Exclusive Interview: Cassadee Pope on Music, Self Love, Becoming Ordained and Boundaries.

The Knockturnal sat down with Cassadee Pope, mere hours before her show at Irving Plaza.

You would never know that this cool, calm, collected, and cheery gal was about to go and rock it on stage. Not because you think her incapable. On the contrary, her cheery demeanor and attitude, showed, that she could walk on stage in that moment and kill it, making her even more perfect for this job. Writing great songs, with unique tunes with individual sounds that you could really get lost and found listening to, also helps.

Cassadee Pope was eighteen when she bursted on the music scene with Hey Monday (though she has been singing much longer than that) and has been making music ever since. After going solo and winning season three of The Voice, Pope went on to do four country, studio albums. Cassadee slowly worked her way back to rock with more influences with every album. Eventually finding her way completely back to rock with her latest and fifth studio album Hereditary. Cassadee has had chart-topping songs all throughout her career and has collaborated with the some of the best in the industry. Pope is currently wrapping up The Force Of Nature tour with Marianas Trench.  Following the tour, Cassadee will be performing with former Hey Monday band mate Alex Lipshaw at the upcoming, third annual, When We Were Young Fest this weekend, on October 19 and 20. You can also catch Cassadee at the much anticipated Emo’s Not Dead Cruise this coming February 4-8.

The Knockturnal: Why did you name the album Hereditary?

Cassadee: It’s after one of the songs on the album. The song hereditary came later in the process. I wanted something on the album that was just about my personality and why I am the way I am. Everything on the album up to that point was about love and breakups and someone struggling with substance abuse that I love. I covered a lot of ground. I think that this was just the thing, that I wanted to write about the most in that moment. After writing it felt like it really encapsulated what the album really represented. Which is, I am navigating life with the tools that I have and the things that I grew up being exposed too. I’m trying my best. I’m learning a lot about myself over the years and I’ve made a lot of mistakes. That just like felt like the kind of song that just like told the story of the album in one word. 

The Knockturnal: In The Three of Us, you talk about being in a relationship with someone that has a drug problem. What advice would you give to people, with friends or in relationships with people, going through addiction?

Cassadee: I think it’s ok to think about your needs. I also want to say that obviously what I am going through is nothing compared to what this person is going through but I think that that is a slippery slope. You start to really lose yourself in that other person. It’s codependent. It’s not healthy for either of you. I don’t have the answers by any means. I just think it’s a fine line of being there for the person you love and also making sure that you are taking care of yourself. You can’t really take care of other people, if you are not ok. That would be my biggest advice. The song is definitely speaking from a position of being in a relationship. I have had other people in my life who have struggled with it, that weren’t significant others. I definitely feel like the song, hopefully, from what I’ve heard, has been relating with people who are going through this.

The Knockturnal: Your songs have a lot of love themes. What are some dating deal breakers for you?

Cassadee: I have a hard time with people who, I understand are trying to relate but I don’t really love when you tell somebody something and they say oh that reminds me of when I did this and turn it all on them all the time. That’s definitely not my vibe. When someone does that I shut down and will only talk about them moving forward. I don’t like competing in a conversation. Cheating. That’s a deal breaker for sure. (laughs) Moving forward I would like some more chivalry, opening doors and things like that. I realized that I like that. After not having that. It’s not a deal breaker but something I would keep an eye on. They’ve got to be nice to service industry people. I don’t like people being rude. I do like manners, thank you, please. 

The Knockturnal: How would you describe Cassadee Pope post The Voice in three words and how would you describe Cassadee Pope five albums later in three words. 

Cassadee: Driven, excited, curious. Just coming off the voice, I was going to Nashville. I’d never lived there. I was working with all these new people it was exciting. I was learning all about the world. It felt so crazy to me. Now I think three words are, grounded, hopeful. What’s a word that means I feel like the universe is working in my favor? Synchronicity? I know thats not explaining me. I just feel like I’m noticing a lot of synchronicity in my life right now.

The Knockturnal: What is the main message of Hereditary as an album?

