to both of us.
Rae Leigh: Beautiful. And I'm, I'm not a believer that it has to be one way or the other, like I've I was such a solely RADA. and same thing. It was like a diary Um, and just a way of getting stuff out. And every song I've released so far have all been songs that were never written to be released. that were just written like In this room or in my bedroom wherever I was just on a bed, trying to get out my emotions.
Um, and some of those songs were songs that just continue to sing for years and years and years to the point where I started publicly singing, it was like, well, if these songs have helped me so much. And I still love him five years after I've written it. I'm probably going to love it if I release it you know, and still
Cassidy-Rae: and maybe somebody else could actually love it just as much or feel something from that.
Rae Leigh: And maybe it'll heal, them or chew them out just as much as it's healed me. and chewed me up. So that was kind of one of those initial learning. moments of being a songwriter bear. What is the best advice you've ever? been given?
Cassidy-Rae: Oh my goodness. Sorry. Many. I actually have a list on my phone of advice. Would you believe? Cause I constantly get advice and I never know what is good until after it's done. and I.
Rae Leigh: You came prepared,
Cassidy-Rae: I call them my gear shifting statements, because it's the moments when you're going through life and, you know, you're on one path and somebody comes up and they tell you something and it's like, oh, that's a good change. And it takes me on a completely different elevated path or puts it into high gear. Um,
Rae Leigh: let's ski change
Cassidy-Rae: um, my biggest suggestion would be do what you love because you never work a day in your life. That would be one of my biggest gear shifting statements, because if it's hard, it will reflect that. I think, you know, everybody is a mirror and, you know, you're there to meet somebody or to learn something or to, to see what you need to learn from them.
Uh, and I think knowing that if you look at music and go, it's such hard work, or this is more of a challenge than an opportunity. It will reflect in how you share that with everybody. So, you know, if you do what you love, it never feels like work. And, you know, the perspective and the mindset, you know, mindset shifts everything.
And so if you look at a crowd and you go, oh my goodness, I hate this. You know, they're almost going to feel that energetically, but if you know, you're just doing it because you absolutely love it. You can see the love of somebody performing and you can feel the love in the lyrics and you can feel the heart.
And so my suggestion would be to do everything with love. That would be one of my biggest gear shifting statements, because, you know, yeah.
Rae Leigh: Sometimes I've gone even, soon open mic, cause I need to get out. Cause you know, house husband, three kids, sometimes you just got to get out of the house, but sometimes I've been to a few of Mike's and I feel horrible, but I don't have the feel Like I use that energy. of Just exhaustion to go to music that fills my cup. And I know that when I sing, even though I'm using that energy is coming from like a place of just, uh, you know, that it's coming from that place. But when it translates through music, that's not what my audience is getting. Jeremy, or Maybe they hearing the release.
And it's like, a pressure valve, you know,
Cassidy-Rae: for life. That going, oh, just let it go and let the weight go.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. It's like sometimes sharing isn't sometimes a problem shared is a problem, halved, you know, and everyone can feel that, Um, but that was something I used to be worried. Cause like, you know, if someone gets up and they're really nervous.
it makes you nervous as an audience. Like if I'm watching someone and they're really nervous, I was like, I'm nervous for them.
Cassidy-Rae: Or if somebody apologizes right before and they're like, I'm so sorry, this song isn't done. And it's like, please, don't apologize. Please just share your story. Cause I'm here to connect with you on a level.
Be it be it half written, be it fully written, be it like 10 years old, you know, it's your story. And I wanted to hear that, not be excused,
Rae Leigh: Look at this work we're here on a Sunday afternoon working essentially This is what people would call work, Cause this is what I do full-time and what you do full time. But it's like, I think that's a true Testament that you obviously do love what you do because most people do what they love on a Sunday afternoon It is not a day for something.
that you're not passionate about.
Cassidy-Rae: Yeah. You know, I start to forget what weekends
Rae Leigh: are.
Cassidy-Rae: have these conversations. I've actually been chatting with my friend, Justin Thompson from kicks country. And we like it's most, every Monday we go, what day is it? Oh, it's Monday. This is the day that we catch up. How are you doing? Like, we just forget what a weekend is because it's just every day I get to wake up and I get to chat meaner.
I've been live streaming since, since before COVID on a Saturday and Sunday, I haven't had a sleep in on a weekend, but I haven't even noticed until somebody went. Do you realize that this is what's happened? I went, oh my gosh. It's been like two years that I've live streamed every Sunday. And so that means I've gotten up at like 6:00 AM every Sunday.
