There are many people out there who say that there has not been a star that has come out of NBC’s The Voice. But there are also many who say just the opposite as the show has produced the likes of The Swon Brothers, Danielle Bradbery, and CMT Music Award’s Breakthrough Video of the Year winner, Cassadee Pope. The winner of season three’s hit show recently spent her birthday at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, delighting many with a free show in the Wolf Den, and even won some money on the blackjack tables. Cassadee also recently took some time from songwriting and touring to sit down and talk with New England Country Music.
The Florida native grew up singing and loving country music, especially from Martina McBride and Shania Twain and even dabbled in some pop punk music as the lead singer in a band called ‘Hey Monday.’ But in early 2012, she auditioned for The Voice and was selected by none other than country music icon, Blake Shelton. Cassadee tells us that it was “really, really, great” to work with Blake on the show. She says that he was very supportive but he never told her what to sing, which she loved. Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t push her to do country music. He didn’t try to dictate what direction she went. And, hey, it worked. Throughout her time on the show she sang songs by Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, and Miranda Lambert on top of non-country songs by Gavin DeGraw, Maroon 5, and Avril Lavigne among others. She impressed millions of fans who tuned in each week and voted for her all along the way which brought her to the final round where she was selected over fellow contestants Terry McDermott and Nicholas David as the winner. Cassadee tells us that she still thinks about those finals moments leading up to Carson Daly announcing her as the winner and describes it simply as surreal. “I’ve been a Carson Daly fan for years, going back to TRL (Total Request Live), so it was surreal meeting Carson Daly and even more surreal to hear him announce my name. It didn’t feel like it was actually happening. It probably took a few days for it to truly sink in, when I was doing all the media on four hours of sleep.”
Being the winner of The Voice, Cassadee definitely feels the pressure of living up to the expectations especially when there are people out there who say that The Voice hasn’t yet produced a star. But that thought hasn’t had too much of an effect on Cassadee. She tells us that she is so proud of what she has done. From her first single going platinum to her album debuting at number one to touring with the artists and the bands that has gotten to tour with. She has learned that she can’t be too hard on herself but admits that it is something she is guilty of doing.
Since winning The Voice, her life has definitely been a whirlwind. She has been given opportunities to tour with some of the biggest names in country music. Names like Tim McGraw, The Band Perry, Darius Rucker, Kip Moore, and Rascal Flatts among others and she says it is the “best job in the world.” Cassadee says it not only has given her a huge opportunity, but also experience. She often sits side stage and just watches these great acts perform. She has learned how theatrical The Band Perry is and how raw Tim McGraw is. She has learned that Rascal Flatts have an amazing banter that really makes their show what it is and allows the crowd to break out in laughter and applause.
Earlier this year, Cassadee’s debut single, ‘Wasting All These Tears’ won the CMT Music Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year. Going into the awards, she didn’t think she would win, especially going up against the likes of Brett Eldredge, Cole Swindell, David Nail, Thomas Rhett, and Tyler Farr. But the only woman nominated in the category walked away with the trophy after her fans came through and voted her as the winner. It was even more special that her coach and mentor, Blake Shelton, presented her with the award. Cassadee hasn’t received her trophy yet as it is still being engraved but she plans to put it on the shelf in her apartment, right next to her trophy from The Voice. Let’s just hope that’s a big shelf because she is going to need some room for all of the awards she has the potential of winning in the future.
Looking forward, Cassadee is preparing for a new album but is in the very preliminary stages. She is always writing and “collecting a catalogue for a new album.” Her first single, ‘Wasting All These Tears,’ was a booming success and she is so proud of that song and the stories from her fans that have come out of it. But at the same time she is working on a new single that will show her fans a lot about her. “People are going to get to know me a lot better with the new music that I’m writing. So much has happened in the past year and a half and I just really want people to not have any questions about me, what I stand for, or the artist that I am. And I think I’m going to make that more clear with the new stuff.” We recently saw Cassadee perform in Boston opening for Darius Rucker and we walked away so impressed by the young songstress. Listening to Cassadee and seeing her success so far, you can’t help but be excited to see what she has coming next for her fans.
Make sure you follow Cassadee on Twitter, Facebook, and also her official website.