5 Minutes with Cassyette: The rebellious singer-songwriter reinventing emo

Cassyette is here to make her statement – and she’s refusing to do it quietly. The Essex-born talent has been at the forefront of the emo revival ever since the release of her debut EP, Jean, back in 2019. Her commanding stage presence and emo princess getup have cultivated a loyal fanbase — she has over one million followers on TikTok, where she provides her fans with covers and even political content. Cassyette recently won Best UK Breakthrough at the Heavy Music Awards following the success of her first debut mixtape ‘Sad Girl’ – which was recorded at home in a makeshift studio. That project offered up a number of hits such as ‘September Rain,’ ‘Dear Goth’ and ‘Like That,’ disproving any notion that the musician is simply yet another viral sensation.

With a new UK and European tour in March 2023, the star has seen her stock rise unimaginably, resulting in her supporting My Chemical Romance on tour, and opening for Frank Carter as he headlined Download Festival. There’s no denying that Cassyette is a rebel in every sense of the word; whether it’s music or fashion, she refuses to conform, which is precisely the energy we need in 2023. Here, the rising star tells HUNGER all about finding her sound and plans for stepping into the world of dance music in the future.

How would you describe your sound in five words?

Rotten, degenerate, electric, futuristic and heavy.

What kind of music were you inspired by whilst growing up?

Lots of different music! I loved hair metal, dance music and heavy music too. It’s always been a mixture. A good song is a good song – it doesn’t matter what the genre is really.

What was the first album you listened to?

I think it might have been Supernatural by Santana. I loved that album.

How would you describe your creative process at the moment?

Exciting. After I got back from the tour I had so much I wanted to do and say, so I’ve been experimenting a lot.

How has your music evolved?

I feel like I spent a long time refining my sound to be a complete reflection of my experiences and developing it to sound like that. It’s definitely in a world of its own and I’m proud of that, it’s a really exciting place to be.

Is there any artist whose trajectory you’d like to follow?

No.

What’s the most surreal moment of your career so far?

Opening for My Chemical Romance for sure!

What’s been on rotation in your playlists recently?

‘MISA MISA!’ by Corpse Husband, Kordhell and Scarlxrd; ‘You Right’ by Doja Cat and The Weeknd; and ‘Escapism’ by RAYE.

Are there any other sounds or genres that you want to experiment with in the future?

I’ve been thinking about making some dance remixes.

What advice would you give to your younger self who’s just starting to make music?

Make lots of music all the time. That’s how you will get good – and sing on stage more! Just be free creatively and put your heart into it. If you don’t like something or it’s stressing you out it’s most likely shit and that’s okay. No matter how much experience you have you will write shit songs at times but it’s part of the process and you have to write shit ones to show the difference when you do write a great one. Just start something fresh and always make sure you are enjoying it. You can’t force creativity. Only release it if you love it and don’t allow pressure to be put on you by yourself or anybody else.

What would you say is your end goal within music?

To do it forever because I don’t want a real job.

Is there anything you have coming up that we should be aware of?

I have my UK and European tour coming up in March 2023!! Get your ass there.