{"id":69245,"date":"2021-02-09T02:47:21","date_gmt":"2021-02-09T07:47:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=69245"},"modified":"2021-02-09T02:50:07","modified_gmt":"2021-02-09T07:50:07","slug":"interview-with-cassidy-paris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2021\/interview-with-cassidy-paris\/","title":{"rendered":"Cassidy Paris"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Alexandra Mrozowska
\u2014 Senior Columnist \u2014<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Believe it or not \u2013 there are still Rock fans out there who claim their favorite music has deteriorated and disappeared with the advent of whatever modern cultural or social phenomenon they are eager to put the blame on. It seems likely that this opinionated bunch have been channeling their inner Robinson Crusoe and living on some kind of a desert island for at least the last couple of years. Rock might not be mainstream anymore, but it\u2019s still there. And what is particularly important, we can see a substantial representation of Millenials in all subgenres of Rock followed by more and more artists of even the younger generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of these Gen Z-ers entering the music industry by storm now is Cassidy Paris \u2013 a young singer based in Melbourne, Australia. Inspired by the female Rock icons of the \u201870s and the \u201880s as well as their more contemporary counterparts, Cassidy is determined to bring the guitar-oriented sounds back into the mainstream. We caught up with the ambitious eighteen-year-old to discuss her songwriting, music influences and what it\u2019s like to be a Generation Z rocker…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hardrock Haven: Just a few months ago, your new single \u201cLike I Never Loved You\u201d saw the light of day. At the age of 18, are you happy with where your music career is heading towards at this very moment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: Yeah, absolutely. The single\u2019s had a fantastic response, and I was really excited to put \u201cLike I Never Loved You\u201d out because it\u2019s one of [my] most personal songs and I had a really good time writing and recording it. And recently I\u2019ve just done a live video of \u201cLike I Never Loved You\u201d at GM Sound Studios and it\u2019s had a really good response as well, so it\u2019s been a lot of fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: You wrote \u201cLike I Never Loved You\u201d with Paul Laine (ex-Danger Danger, The Defiants). What kind of experience is that for you to work with him, considering everything from the age difference to his vast experience as a musician and a producer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: I recorded and wrote [the song] with Paul Laine indeed and as usual, it\u2019s such an amazing experience. I\u2019m so lucky to have that type of mentor in my life who\u2019s with me on my musical journey and I\u2019m very grateful to be able to work such a heavyweight in the industry like Paul Laine. He\u2019s just so ridiculously talented and again, I\u2019m very, very lucky to have him in musical career. I started to write with him when I was a little bit younger \u2013 I think I was thirteen when we wrote \u201cTalk About It,\u201d my first single… and the rest is history really. I\u2019ve really enjoyed writing with him and it\u2019s a lot of fun too, so I\u2019m very, very lucky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: Does having new singles already out means there\u2019s also a debut full-length album in the works? And if it is so, what do you want it to stand for in terms of sound?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: Absolutely! I\u2019m really, really excited to be working on a full-length album and I have a new single definitely in the works, so that will be out in a couple of months. I\u2019m very, very excited to have that out there too very soon. It\u2019s a lot of fun and that\u2019s how it\u2019s gonna be. And as I\u2019ve already said in numerous interviews, I\u2019m very Rock-influenced and I\u2019ve been working with a number of people that have a lot of Rock influences as well. I\u2019m very lucky to have a great support network around me, like I have and I\u2019ve always had my dad around me and he has educated me with a lot of Rock icons that I look up to. So that would definitely be incorporated into my full-length album. I\u2019m taking bits and pieces from the \u201870s, \u201880s and \u201890s Rock artists and the bands that I love, so that\u2019s really exciting, and also putting a little bit of a modern twist on it. So hopefully [it will be] incorporating all of that and I\u2019m just really excited to have it out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: What does inspire your songwriting and how does the songwriting process look like for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: Like I\u2019ve mentioned, it\u2019s personal experiences that inspire my songwriting. Unfortunately, during high school I was a victim of bullying and now I\u2019m very grateful to be associated with the Metalheads Against Bullying organization which allows me to share my story with people who may be experiencing something similar to what I did when I was younger. And I wrote my single \u201cStand\u201d [2018] that resembled what I went through and how to overcome the battles a bullied person has to face. So it\u2019s all personal experience and the really great thing about songwriting for me is that it allows me to express myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: Do you think some of your peers\u2019 music choices are actually just to impress others, and maybe that\u2019s the reason why genres of Rock and Metal aren\u2019t that popular among the Generation Z anymore?