Rae Leigh: consistency.
Cassidy-Rae: Thank you. Um, but that also means that it's like. I don't know what day it is, or I don't know where I am, because I'm just so in the moment and so loving what I'm doing and so privileged to be able to live this life and be able to wake up every day, happy in some way, getting to explore the new opportunities, not a challenge.
So mindset is definitely everything. So definitely love what you do, because it changes absolutely everything and how you act and how you behave and how people receive it.
Rae Leigh: What do you do when you are feeling yourself? Um, wearing out a little bit, because you know, you're a hard worker. I can see that. What, what's your thing that you like to go get a massage go get your nails done?
Is there something that you do just to go watch a movie or. something?
Cassidy-Rae: Honestly, I drink a lot of tea and I get to spend time with my family. I think, you know, I love normally when I was traveling so much, I didn't get to actually have that quality time with them. And I'm actually grateful for the time that COVID has given us for that quality that, you know, nobody else, you know, growing up gets to spend this much time with their family or this much time with their friends and, and otherwise, when I need downtime actually, or when I'm feeling overwhelmed, I actually go online, which is like the opposite of what most people do.
They kind of take a break from social media, I'm bombarded with abundance and with joy and with good vibes online. And you know, you surround yourself with positivity. That's
Rae Leigh: you create your online presence
like, because you know, you literally can pick and choose who are connected to your socials. And if people are like I have like a one strike rule, unless I know someone personally.
And they're having a vent online. and I'm like that's not normal for them, or I can reach out if, if it's other people who use it as like a dumping ground for negativity, it's like you're out. nothing personal.
It's just, I don't need that in my life.
Cassidy-Rae: so attract, I think what you need in your life. Like we were saying, everybody's here exactly where they're meant to be in the purpose.
And, you know, people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime, you know, I almost attract people that are meant to meet me or I'm meant to interact with. So I kind of never find social media to be a really bad place. And, you know, it's, you know, you can say that I'm living in this bubble because I'm constantly finding reasons to be grateful or reasons to be positive bits.
Rae Leigh: living in a bubble. I do. I didn't listen to the news. I started listening to the news with COVID mainly because I just had to keep up with the rules because the rules kept changing, but outside of that every six months or so, I'd be like, oh, what's going on the news. Oh, that's why I don't listen to these. I, don't do it.
Cassidy-Rae: I I grew up with my family. They own their own business. So they had to watch the news because of what was happening.
And I got to about high school, senior school, and I started counting for about three months, every single night when we'd watch the news, how many stories were bad and how many stories were good. And out of the six stories, there was like four that were negative. One that was positive. And then one that was a little bit ambiguous.
Like, could this be happening? And I just went, I don't need four out of six of them. Pieces of information to be negative. You know, I can just find all the goodness online. And, you know, I even ended up chatting with Lynn Botel at this workshop in Katoomba. And we both happen to like the same Instagram, social media pages, which are all like the goodness movement or the good feed where, you know yes, where you just like, uh, see videos of people in the streets of Italy, just singing at the top of their lungs or people doing nice things for other people.
That's the news I want to hear
Rae Leigh: yeah. Restore my faith in humanity. plays. Cause there is There's whatever you're looking for. You can find it. And it is a choice. A lot of people won't want to hear that, but yeah, I'm a big believer. That um, it is a choice. Okay. Tell me, cause we talked a little bit earlier about, um, you wanting to give your younger self some advice.
and shake yourself. If you could go back In time and just tell yourself one thing, what would you say,
Cassidy-Rae: um, it's an interesting question. I would probably, you know, people say I'm a really hard work or people can see that I'm constantly. Traveling or doing what I'm loving. I wish that I could have done everything I'm doing now sooner. So if I could tell myself one thing, I would tell myself the history of me and be like, this is where it's going to end up.
So potentially if you're aware of it, you might do it sooner. That would be great. Um, I, you know, there's this TV show called how I met your mother and in one part, Ted Moresby, who's the protagonist opens the door and he says, you know, I'm going to meet you in 45 days. And I would just wish that I could have these extra 45 days with you.
And it's that idea that, you know, he loses his wife, spoiler alert. Um, but it's that idea that if I just known that I could've loved music in such a different way, a lot sooner, I would have loved it for a long time. So you now
Rae Leigh: Yeah. It is a
beautiful
Cassidy-Rae: evolved.
