Cassie Dasilva is an independent Canadian alternative-pop artist who loves to write songs about breakups and makeup and everything in between. So far in 2021, the year has been a crazy mess of excitement, stress, and anticipation for Cassie with the release of her three singles and a debut EP! Although, now that her debut EP ‘Enough‘ is out, maybe she can actually relax a little and soak in the accomplishment.
“It feels pretty surreal,” Cassie says to Eat This Music on the release of her debut six-track EP. “I’ve been working towards this release for what feels like forever, and I’m just so happy that other people finally get to hear everything and see it all come together.”
To say that Cassie is really proud of herself just for getting the EP out would be an understatement, in fact, she is really proud of herself for doing this on her own and keeping at it even when things felt impossible at times. It’s been quite the journey for the independent Canadian artist, and the crazy thing is, there is still so much else she wants to say and share!
Cassie’s EP is an autobiographical project, focusing on relationships – most of the songs are about dealing with a breakup and dealing with the aftermath of heartbreak, but then there’s a surprise love song at the end.
“I know that might seem confusing to some, but the truth is that I was dealing with a lot of reminiscent emotions, hurt feelings, and unanswered questions while completely happy and in love with someone new,” Cassie says on the real-life influence on her EP. “I thought it was important that both ends of the spectrum coexisted on this project because for me, relationships have never been super linear.”
“The title ‘Enough’ represents a few things. In reference to the title track– a love song–, it’s about finding love and wholeness, and recognizing that real love– above all else– is enough.” — Cassie Dasilva on the title of her debut EP.
“In the songs about heartbreak, the title is more about closing the door behind me and saying things that I didn’t have enough guts to say before.” Cassie continues. “In reference to the EP as a whole, I wanted the title to reflect my journey this far as an artist.”
Cassie started this debut EP project almost immediately after she was dropped by a major label, and she had a lot of self-doubts – feelings of not being good enough, talented enough, or honest enough. Throughout the making of this project, Cassie was able to remind herself that she could do things her own way and that the work she created — despite her fears — had always been good enough. That she was “enough” per se.
“I went into this project with a completely different tracklist than I came out of it with,” Cassie continues on the creative process of her debut EP. “Things slowly changed because I started focusing on being more honest and vulnerable in my writing– saying yes when things got scary.”
Through that process, Cassie also opened herself up to trying new sounds and trusting her instincts. What didn’t change for Cassie is the fact that above all else, she wanted to go with her heart and make what felt good to her before thinking about how anyone else might receive it.
“I realized before this that it’s impossible to predict what other people will like, and you’re never going to please everyone, so that’s a pointless road to go down.” — Cassie Dasilva
“I’m really happy that I had the independence to focus on doing things my way, and I think ultimately that shines through,” Cassie adds.
Prior to this EP, Cassie had only been afforded the opportunity to work with male collaborators and producers. Going into this project she wanted to work with more females and strive to reach a place of vulnerability that only felt comfortable moulding with people who could share her perspective: “I initially set a goal for the EP to be 50% female-produced… but I don’t really do things halfway, so I settled on 100%,” Cassie explains. “Hill Kourkoutis produced half of the EP (‘Unsolicited Contact’, ‘I Don’t Trust Anyone Anymore’, and ‘Darkside’), and working with her was the most fun I’ve ever had recording.”
Cassie emphasizes that Hill has a really unique approach to things, and was open to trying out every little note, every extra vocal pass, and every weird idea Cassie put in front of her. The other half of the EP was produced by Robyn Dell’Unto (‘We Might Break Up’, ‘I Don’t Hang out with My Exes’, and ‘Enough’).
“Robyn is so talented and not only that, but she made a point of teaching me things and really involving me in the production process along the way,” Cassie continues. “I love her approach to vocal production– she is relentless when it comes to getting the right performance, and I learned a lot with her.”
Even though the EP is a mix of both producers, Cassie truly believes that everything fits together and feels cohesive because, at the root of things, Cassie was able to be her most authentic, comfortable self.
When it comes to which song, or songs off the EP, well, it is a tough decision for Cassie herself, “Oh no- don’t make me choose between my song bbs!!!” Cassie expresses. “I think there’s a little something for everyone.”
If you want a fun and happy song, listen to the title track. If you want a song to scream in the car about a shady ex go for ‘I Don’t Trust Anyone Anymore’ or ‘Unsolicited Contact’. Going for a drive on a gloomy day? ‘Darkside’. Feeling something vibier? ‘We Might Break Up’ or ‘I Don’t Hang out with My Exes’.
“There wasn’t a lot to do in the small town I grew up in, but one of my favourite things to do with friends was to go for drives and blare music while screaming the lyrics at the tops of our lungs,” Cassie continues in our chat. “I wrote a lot of these songs and envisioned the production with the hope that they could be the soundtrack to someone else’s late-night drives with their friends.”
“I hope the breakup songs can be the songs you put on when you pick up a friend who just got heartbroken and you need to scream it out.” — Cassie Dasilva
Additionally, Cassie hopes the title track ‘Enough’ is the song you throw on and sing to your best friend or someone special in the passenger seat. Ultimately, if anyone decides to roll down the windows and sing along, they’ll be making Cassie’s dreams come true!
“I wore my diary on my sleeve here, so I really hope that listeners will have a better understanding of me as a person and an artist and that others can see themselves and their own stories in these songs,” Cassie says.
