Music Saved Me.
Time really does heal. I'm a completely different person from back then than when I was now, and I think i've everything that's hard. You just mature. I think I think I wouldn't be right here if I didn't go through everything back then. So I think, as hard as it is in the moment, I think in a weird way, you learn a lot of beneficial lessons from it.
I'm Lynn Hoffman and welcome to the Music Saved Me Podcast, the show where we talk with musicians about the deep healing power of music. Now, if you like our podcast, we hope you do follow us and share with your friends, please and thank you. We talk with Hall of famers and rising stars, and today I get to speak with Glass Note Records recording artists Cecilia Casselman. Her latest single is called Looking for June, and her self titled debut
album will be out in early twenty twenty five. Let's explore Cecilia's inspiring journey and how new music has impacted her life on Music Saved Me. Cecilia, Welcome to Music Saved Me. It's so good to have you.
Thank you, thanks so much for having me.
So I'm going to start off with I'm hoping it's not a hard question, but I just need to know. Do you feel that music has healing powers? Oh?
One thousand percent. Yeah. I mean that's the whole reason I got through my childhood was because of music.
So well, let's let's talk a little bit about that. Let's start off with your first experiences that led you to your deep connection with music. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Sure, I mean, I just remember always having a guitar within Both of my parents were musicians, and so instead of you know, giving me twenty bucks to go to the mall, it was here, here's a guitar. You know, that's something free to do. But yet, you know, now it's become such a priceless thing in my life. And yeah, I was just my mom just sort of bottle fed me everything music wise, since I was, you know, such
a young adult. And I just remember growing up on you know, Flew the Mac and Prince and John Mayer and I would save We didn't have a lot of money growing up, my mom and I and so I would just save my lunch money and we'd go to Best Buy to the clear clearance section. Back when best Buy you know, had a music section and I would pick out records and that that's what I did, and
that's all I did. I don't remember ever doing anything else besides you know, mowing the yard and listening to records growing up?
Wow, Now was it was it music and writing songs? Was it writing songs first and then writing the music for you?
It was always I love guitar. I'm like a super guitar head, so it was always me, you know, writing a track and then sort of putting melodies and words over it. Yeah.
Now, would you and write just for yourself and not to share with others? Or did you write it thinking it was for other people to listen to?
I wrote it for myself. I wouldn't show anyone, Like, no one in school knew I even played guitar loved music as much as I did. I think I kept it to myself because I didn't want anyone to have really opinions about it subconsciously, and I think, I, yeah, that's all I did. And it wasn't until later when I got a publishing deal and everything that people were like, oh, you like you do music, and I was like, well, yeah,
I always did. But I think I kept it that private for a reason, because it was so sacred to me.
Yeah, so it's very personal for sure. Anyone I've ever talked to has always said, you know, it's like I always use this example, it's like birthing children, you know, and then you put them out there for the world to judge, and you have no say over what anyone else thinks about it. And you can help, but you just don't know. I was just listening to your song It's all Right, and I actually was watching the video
and you play a mean guitar. At the beginning of the show, I'd asked you if you thought music had healing powers and that song and the words sort of resonated. Did that have anything to do with your life with maybe your parents, because I know when you were very young it was pretty traumatic for you for them to get divorced, And as a child of divorced parents myself, I can totally connect with that.
Yeah, they split when I was eleven, which was when I was started writing. And yeah, it's all right. It's very much so that like it's my restless, sort of rebellious song that I'm talking to myself, and that song, like, you know, everything is gonna be fine. You're gonna make it through, You're gonna grow up, and you're gonna, you know, find your way as like a young girl in this world,
and everything's gonna be fine. And I write a lot in the third person, but all of those songs of my record are about you know, me, and it's sort of a way to sort of shield me and not you know, expose everything, which I guess I just did. But yeah, it's all right, that's about me saying everything's gonna be fine.
That was so interesting because before I heard that, and I had no idea that that's what that song was about, but I knew it was something that was going on in your life. Do you believe that the music has the ability to give people hope?
Oh a thousand percent. Yeah. If I didn't have all of those records that I did growing up and sort of that drive to do something with my life, I mean I came from nothing. I didn't have anything growing up but those songs and what I could play and what I could make myself. So yeah, it gives me hope for the future for sure. I mean I wouldn't have anything without it, and if it went away, I don't know what i'd do, So yeah, a thousand percent.
Did you know when you were writing songs that it was like therapeutic for yourself or did you just know that you felt good after you got it on paper? How did that work in your mind?
Sure? I think it was all subconscious back then. I think I did it and I do it now and I still don't know the reason why. I think that's what's so magical about music. It was very much so a subconscious thing for me back then. In the words that I write, I would have never said out loud, but somehow I felt a way that I could through you know, lyrics. So yeah, I got it all out, you know, sixteen seventeen and.