Rae Leigh: I, Um, I think if I had been trying to do what I was doing now, when I was younger one I'd be so scared if you hadn't told me that I was doing this when I was older, when I was younger.
I don't know if I would have coped with that knowledge Like I wouldn't have been able to deal with it. Cause I would, it would have made me so scared. and Paralyzing li scared. Um, so like, I think a part of me is everything that I did growing up to the point where I am now is like training. Like I needed to learn to trust or I needed to have faith or I needed to learn leadership skills or marketing skills or communication skills.
What are like work ethic. you
know
Cassidy-Rae: almost like life experience, like, you know, I wouldn't have been able to write the songs that I've written. If I didn't actually go through the heartbreaker, if I didn't go through the journeys or the adventures. So, you know, I wish I knew then what I know now, but at the same time, it's kind of like, I can't wait to just watch along for the journey to, to watch my younger self.
Like I wish I could be a fly on the wall and some of those experiences to be like, what are you doing? Like grab the popcorn, let's watch this. Like, let's see how it ends. Cause ends really well. And it's like this happily ever after perfectly single. I know
Rae Leigh: on an amazing
journey
Cassidy-Rae: at this jot.
Rae Leigh: think Colin, Lilly actually put it when in his podcast, he said that he believes that everyone has the first life in their second life. And I kind of Like, I think about that statement often, And I do really feel like I'm in a second life and that people who knew me in my first life and even me looking back at who I was in my first such a different person, but everything I went through.
then Is what
me me now. And that's okay. And that's where it's like, it is just where you are at now and what you believe now is perfectly fine and that may change. And that's also perfectly fine. because We grow as human beings
and
Cassidy-Rae: just reach your next chapter. that's what I like to think. It was like the end of one chapter in the start of a new
Rae Leigh: yeah I feel like I'm in the sequel. I feel like
a whole book, the whole book finished and I'm rewriting another book my
second life
Cassidy-Rae: at it.
Rae Leigh: All right. Um, if you could co-wrote with anyone in the world dead or alive, who would it be? and
Cassidy-Rae: I'm terrible at favorites. Uh, I have always been admired. I've always been inspired and I've always admired Taylor swift for her songwriting skills. And I think I would never pass up an opportunity to be able to actually listen to how her brain works when she's writing a song and, and kind of go with that flow with her.
But seriously, like just list any female country music artists, because the stories that they have to tell Kelly peers, Kelsea Ballerini, Shanaya, Twain, faith hill, Dolly Parton, you know, that would be absolutely incredible. June kata, like, you know, all the way to funny Lumsden and Amber Lawrence and Catherine Britt.
You know, I actually got to sit down at the academy and Catherine Britt was my mentor and we got to just sit in a really casual setting and just listen to her, tell her stories and then play us one of her songs that she hadn't released yet. And gosh, it brought tears to my eyes. I would have loved to sit down and write a song with her and, you know, Lynn Botel, such a prolific songwriter, and to sit down at a songwriting workshop and kind of go through that process and hear the way that her brain thinks about different words.
You know, it's completely different format or different structure and just a little. Any female country music, artists. And that would be why I love working with females. I love empowering females. Um, and that's not that I have anything against guys. I just really like
Rae Leigh: They just have dicks and, um, no, that's fine. I've got that.
Cassidy-Rae: I mean,
Rae Leigh: But yeah, I mean, guys who've dominated for such a long time and it's, it's beautiful to see women grabbing their power and not only being who they are, but then showing other women, that they can be that
Cassidy-Rae: and
Rae Leigh: how great is it? I'm sure you've had this where you've performed somewhere and it's been family-friendly and there's a girl that's come up to you and being amazed.
at you. Singing. Have you had that? moment?
Cassidy-Rae: I mean, constantly, I I've made so many friends, they've connected on such a heart to heart level with the songs that I've had to say, or, you know, I've been really fortunate and had a lot of pinch me moments in a cruise ship where I've gotten to share my story of, and one of my songs more was actually written because, you know, I was told I wasn't allowed to kiss the guy I was dating because I was wearing lipstick or, you know, he'd pull it Pugin and go, this would be gone soon.
Um, or he'd watch me eat or, you know, um, He didn't like my music. He didn't, you know, nothing I did was good enough. I didn't add enough money. I didn't wasn't independent enough while I was halfway around the world. And there were so many things that I stayed and I didn't realize. And, you know, being able to share that story retrospectively, you know, I'd bring people to tears.
