17 year old Casey Bishop is a firecracker: her music is guitar heavy and electric in every sense of the word. Co-writing with current pop punk superstars like Willow Smith, Bishop is already establishing her presence in the industry with only a few singles released. She just released “Blurry Vision”, the third single from her upcoming self-titled EP. (Note: at the time of this conversation, “Blurry Vision” had not yet been released) A highly anticipated project, the EP is sure to cement Bishop’s place as one of today’s pop punk artists to watch.
In the midst of this exciting time for Casey, I got the chance to talk with her on Zoom about everything going on in her career.
Brigid: Thank you for taking the time out of your day to chat with me! We can hop right into it. Congratulations on your single release and EP announcement, how are you feeling about all of it?
Casey: Extremely excited! I’ve been so ready for this, for like a year now. I’m ready for people to hear the music.
Brigid: Totally. Can you tell me a bit about the creative process, and everything that went into this project?
Casey: A lot of co-writes, and there’s a lot of attitude in there. It stems from a lot of heartbreak, most of the songs do.
Brigid: I know you do a lot of songwriting sessions, how does collaborating compare to writing on your own?
Casey: It’s really different. I learn new things every session. I usually feel super inspired coming back from a session, which is always amazing. When I write something by myself that I like, I feel extremely proud. I don’t want to say that I’m new, but I’m just not the most confident in my writing. So when I write something by myself, I’m really proud of it.
Brigid: So your latest single “Don’t Talk!” has a very punk rock vibe, is that something that listeners can expect from the rest of the EP?
Casey: Yeah, there’s definitely a little more punk in there. One of my favorite songs on the EP has a classic rock sound. Everything is pretty different, but leaning more towards the punk side.
Brigid: You have a really unique sound, I’d love to know what you’re listening to right now! Who inspires you, musically?
Casey: I was feeling super inspired by Poe, so underrated. Fiona Apple. I’ve loved Red Hot Chili Peppers forever, I saw them last night.
Brigid: How was it?
Casey: Insane. I was on the verge of tears. Like, I’m feeling so inspired by them now. Anyways, yeah, Poe, Fiona Apple, No Doubt… Meg Myers.
Brigid: Oh, I love Meg Myers! She rocks.
Casey: I heard “Monster” for the first time, and just…
Brigid: Life immediately changed.
Casey: Yeah!
Brigid: Where do you find songwriting inspiration?
Casey: It’s different every time. By myself, I’ll hear a word or saying I like. Or sing a melody, or think of a concept with a certain word. In co-writes, it usually starts off with “so tell me what’s going on in your life.”
Brigid: I wanted to ask about American Idol. How was the transition from the show to the industry, especially being so young?
Casey: I’m still trying to get my head out of the “you need to be perfect” phase. That show was everything, it was the beginning for me. I thought that was how the industry was. I love it and I’m so grateful, but it was a competition show. I still… when I’m doing a little performance, my mindset is still how it was before. How it was on American Idol.
Brigid: It feels like there’s judges there.
Casey: Yeah, exactly. Super judgemental. I still need to get used to how it’s much more accepting.
Brigid: The industry is competitive, but it’s not like every little thing…
Casey: Yeah, it’s not a literal competition. I’m definitely getting more comfortable with that. My singing, like when I’m doing a little acoustic set… I need to remind myself that it’s fine to have a voice crack. No one really cares. I’m not going to get booed or thrown offstage.
Brigid: That must be so interesting to go from such an intense high pressure environment into the industry.
Casey: It was really crazy. But, I’m so grateful for it.
Brigid: How did you originally get interested in music, were you around music a lot growing up?
Casey: When I was really little, there was always music playing and I was always singing or humming. I started singing and didn’t stop. I loved being in choir, and talent shows in elementary.
Brigid: Since you’re still so young, where do you see yourself career wise in 5 years?
Casey: Totally touring, and traveling the world. Coming out with more and more music. I just want to keep learning, and feeling inspired and creative. I hate not feeling inspired. There’s never going to be a point where I’m at my most creative, I’m just going to keep growing.
Brigid: To wrap up, you have your first project coming out. What aspect of the release are you most excited for?
Casey: I’m so excited for the fan response. It feels so good when people say they like my songs. I was out to eat in Georgia, and this girl who’s name was also Casey, came up to me. She was a fan. Usually when people come up to me, it’s like, “I loved you on American Idol!” But she said she loves my music, and that was really incredible.
Brigid: Those connections are really special, and with more music out I’m sure you’ll have more of those experiences. That’s all I’ve got for you today, thank you so much again!
Casey: Thank you!
