Casey McQuillen – In & Out

By starrymag | February 14, 2022

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) I like to think of my music as “story-teller pop.” My songs tend to tell a story as the character grows and learns throughout the song. When I was younger I associated that kind of writing with country and folk music and so I produced my tracks that way. But listening to artists like Lauv, Julia Michaels and Taylor Swift’s 1989 album, I realized that I can make pop songs that tell a story!

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Well, the three artists I just listed definitely have influenced my current style! But as a young writer, I sought out upcoming female singer/songwriters to look up to. I spent hours listening to Colbie Caillat, Kate Voegele, Sara Bareilles and countless others! I actually had the opportunity to open for Kate Voegele a couple of years ago, which was a really cool full-circle moment for me!

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “In & Out.”

 

A) I wrote “In & Out with my friend Hadley Kennary during the pandemic, hundreds of miles apart on Zoom. As a writer, it was such a difficult time to stay motivated. One day, I spent hours going through old voice memos on my phone, collected in quick moments over the years. I found a thirty second recording titled “romantic melody.” That little melody was the seed for “In & Out.” When singing the melody to Hadley over Zoom for the first time, I fit the words “what if we’re different from everyone else? We fall in and out of ourselves” into the melody. We loved how the words sounded, so we worked our way backwards, writing a song about lovers who grow up, apart and together, pulling and pushing, but always choosing each other.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I think we’ve all had love that is sweet, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard. There’s something so intense about that kind of tension, and I think that feeling is reflected in the beautiful harmonies I sing with Jon McLaughlin on the track.

 

Q) How did you come to connect with Jon McLaughlin to feature him on the song?

 

A) We sent Jon a cold email. Yes, it can truly work that way. I was so honored to have Jon on the song, and I was especially moved when he told me that it was the quality of the songwriting that caused him to sign on. I listened to him constantly as a young singer/songwriter, and it was a wild moment to have one of my influences duet one of my song with me.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) The track for “In & Out” is really simple, just piano and vocals, and so we wanted the video to highlight the musicality behind the song. One of our inspirations for the video was [the film] La La Land, which I think you can see reflected in the final product!

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) I almost always start with a lyrical idea and work my way into the melody. This song is super unique in my catalogue to have come from a melody first. Usually, I just pick up my guitar and start singing, trying to catch onto the catchy lines when they come out.

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) I’ve worked really closely with my producer Charles Humenry since we were students at Berklee together almost ten years ago! Charles is insanely talented, and we’ve developed a really natural rhythm. It’s like he’s the boat cutting through the water, but I’m at the wheel tugging us one way or another to get closer to what I have in my head. But I usually try not to tug too much, especially at the beginning, because I love seeing where his instincts will take us.

 

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming out in the near future?

 

A) Yes, I will be releasing a full album in early 2022. Get ready!

 

Q) We loved seeing you on “American Idol.” What advice were you given and by whom while on the show that you took to heart?

 

A) Harry Connick, Jr. was one of my favorite judges, and he pointed out during Hollywood week that I treated “Idol” like a marathon, not a sprint, and that would serve me well getting through the process. I’ve taken that to heart for my whole career; it’s not the occasional flash in the pan moments that make your career, but the daily grind, day in and day out. That’s where I focus my energy.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) Boston is definitely my favorite place to perform! That’s where my family is from, so we always have a crowd full of old friends and family. There’s nothing better than performing for the people who have been listening to me since I was fifteen years old!

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) 100% Taylor Swift. I think I would never emotionally recover if I had the opportunity to write a song with her! She is truly such a genius, and it would be such an honor to create with her.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) I listen to the artist Donovan Woods all the time. His songwriting is really beautiful; he has a very elegant way of stating complex ideas in a straightforward, relatable way. Whenever I’m working at my computer, I’ll turn on his catalogue.

 

Q) Why is social media such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) I try to be as vulnerable on social media as I am in my posts. I tend to write my songs about issues I’m working through, whether that be relationships or my internal dialogue. I try as much as possible to show that side of me on social media as well. It can be really tempting to only show your highlight reel, but I think we’re all a bit sick of seeing the glossiest aspects of each other’s lives. I try to be a bit more balanced and share the moments I’m not feeling my best alongside the moments I’m most proud of. That my fans see all of me, not just the shiniest parts, makes me feel more connected to them. And I hope my fans relate to me a little more, as well.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Just know I recognize the profiles that always comment and share my songs and the people who show up to shows over and over. It means the absolute world to me that I have people who have come on this journey with me over the past decade and, honestly, your support has kept me going during some of the hardest times in my career. Just as a tree falling in the forest doesn’t always make a sound, music isn’t art until it is perceived. Thank you for making my music into art.