Um, and, and the reason I bring them to teas and the reason I kind of almost want to work with females first, before I co-write with men, is that it's such a relatable topic. And nearly every woman has gone through that moment of especially being treated by a guy that they're not good enough, or they're not worthy enough or they're being judged.
Yeah.
Rae Leigh: really? It is. We don't need their approval.
They should be like lucky to be in our presence worship the Grammy. Wolgan.
Cassidy-Rae: so I'll, co-write with women first and then we'll get to the men and that will be like Keith Everett. And he'd be at like the top of my mail list.
Rae Leigh: Okay So once we get. to keys, it's, once you've written with
everyone
Cassidy-Rae: Like
Rae Leigh: all the all the women
Cassidy-Rae: and, you know, I don't even need to co-write with them. I just like to have a cup of tea with them and hear their stories, like on a, on a chat level and then be like, now, can I write a song with you?
Like I want the chat first and the T first, and then this
Rae Leigh: song Well, that's where this sort of came from is like right with songwriter. We'll talk with somewhere else before choosing to Curt with people. because it's like the best. This is the conversation I would have with someone before writing a Cause you get to know what's important and why? and that's, that's where the truth and the great songs come from.
I reckon I can't talk, I haven't had any great songs yet.
Cassidy-Rae: Well, come
Rae Leigh: I think they're great but we'll get there
Cassidy-Rae: chatting to a lot of people and happen to name drop you. Cause I, cause we just, we just had dinner recently.
it
Rae Leigh: the night before your launch of your
new song which
Cassidy-Rae: my launch of my new song. Uh, and you know, I happened to, to tell some people that I had had dinner with you and you know, they've, they've talked you up so much just from like great couple island, um, and the capital festival, the country on Capitol or, you know, down in Tamworth, you know?
Rae Leigh: Oh, that's sweet. That's beautiful.
Cassidy-Rae: definitely Wouldn't say you don't have great songs. And I know that was a lot of negatives in one sentence, but
Rae Leigh: I'm
selfish Like I I'm my own worst critic, but that's um, that's, that's, that's a bit of my first life creeping in there. Yeah.
Cassidy-Rae: see that's really interesting when I first started writing songs, I. Wouldn't be able to like relisten to them. I'd write them and I'd feel really in that moment. And then I get over that moment or I'd reached the next chapter of my life. And I'm like, I can't almost listen to these songs anymore because it's so not me.
And I almost feel pathetic thinking about it, but I look back on like the songs that I've written now. And I'm just like, wow, like they're really good songs. Like I've I released a song called and I just released a song called dose of view. And so I have a playlist on Spotify where it's just the two of those songs and I've, I drove from Brisbane to Bundaberg that's four hours and I listened to them on repeat and I still have not yet of,
Rae Leigh: That's
Cassidy-Rae: and like, it's my just one playlist and I just repeat them.
And so, you know, when you find who you are and the more songs that you write, you start to fall in love with your songs and just kind of help, but listen to them on repeat. And then when everybody else to hear them and love them as much as you do, which I'm very grateful because I have a lot of people that like them as much as I do.
Rae Leigh: you do. And that's really good. And I think yeah, it is a process going from. like a familiar was filtering through what is the songs that are just for me and what are the songs that I can perform publicly. And they're different, like, cause I've, my songs were definitely trauma, healing songs. and Some of them are very explicit that I've never shared or I've gone to an open mic and I, I will have my book and I'd seen threaded like six months, at least of five, six nights a week of open mics.
And I would filter through these songs in some of them, I could feel my whole body just flush with, I can't sing this all Like I would sing it. But as I was singing it, I could tell like it was too raw for me to sing that in public. Like oh, like I just don't think I can do it. And and part of me as well as like, does that, is that putting good vibes into the world?
Cassidy-Rae: I would, depending on the song I used to cry when I send more, um, myself. About feeling not good enough. And I eat used to make me so upset and surprisingly, I actually wrote it while I was in the relationship with him. Um,
Rae Leigh: body knew,
Cassidy-Rae: My body knew what it wanted to say before I realized what it was actually saying.
Uh, but it, it used to make it used to bring tears to my eyes every single time. And it was such a vulnerable state. And it's a song where you just let your walls down and you really ask yourself, am I good enough? Am I worth more than what he's saying and what he's and then he's opinions. Um, and so I would wear a, you know, those songs that touch your heart and touch your soul and bring tears to your eyes.