Cassadee: That it’s ok be a work in progress. I used to think that like, I used to get really mad at myself when something would pop up. An obstacle that would trigger me or I would make a mistake like I should’ve known better.  Just accepting that we’re always gonna be like five steps ahead and then two steps back. That’s going to be till we die. To just accept that is so freeing and so beautiful. I hope that that is something that people take away from the album. Like yeh I fucked up a lot. I have issues, insecurities. I make mistakes but I’m also all these awesome things too. There are also, all these amazing things going on in my life. Two can be true at the same time.

The Knockturnal: Since becoming ordained, how many couples have you wed?

Cassadee: NONE. I got ordained in 2020. It was something I did because I was bored one day and then when Tennessee laws started to look really weird i remembered that i was ordained. I did have a friend reach out about marrying her and her fiancé. and It was the one week I was out of town. They were going to get married no matter what so that was my only opportunity. Yet! Anytime I can let people know that there is another advocate here that sees what’s happening and is not ok with it. I’m not going to fix everything. I just want people to feel like someone else is rooting for them and is here for them.

The Knockturnal: Are you excited for When We Were Young?

Cassadee: Yes! It’s so fun but it’s so intense. I went last year as a guest and got up and sang with Yellowcard and Simple Plan and Michelle Branch. After doing a benefit show with Kevin Lyman the night before I just stayed. I opened for Something Corporate which is so crazy. I stayed for the festival and just found myself singing with people. So that was fun. I’m very excited to be back actually performing. Alex and I from Hey Monday, two of the originals are going to be there and my backing band will be there. Jess Bowen from The Summerset will be on drums my bass player and guitar player from Nashville are gonna be playing those instruments.

The Knockturnal: Will the upcoming Emo’s Not Dead cruise be the same setup as WWWY? 

Cassadee: At When We Were Young, we are playing the Hold On Tight album. None of my stuff. For the cruise we are doing mostly Hey Monday stuff but yeh same thing. Me and Alex and my backing band. We’ll do a dedicated Hey Monday album set and then a set that’s just Cassadee Pope music. 

The Knockturnal: Will this album have commentary? Like the others?

Cassadee: I love doing that. It came and went so fast that it slipped my mind but I would love to do commentary. I did twelve days of Hereditary on my socials, where I was talking through every song but it’s not available on streaming. Totally down to do a different version like that. 

The Knockturnal: How has it been coming back to the rock world? 

Cassadee: It’s felt so good and been awesome. This is just where I need to go. It feels right. It’s where my heart is. It was less about me leaving country music and more about me coming back to a genre that I loved and never stopped listening too. I just didn’t do it for a while. Its felt like I’ve been embraced. I feel really comfortable. It’s really cool to hear people refer to me as one of the og pop punk girlies. Like that’s crazy. It just feels like I’m respected in a way and that takes some getting used. The last memory that I have was when I was in Hey Monday when I was eighteen. We were just this pop band that people were like, where did they come from? So all of it feels really crazy, and cool and good. I’m in a better place being in this genre. The girl doing it now and the girl doing it then are two totally different people. I feel more protected, more secure and grounded. 

The Knockturnal: How do you stay close with your sister while being on tour?

Cassadee: Thank god for cell phones and texting and social media. We’re always in touch. I think with sisters, personally, we can go a while without talking and it still feels like super close because she knows what the touring schedule is like and sometimes you do go days without talking. When we see each other and when we’re back home together it’s like no time has passed. I know I can always count on her if I’m going through anything. If she’s going through anything, we know that we will always pick up for each other. Having somebody like that in your life by default is so cool. she’s a really important person to me and we’ve helped each other through a lot of stuff.

The Knockturnal: You’ve collaborated with so many artists already. Who would be a dream artist to collaborate with?

Cassadee: It changes by the day. It changes so much. Blink-182 yes. I also love Rihana. I love her voice and everything she stands for. She’s just so cool. I love this band Biffy Clyro. They’re really good. They are a Scottish band. I just love all their music. I wrote a song on my deluxe album (Hereditary) with Allen Day from the band Four Years Strong that I really love. Getting to do something with them would be really cool, and Avril Lavigne. 

Get tickets to see Cassadee’s upcoming shows and dates below.

October

10.16 Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot

10.19 When We Were Young Festival, Las Vegas, NV – Las Vegas Festival Grounds

10.20 When We Were Young Festival, Las Vegas, NV – Las Vegas Festival Grounds

February

2.4-8 Emo’s Not Dead Cruise, Miami Nassau Bahamas