Cassie Fireman on Ani Defranco, Chocolate Donuts, and More!

I had the honor of sitting down and talking to singer/songwriter Cassie Fireman to celebrate the release of her newest single, ‘Feel Like Gold.’ In addition, keep your eyes peeled for a review of the song going up SUPER soon!

What did you draw inspiration from when writing ‘Feel Like Gold’?

Gosh, it’s been a while now since I've written it. I was writing this song in a time and a place when I was kind of digging through the dirt, like grasping and devouring any “golden” thing that I could without it ever ‘filling me up’, whether that was drugs, booze, netflix, chocolate donuts, boys, whatever, and I think this song came out of a bottom I was hitting when I was realizing that none of those things were actually bringing me any satisfaction. It was a process of really getting to realize that I’m what makes me feel like gold. Gold… or whatever it is, resides within us. It's not made from anywhere or going to come from anywhere outside of ourselves. ‘Feel like Gold’ has become a distinction for the light inside of me and that's what no one can take away from me. “Feel like gold” is like a celebration of the past and where it came from, like I was singing it to my younger self. 

If you could describe your sound in three words what would they be?

Oh gosh I'm really bad at these questions, I think kind of sultry, poppy, and a little sassy.

How did you decide to start sharing your voice and art with the world?

So I’ve always loved to write. I’ve been a storyteller since I was a little girl. I have a background in theater. When I was young, I had a really close friend I was afraid I was going to lose and I remember writing a poem about it and wanting it to become a song. I really just followed my gut on that, which is pretty random but I just knew that I wanted to try this new thing. It scared me and felt uncomfortable but I wanted to go for it, that's when the journey really started.

Who would you say your biggest inspirations are as an artist?

Ani DeFranco, Tori Amos, Alannis Morisette ,Jewel (I grew up in San Diego),Jjanis Joplin, and Stevi Nicks. But I think a lot of my inspiration comes from Ani DeFranco.

What would be advice you would give to someone looking to break into the world of music?

That's such an interesting word, ‘break in”, because I think it comes from the idea of this old model of getting discovered, and then getting signed to a label and “make it”. That's great for some people but it's just not the path for so many. I think that a lot of indie artists don't realize that it is totally possible to carve out a career for yourself and make money from it. I would suggest meeting up with other like minded artists who also want that for themselves. Community is really where it's at and musicians that I've met on tour and along the way are my community. 

If you could tell your younger self anything, what would you tell her?
I would tell her that fourty is young, she's not too fat, she's not too skinny, she's not stupid… I would tell her that you have no idea how much more confident you’ll be later. To just try to really enjoy the moment and trust that you’re on your path and that everything is okay.

If you could play anywhere in the world, where would you want to play?

I don't really know, but I'd love to play on a stage in the most beautiful spot in nature, maybe not near a volcano. And I'd want to play with all my favorite bands and have my friends and family there to support me. And their dogs.

What is something that you hope people get from listening to your music? 

I hope that the message and the lyrics really sink in, in some way. When  I think about this whole album , it's all just really searching for that “gold. There's a thank you message in each song, that despite life’s challenges, thank you for the experiences.

Check out the music video for ‘Feel Like Gold’ here and follow Cassie on Instagram @cassie_fireman