They're the songs that people are gonna need to hear. And so I didn't even want to release dose of view. In fact, I wrote that and just went, you know, I was going through a stage of COVID. I didn't want to be bored. And so I would write songs and, you know, didn't want to date and didn't need to date and didn't really care to date.
And so I would constantly turn to the piano, attempt to the guitar. And so I would show my parents once I'm done. And I'm kind of like, look at these song. Okay. See you later. And they were like, no, this is a really good song. And I'm like, no, no, no, no. This is just, this is the song before the song. Uh, and they kind of convinced me along with my producer, Michael Carpenter, and they like, he need to release this song.
And so sometimes it's the songs that you don't want to release. And the songs that are hardest to kind of bare your soul because, you know, it's letting Daniels. And again, I haven't heard all your songs and you know, for me more was really traumatizing and it's still traumatically healing. And, you know, still I'm constantly questioning whether what I'm doing is good enough.
Whether, you know, I'm looking out there and people are judging me in a negative way because that's not my purpose. Um,
Rae Leigh: Your body tells you though, doesn't it like you buddy would tell you if to be heard.
Cassidy-Rae: Yeah. Your heart
Rae Leigh: like, yeah, your heart,
you got in your heart. And like, maybe not your mind because.
my mind's not that my mind's not that Trustworthy I didn't trust my head, but I trust my gut And I trust my heart. And I think sometimes, like, I agree, like the, my first song I ever released was just like on a whim during
the
fires last And I had it recorded and my family were in Victoria and I had friends out fighting fires you know, seven days on three days, off, whatever. and I felt so helpless. And there was a song that I'd written five years ago.
Um, could all I can do with um, a guy from the dag at Tamworth. And it was after I'd been through a court case and I was essentially suicidal, but it was like a song. of, I have nothing else. I just got to keep going. All I can you can feel pushed down in the dirt. And so it was kind of a matter of hope and it was like, I felt like sharing it with those people.
But then that is one of those songs where I would cry and other people would cry. And like it, it's probably the most listened to song outside of find a better day, which is also a really depressing song. But, you know, upbeat way. But like it is those, those ones that have like hope and encouragement that even when things are crappy, just got to hold onto something whatever that something is
Cassidy-Rae: And both of those are such beautiful songs that the world needed to hear. And it, you bay your soul every time you get to perform them, but it, and you know, your it's your frozen moment in time. Like it's not, it's not a year in your life. It's just this one moment in that's one emotion. Um, and you know, music is a blessing, but music is also this saving place in this holding place where it holds you back in that moment in, you know, you can be five years, 10 years on, and the moment you sing it, you're drawn back to that moment that you wrote it and it can be really vulnerable.
But our purpose is not to be harming to ourselves. Our purpose is to provide solace or provide. A sense of joy or a sense of Harper, a sense of inspiration or a light, you know, that's our purpose and that's our role through music. Um, and it's to be able to connect.
Rae Leigh: Like I think in those moments, were horrible, but having, having being able to write a song about a moment that is horrible grief or anything that is not nice for us to feel.
I think it's also good to
the fact that that is another step step. And another part of being is that we go through these low moments and those low moments of high pressure is what creates the diamonds in our lives. And that is beautiful. And to have a song that honors and respects those moments in our lives, that allows us to be grateful.
for everything We have, um, for me, that's the way I see it now, I guess like when I get to sing those songs, I don't necessarily feel like that anymore, but I honor those moments in my life because those were the moments. where I had To be the strongest. And I had to walk when I didn't feel like I could walk anymore. You know, I had to keep living, when I didn't feel like living anymore.
And those are the moments when we realize how resilient we can and that that's what music did for I think it's beautiful. That's what it's done for so many people when you don't know what else to do, write a song. That's my theory. Anyway.
Cassidy-Rae: so powerful. Seriously, so powerful.
Rae Leigh: So we've, uh, finished up like all the official, get to know you some writing questions? What what are you doing now? Like I know that COVID is still kind of around and we were supposed to be going to town with it next
week.
I don't know what's going on yet. We don't know. Um, but what do you have coming up? You've recorded all these songs and you've just had, dos of you. come out, which is amazing. And to put That in the description that the podcast, server and go listen
and everything else. So what else is
Cassidy-Rae: Uh, well, I, I recorded that he's hung, so I don't want to wait five years when I've become a different person and reached it. And the next chapter of my life, so release as many songs as they possibly can. So
Rae Leigh: Are you going to do it like it'd be album release so you could just do single, single, single, single, single.