A record deal it twenty one am I right? Uh, yeah, that's pretty amazing. Yeah.
I was very very lucky that I had such great mentors and you know, everyone around me. Yeah. I still have a long way to go, but it's been fun. I can't I can't take it. I mean, it's still so new for me to hear people like singing words back to me that I just have to look the other way. And most of the time it's really nice because I can. I you know, it's so dark, I can't really see anyone but smaller shows here in Nashville, and I see people, whether it's like my friends or
even my mom, Like, I just can't. I have to look away or it's going to make me not be able to finish this song and just break down and cry. But I mean, that's the dream. That's all I've ever wanted, is for you know, people to sort of find company within my songs and make them feel better about stuff, or make them cry or you know, whatever they're feeling. Yeah, that it's wild to me.
It's very surreal, I bet, especially going from not one to share any of it to having it be so out there.
Yeah.
Can you describe what it's like when you're writing a song or when you're creating the music to a song, what comes first and what's your process? And also when you were going through something as a young child, whatever it was, what music and artist did you turn to, maybe specific songs that you listened to that helped you through those times.
When I was growing up, it was a lot of Fleet and Mac. I remember that my mom got me that Tusk record for my fifteenth birthday and I had just gotten my permit and she'd gotten me that and there's a song on there called Storms that Stevie Nicks.
I'm a huge Stevie Nicks fan. I think she's like the best thing that's you know, in the world, and all of her lyrics really resonated with me growing up, I think because it was just she showed a woman's heart, even though I obviously wasn't a woman then, but I could just feel like that feminine sort of you know, a woman trying to figure out her life and and going through stuff and heartbreak. And I really resonated with
her growing up. Obviously still too, but it was songs like Storms and Beautiful Child and you know, Sisters of the Moon sort of that rage, you know, but also the vulnerability of being a woman. And it was a lot of her. But then I loved, like, you know, very heavy guitar music. I feel like everything I listened to it was very guitar. I heavy Tom Petty, John Mayer, Prince, all the Lindsay Buckingham stuff. I very much so gravitated towards all of that. Uh. And yeah, I think it's
because I grew up. You know, Nashville's very it's super country, and which is awesome. But I think once I heard that like rock stuff, I was like, yeah, like that's what I needed.
Have you met anyone from Fleetwood Mac or Stevie No.
No from Heartbreakers? He played on my record. It's crazy, it's amazing. Yeah, I met John here, but no. Stevie Nix is like my She's like.
If I smell a duet somewhere down the road, I could you imagine, Well, tell me this, And I'm sure she would be so excited if she was listening to this that you had that she had such an impact on you. She's super sweet. I've worked with her, I've been lucky enough to and yeah, you'll you'll find out,
I'm sure in the not too distant future. Can I ask what you would give for advice to someone who may be dealing with some difficult times in their life, of what you would suggest for them in terms of any part of the song making, writing listening process.
Sure. Yeah, that's so tough because you kind of don't know. I mean, everyone acts sort of differently no matter what you know people go through. But I think it's just it's I mean, it's hard because some people are For me, when I went through everything, I was very shy, like
I just become became silent. I would go to school and I would remember I could go all day and not say a word to anyone, and I think it's it's I can see people, you know, the quiet ones I feel like always have the best stories just growing up in school, and you know the ones that like wouldn't say anything, it would sort of hide and were Those are the thinkers and those are the dreamers. To me, I don't know. It's so hard to go through things,
no matter how little or how big. But I guess just taking it day by day and time really does heal. I'm a completely different person from back then than when I was now, and I think I've everything that's hard. It just you just mature. I think I think I wouldn't be right here if I didn't go through everything back then. So I think, as hard as it is in the moment, I think in a weird way, you learn a lot of beneficial lessons from it.
But no, No, that was a wonderful answer. And I have this feeling that you're a very old soul, not just from the artist that you grew up listening to, because you blow me away. I mean those are all of the artists I grew up listening to, and you're half my age, so it's pretty amazing. I'm just so excited for you, and I hope that all good things continue in your life and in your career, and I will be looking forward to your self titled debut. You said it was coming out in twenty twenty five.
Yeah, day before my birthday, January twenty fourth.
Oh my goodness, are exciting. And Looking for June is the single that'll be out soon as well.
Yeah, Looking for June is out, and then yeah, we might have one more before the album. I'm not sure.
Awesome. Well, thank you so much for coming on the show and good luck, and you just making me smile so much. I can't even think about how to say goodbye. But I'm very excited for you. And it's always wonderful to see new artists coming up and coming and doing great things. And thank you, thank you, thank you.
This is so so fun. Thanks for having me