It can be difficult to find country music that connects with teens, but some artists have a special spark to them. Through her thrilling lyrics and realistic outlooks, Casi Joy has quickly enticed the minds of country music enthusiasts around the world.
Rising country music star Casi Joy has thousands of monthly listeners on Spotify, a fandom of over 350,000 followers, and released her latest album Miles and Maybes in March 2023. Casi's journey from her early days as a finalist on The Voice, to becoming a formidable songwriter with a rigorous touring schedule and a dedicated fanbase, showcases the unwavering commitment to her craft. She recently released the new country hit and fresh music video “Low Brow Luxe” in February 2024.
Image Credit: Bryan Lankford
Ahead of her EP's release, Casi spoke to The Teen Magazine about her latest single, her new album, and her musical journey to come!
The Story Behind Her New Single “Low Brow Luxe”
As an accomplished artist, Casi shared the surprising relatability of her life through the song and where it all started.
“This song was a super fun one to write. I got the idea when I was at a friend’s pool last summer and showed up in my Crocs, Walmart swimsuit, off-brand sunscreen, and $3 sunglasses,” she recalled. “We started laughing about how cheap I am, and I said ‘Hey, I’m high class trash!’”
Casi loves to make the cheapest finds look fancy, because she thinks it's crazy when “someone spends like a thousand bucks on a pair of sunglasses, when you could get a whole closet full of them for that much if you shopped with me!”.
Many agree with the notion of the song that buying stuff for the sake of buying it is useless. She finds that, as long as the item works and is likeable, there should be no reason to replace it with something expensive.
The main message of the song is that treasure or junk, stuff’s just stuff. “If it gets the job done, you don’t need something shiny on the side that says it’s cool. If you like it, it’s cool!”
The Creative Process of “Low Brow Luxe”
The sound of “Low Brow Luxe” changed throughout the creative process and ended up sounding completely different from Casi's original idea.
As she described the style, she said “For some reason I keep wanting to say ‘vampire country’. This song just has a darker tone, and the lead guitar riff makes me think of True Blood!”
When writing this song, the demo included “Danny on keys and me on vocals,” letting her producers Mark Lonsway, David Dorn, and Justin Ostrander experiment with the sound. “They blew me away with how the song came to life!”
Casi managed to record the vocals for the song in just one take, which was a new occurrence for her.
“We had cut the vocals to another track on the album that same night, and we decided to get another one done in while we had the studio. My voice was super warm from singing for four hours already, so when we cued this song up, it all just came together!”
The vocals of this song are personality-driven as well, making it easier for her to sing since she's a performer at heart!
Image Credit: Bryan Lankford
Casi's Music Journey and What's Next
As an artist, it's a tricky thing to balance between staying true to yourself and adapting to the evolving music industry. Casi explained that, while it’s hard not to be influenced by trends, she thinks that because she likes to keep her songwriting so personal, it keeps her music sounding like her.
“That might mean the sound changes quite a bit from one song to the next, but that’s what humans do. We change, we grow, and we try to show up as authentically as possible.”
With “Low Brow Luxe” now released, there's a lot for fans to look forward to next: “I’m working on new music, and constantly writing, but I still want to give a couple more songs on the album their time to shine before releasing something new.” Expect some music videos and plenty of tour dates!
Quick-Fire Questions
Dream career?
I’m doing it!
Dream collaboration?
Taylor Swift or Tyler Childers
Dream travel destination?
Ireland
Your favorite song you've written so far and favorite lyric from it?
“Even Want To” - ‘You made the mixtapes, I made the mistake’
Favorite go-to meal?
Chipotle with three scoops of hot and a side of hot!
Top three favorite songs overall?
Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
My Tears Ricochet - Taylor Swift
The Con - Tegan and Sarah
Something you never leave the house without?
My phone!
Your hobbies aside from music?
Cooking or crafting
What type of dog do you think you are most like, personality wise?
Weimaraner!
Best piece of advice you've received as a musician?
If someone is promising you something or dangling a carrot, run!
Image Credit: Bryan Lankford
Keep Up With Casi Joy
Be sure to check out Casi on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook.
“Low Brow Luxe” is out now.
Miles and Maybes is out now.
