A beautifully stripped-down single from Cassandra Lynn comes through with a passionate presence and grabs your attention with a wonderfully in-depth performance and a set of lyrics that bear an honest and inspiring tonality and purpose.
"Do You Know" has a warm and cinematic feel to it as the song builds in instrumentation as it plays on and with that build so does her intensity as a vocalist.
Lynn is an excellent at telling her story and pulling her emotion to get the song across properly.
Not only is the song woven very well, but it has the ability to cause memories of your own to pop into your head at any given time. It's relatable and at times feels like it was written just for you. It's pretty rare to find a song with those qualities.
The way the artist describes her feelings, thoughts and emotions is outstanding and done so with an almost welcoming form.
Lynn's music can be subtle and soft. Almost like lullabies, they whisk you away to another place for moments at a time and it's quite nice.
The best art is that if you really like "Do You Know" you will like her other releases as well. She has this staple sound that is friendly and feels like a hug from a loved one. Also, that honesty is always right on the fore front which is refreshing.
With the release of such a gorgeous single, we wanted to touch base with Cassandra Lynn to find out where this may have come from.
Here's what happened.
RAG: Okay so let's start with "Do You Know". This single has a wonderfully cinematic feel to it! Where did this track come from?
Thank you so much! This song came to me while I was sitting under a tree in a park. I was thinking about past relationships and how there's always someone who gets away, that you just wish it would have worked out differently. I wrote the melody and lyrics and sang them into my phone - then brought it to a friend who helped me develop the chord structure. Then I brought it to producer, Tukkiman, and together we created this dramatic feel.
RAG: I'm hearing some great styles on this release. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
My musical influences span quite the spectrum - I've been influenced by Mozart, the Chicago Blues scene, Eva Cassidy, Ray Charles, Aloe Blacc, Aretha Franklin, Karen Carpenter, Stevie Wonder, 80's pop.
RAG: So how did this all begin for you really? When did you fall in love with making music?
Oh man! I think I fell out of the womb loving music. I begged my parents for piano lessons when I was 4 and never looked back. Started singing in the church choir around 7 or 8, then started cantoring and singing for weddings when I was about 13. I wrote some music in high school and college, but I was mainly just singing. I think for some people music is just born in their soul and it lives and grows with you.
RAG: What's next for you as an artist?
I'm finishing up 3 more songs with producer Tukkiman - to be released later this year. One song has a real Aloe Blacc feel to it - I was super into his music when I wrote that song. Another one of the songs has a more gospel feel to it. It's been a labor of love that I can't wait to share.
RAG: What inspires you to write a song?
It's a feeling I get - I could be almost anywhere and get a flash of an idea for a song. I always have my phone and a notebook around in case I am inspired. I have like 500 voice memos in my phone with snippets of ideas and probably about 4 notebooks full of ideas. This song came about from daydreaming under a tree, a song that will be out soon came about from a conversation I had with a friend about being true to yourself. Another song is about being there for each other - this came to me in the pandemic. But I'd say the underlying theme in all of my music is Love - Romantic love, friend love, self-love, self-empowerment.
RAG: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
When I'm not working on music, I spend as much time in nature as possible, hiking, beaches, the Chicago lake front, whatever I can get! I also bake a lot - I like creating new recipes or putting my own twist on cakes, cookies, rolls.... teaching my nieces and nephews how to bake, that's a hoot! And of course, spending quality time with my friends and family - they are the best support a girl could ask for.
RAG: Who are you listening to right now?
Lately I've been listening to a lot of PJ Morton and MC Solaar and a lot of local Chicago musicians. We have a great music scene in Chicago... so many great artists and producers here
RAG: Are you doing live performances?
I plan on doing live performances once all the songs I'm currently working on are produced and finished! Can't wait to bring my music to live audiences
RAG: This single seems like a big undertaking. What kind of advice might you have for other up and coming artists out there?
Stay true to yourself and your vision for your music but be open to the process of creating. To me, songs are living breathing things that grow and develop throughout the process - from the original idea to the finished produce. Be open to how your music will evolve and grow.
RAG: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
All you hope for as a singer/songwriter is for someone to connect in a real way with your music and I'm so grateful and humbled to everyone who has listened and loved my music. Thank you, thank you, thank you.