Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Ryan Cassata
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
My earliest memory connected to music is seeing my brother’s guitar collecting dust in the corner of our living room when I was six years old, and thinking “I really want to play that.”
How did your passion for creating music begin?
As soon as I started playing, I was hooked, but the real turning point was when I started writing songs at twelve years old. That’s when music became everything I lived for. Once the songs started flowing, I couldn’t stop. I just wanted to record and play as much as I possibly could.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
David Scott Stone and I went into the studio wanting to make a fun dance track. He pulled out an incredible arsenal of analog synths — Roland Juno 106, Moog Taurus II, Korg MS-20, Roland TR-808 — and we set out to make something hooky and euphoric. But the activist in me couldn’t stay quiet. The song became about homophobia, transphobia, and gun violence, loosely based on the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs in 2022. I wrote it from the imagined perspective of Daniel Aston, a 28-year-old trans bartender who was killed that night. We were the same age, and when I found out he was one of the victims, I broke down. I read his name at the LA Trans Day of Remembrance Vigil the following day. The chorus came first: “Blood is on your hands, we just came here to dance.” Because that’s really all it comes down to, we just want to exist, love, and dance without fear. Why can’t we dance?
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
My sound is hard to describe because I really don’t stay in one genre. I write protest songs with an edge, love songs, and everything in between, and I pull from so many different genres: punk, rock, folk, country, hip hop, trap, blues the list goes on. The thread that ties it all together is the themes in my lyrics.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
Learning how to record at home completely changed everything for me. I can record and release songs quicker now as I’m not waiting to have a budget. I’m entirely self-taught, which means I never learned the rules, so I never felt obligated to follow them. That freedom shows up in the music.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
The most essential tools for my creative process are my voice, an acoustic guitar or piano, and an inspired mind. If the inspiration is not there, I cannot force creativity.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I am really loving Salemn who will be my supporting act in Frankfurt at Ponyhof on April 29th! I have been listening to Giovanni und David over and over – what a hit! https://open.spotify.com/artist/5hV8nkz7Vb9pte5JbjsSzw?si=HSBl1fpTRQ2jZpbquifavg
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
My personal experience and context is what I have largely pulled from for my work. I write only when I am inspired which means I write about the things I am going through, witnessing, or feeling.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I hope listeners feel less alone, and more fired up. My music is rooted in queer and trans joy, but also in the fight for survival. If someone walks away from my music feeling seen, or feeling motivated to stand up for something, that means everything to me.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
The most important lesson music has taught me is to surrender to what you love and do it wholeheartedly. This career comes with no guarantees, constant struggle, and rarely a big paycheck. You have to do it because you love it. And if you truly love it, you have to do it.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Honestly, this European tour is the dream.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Bruce Springsteen, without a doubt. He’s one of the greatest songwriters of all time, and his music has always been rooted in the same values I write from, standing up for the working class, the marginalized, and the outcasts.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
https://pocp.co/follow-ryan-cassata
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
This tour! Another US Tour! And lots more songs!
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
My music is for building community.
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