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: Yeah, absolutely! I think that\u2019s a very interesting question. Myself, I always have been inspired by Rock music and I completely understand what you mean. A lot of people nowadays are kind of what you\u2019d call a bandwagon in terms of music, so I\u2019m really lucky and excited to have something different out there and I feel like my music does bring back vibes from Joan Jett or Pat Benatar \u2013 some of my favorite rockers when I was younger \u2013 and incorporate that and bring it to the modern music industry right now. So it\u2019s very exciting to have that different sound of music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: You\u2019ve started your career in music relatively early. What kind of impact did it have on your adolescence and social life \u2013 and was it also a reason why you\u2019ve been bullied?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: Absolutely, like you\u2019ve said I was a victim of bullying due to embarking on my musical journey very young. But I wouldn\u2019t take anything back. I absolutely love what I do and I\u2019m very excited and grateful to be able to do what I do. And like I said, music has been a way I can express myself, so I\u2019m happy to be able to have that platform to portray the experiences I\u2019ve had in high school. So it\u2019s been a very interesting ride and I\u2019m very grateful and happy with what I do and proud of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: And as you\u2019ve already mentioned, you certainly come from a musical family. Our readers already know your father Steve [Janevski], who we had a pleasure to talk with about his current band Wicked Smile. Young people often rebel against their parents, but you seem to have a good father-daughter relationship as your dad actually plays in your solo band. What kind of experience is it to play in a band with your own parent?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: That\u2019s a very, very good question (laughs). I\u2019m very happy that I have a good relationship with my father and my upbringing was always fantastic. He always allowed me to express myself through whatever I wanted to do and whichever path I wanted to take. And luckily enough, he was very excited to hear that I wanted to make music and pursue that. It all worked out pretty well and to have him in my band is just awesome. Like you\u2019ve said, it\u2019s very different from a number of other teenagers, but we have a lot of fun. It\u2019s still a normal father-daughter relationship, I can assure you! (laughs) We do have our ups and downs, but mostly it\u2019s just a lot of fun and we love rocking out onstage together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: Absolutely, as it should be! We\u2019ve already mentioned some decline of interest in Rock music among your peers. Do you think it\u2019s possible for Rock music to become mainstream again?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: Absolutely! I\u2019m a big believer in bringing back Rock music to the forefront and the next generation doing it is something I always loved to see. I think about rockers like myself \u2013 there\u2019s a big community of rockers underground that I think a lot of people are really beginning to support and it\u2019s awesome to see people supporting that and endorsing Rock\u2019s next generation. So I\u2019m really happy to have people on my side with Rock. To bring it back is definitely one of my aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: What’s the current situation in the music market in Australia? Do you see a niche for yourself there, or do you think about your career more globally?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: Definitely globally, actually. I love Australia and it\u2019s a beautiful country if you ever get to travel there \u2013 obviously, not with COVID pandemic going on at the moment… But I think that trying to get my music out globally is definitely one thing that I really wanna pursue. And breaking into the music industry in Australia is really, really difficult whereas I\u2019ve had a lot of support from people internationally… I\u2019ve actually traveled to Japan and America and people are so, so lovely [there] and so supportive that I can\u2019t wait to get back there and start performing again internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: So, having already experienced both playing live and studio work, where do you feel more comfortable at?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: I feel comfortable in both places and they\u2019re both my happy places. They\u2019re my home \u2013 that\u2019s where I feel at home. During the lockdown, I saw myself writing and recording constantly, because that was my avenue to express myself, obviously… And I know a lot of artists actually did that during the lockdown worldwide. So it\u2019s definitely a passion of mine. I think that writing and recording is expressing myself while performing is something I absolutely adore. I couldn\u2019t probably choose between the two… I could almost say I\u2019d choose performing live, because then I get to interact with all the amazing people that come to the shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: You\u2019ve mentioned the lockdown period and obviously, all that happened in 2020. Virtual festivals were something that we turned to last year for obvious reasons and in June 2020 you took part in the New Wave Of Classic Rock WebFest 2 headlined by Massive Wagons, Bad Touch and Collateral. What kind of experience was it? Obviously different from your previous concert experiences…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: Yeah, very different but fantastic! The people at the New Wave Of Classic Rock have always been so, so supportive and I love working with them whenever I get the chance to. So, to be a part of that online show was just really amazing and I love interacting with fans all over the world, like I said previously, for example on social media. I definitely find myself connecting with people all over the world on my social media. And that\u2019s just the awesome part of it that I am able to communicate with fans who are really my friends \u2013 they\u2019re my family. It\u2019s amazing to be able to do that via streaming platforms and social media platforms and in this case, the New Wave Of Classic Rock WebFest as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: Talking about these interactions which are indeed very important to you, have you met any of people you\u2019re