Cassidy-Rae: the next thing I w I'm releasing is a single and that'll be coming out relatively soon.
Rae Leigh: Oh, really? Like how soon? is the no numbers? No dates.
Cassidy-Rae: All the dates are set. So just gonna to like slowly do it, uh, there are so many songs that, uh, one of the projects that I'm releasing is an album and allow a project is something that I haven't really seen an artist do before. Uh, but it's just for the people that want music and want to connect with me.
Um, and so there's like a good solid 20, 21 songs or a lot of songs, just, just for the people that want them. So doing a different sort of
Rae Leigh: going to put them like online available for everyone, they have to be like, purchased or something or
Cassidy-Rae: yeah. Yeah. Kind of working out the details, but it's very top secret at the moment.
Rae Leigh: if you're going to want to know how do people follow you and kind of become a part of your friends. and family online with
Cassidy-Rae: do all of the socials that people have. I have select Facebook and Instagram and the Twitter and the YouTube. My name's Cassidy Ray. It's like rightly, but with a Cassidy beforehand,
Rae Leigh: so we'll put all the links on the description
of the podcast and there will be a blog on songwriter, trust.com with all the features of this podcast and everything we've talked about and all of your links and transcript, um, and yeah. People can follow you.
Cassidy-Rae: Yeah. And if they get on my website, they can get a free song that I wrote dedicated to the people that want it literally. Yeah, because I started, yeah, well, I started learning guitar during COVID and I would go on my live sessions, my Sunday, sit down, which anybody is welcome to join.
It's like having a couple with me on a Sunday morning. It's
Rae Leigh: I've been in a couple of those.
Cassidy-Rae: Yes you have. Uh, and literally I said, I'm going to start learning guitar. I'm a pianist by trade, but I'll, I'll learn guitar and I'll show you how hard it is to learn this instrument. And so I will fail through this.
Rae Leigh: hard. I started on piano too and moving from piano to guitar It's like, why would people go through so much pain on their fingers to do this?
Cassidy-Rae: My fingers looked so pretty. They are no longer pretty,
Rae Leigh: long nails
Cassidy-Rae: no, you can't. And it's just like blisters all
Rae Leigh: Parton Does it though. Have you seen her play with her long acrylic
Cassidy-Rae: I'm very impressed that
Rae Leigh: I don't know if it's real, like honestly, it's
Cassidy-Rae: serious skill. Um, but I was so supported and there was so much love. Like I just dropped my cord. I'm like, that's not the court.
And they're like, good job. You're doing it. Like you keep going. I'm like, thank you. Like there's there's support there. So I ended up saying, you know, it got to the point where it was Saturdays and Sundays, I go live. And I said, honestly, there's no better place that I'd rather be right now than just spending some time with you.
And I wrote a song called no better place. And so it's completely free. It's dedicated to anybody who wants it. And you just go into my website, which is www dot Cassidy, hyphen radar.
Rae Leigh: Nice. Awesome. we have like the same email a website as well. It's like
Cassidy-Rae: Ray.
Rae Leigh: right with a hyphen there's hyphens. A great, Cool. Is there anything else you'd like to say before we finish up
Cassidy-Rae: Thank you so much for having me. I've been loving, listening to some gratitude for, for quite a while now. And I've been getting a little addicted. Uh, so it's, it's kind of another pinch me moment. I get
Rae Leigh: Well, you're in the bedroom. Not, not everyone gets to be on the
Cassidy-Rae: I'm very comfortable in this couch. It's quite nice.
Rae Leigh: Oh, I always wanted one of those catchy things. in my
Cassidy-Rae: The chase
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Like, I don't know. We call them, is it that's? I don't know. what you call it.
Yeah. It's like
Cassidy-Rae: I looked for a chair like this in my room, back at home. And so it has like these cushiony button in it. I ended up buying a, I call it my grandma chair. Cause I think it looks like a grandma chair. It's very comfortable though. It's a place I would now write all of my songs. You can't help it when you're in a comfortable position to just kind of when everything else is no longer a distraction, all you can do is focus on the music and it's wonderful.
Rae Leigh: I call it my therapy chair. I write a lot of songs in that chair to in the sun.
Cassidy-Rae: me on your therapy chair and hopefully people subscribe and check out all of your other channels and love your music as much as I'm really enjoying it.
Rae Leigh: I appreciate it. Well, thank you very much and we're done. Cheers.