a fan of yourself \u2013 and what kind of experience was it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: Yeah, I\u2019ve met a couple of people… This is probably going to go against my Rock music side (laughs), but I met Taylor Swift when I was younger and that was just absolutely mind-blowing… It\u2019s really inspired me \u2013 the experience was just so incredible to be able to meet one of my favorite singers and performers of all-time. I believe I was the age of nine \u2013 eight or nine \u2013 and we were chosen out of the crowd for looking like we were rocking out at one of her concerts (laughs). That was pretty cool. And I actually met the members of H.E.A.T. as well \u2013 I met Erik Gr\u00f6nwall and [Don] Crash \u2013 and it was just awesome. They\u2019re such lovely guys! And again, for me, when I was beginning my musical journey, to meet people like that just inspired me very much and I really aspire to be like them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: You\u2019ve also mentioned the likes of Joan Jett or Pat Benatar as being one of your influences \u2013 but what\u2019s so inspiring about them for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: I\u2019ve always really, really loved their work. Back when I was younger, dad would play me \u201cI Love Rock\u2019n\u2019Roll\u201d and \u201cI Hate Myself For Loving You\u201d by Joan Jett and a bunch of Pat Benatar\u2019s [songs] so I\u2019ve always just really resonated with both those artists as well as Lita Ford… a number of artists, actually \u2013 including modern, current artists like Lzzy Hale. I really, really loved Halestorm. I remember, when I was younger, everyone was coming to class in high school with a poster of their favorite band and I made this massive guitar with my dad \u2013 we stayed up all night creating it… And it said \u201cHalestorm\u201d on it and everyone looked at me like I was the most bizarre kid (laughs)… And they had no idea who the band was, but I was just so happy and proud to present this piece. I\u2019ve just always loved artists and rockers like that and appreciated their music and what they stand for as powerful women in the Rock industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: So having mentioned these more contemporary influences, are there any influences you\u2019d like to mention that aren\u2019t that obvious through your music but are still important to you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: Lzzy Hale has always been a major one for me. I listen to a lot of music and I listen to Evanescence as well, which I know is more modern band… I listen to some Punk Rock stuff too. I also adore Paramore and I love all their stuff \u2013 a bunch of artists like that. I really stand for women in Rock and love and appreciate what they do and bring again Rock music back to the forefront.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: Talking about songwriting, you\u2019ve brought up the title of your 2018 single \u201cStand\u201d, which I think can be also thought of as a contemporary feminist anthem. Do you consider yourself a feminist?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: Absolutely! I absolutely do. And I think that standing up for women and women\u2019s rights is very, very important and bringing back Rock music and standing up with people together to bring this back to the forefront is very empowering for [other] women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: The music industry has been male-dominated for decades, and many of female musicians struggled against its rules. From your perspective as a young woman entering the business now, is the situation finally changing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: I think it still has a long way to go… With women in Rock, we\u2019re still slightly underrepresented, but there are a lot of people that are working together to empower women and make sure that we are equal. And we do continue this trend and start incorporating more people and women in Rock. So I think it\u2019s really important. It\u2019s definitely changing and we\u2019ll continue to change [it].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: What does the future hold in store for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: I think that I\u2019m still learning new ways and I think that\u2019s really important. I\u2019m very, very young, so writing, recording and performing is what I\u2019m always gonna be building and growing from. So I think working on full-length album and getting it out there is definitely something I\u2019m going to be doing within the next year and couple of years… And getting a new single out there, that I\u2019m really excited to release… And I\u2019ve also just become an endorsee of Fender Squier, so I\u2019m really looking forward to working with them. And besides that, just playing live where I can, meeting people and associating with people and all the fans \u2013 so I\u2019m really excited to be doing all that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardrock Haven: And what kind of message or word of inspiration would you like to pass on to your peers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassidy Paris: Bring Rock music back to the forefront. Rock: the next generation is coming to you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visit Cassidy Paris online<\/a> and on Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Alexandra Mrozowska\u2014 Senior Columnist \u2014 Believe it or not \u2013 there are still Rock fans out there who claim their favorite music has deteriorated and disappeared with the advent of whatever modern cultural or […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":69247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[15318,203,15319,10464,15320],"class_list":{"0":"post-69245","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-interviews-recent","8":"tag-cassidy-paris","9":"tag-interview","10":"tag-like-i-never-loved-you","11":"tag-paul-laine","12":"tag-steve-janevski"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69245"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69245\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}