Meet Cassidy Brooke
- Mar 2
- 2 min read
Social media has introduced me to a lot of great music and artists I might not have discovered. I was lucky enough to discover Cassidy Brooke earlier this year and even lucky to correspond with her recently.
Raised in a mid-sized Midwestern town without a major music scene, Cassidy Brooke found her spark when touring acts passed through town. Choir and band music helped shape a lot of her arrangements and a piano in her house set the stage from a very young age - she was already sitting for hours, writing songs. The combination of everything, early on, still pulses through her work today.
Cassidy’s songwriting is rooted in introspection. A self-described overthinker who feels things deeply, she writes to understand her own thoughts. Nature, particularly the lakes and forests of the Midwest, plays a huge role in her songs. When I mentioned hearing echoes of artists like Sarah McLachlan, The Cranberries, Kate Bush, and even Lucy Dacus in her sound, she pointed to her own imprints: Phoebe Bridgers for her authenticity and arrangements beneath a soft vocal, Genevieve Stokes for the feeling of being completely understood as an artist, and Noah Kahan for his openness around mental health and unflinching lyricism.
Two songs that stand out to me and that showcase her emotional range are “Pick Up the Pieces” and “Feel Alive.” The latter was written during COVID, when she felt like she was missing out on huge milestones in her life - the end of high school, the start of college, the ache of isolation and the simple desire to live fully again. “Pick Up the Pieces,” meanwhile, is one of her personal favorites - a hopeful anthem written as a reminder to herself that leans into the idea that love — and the steady rhythms of nature — can carry us forward.
At the heart of Cassidy Brooke’s artistry is a mission to destigmatize mental health and make vulnerability feel less frightening. Having grown up acutely aware of her own struggles and those of people close to her, she saw how silence can deepen isolation. So she chose to speak - and lucky for us, sing openly. If she could leave listeners with one message, it’s this: vulnerability isn’t weakness. The countless comments from fans who say her music makes them feel less alone are proof that honesty in her music resonates. As she puts it beautifully, “Joy has a habit of returning.” And in her songs, you’ll believe it.
As for what’s next? After releasing "to the shore" in November, Brooke has been focusing on writing and recording a bunch of music to be pitched for TV and other artists, which has been so challenging and fulfilling at the same time. She is going on a week-long Arizona/California tour at the end of May! And then hopefully record an album within the next year or two, and release singles throughout the process. Busy times for Cassidy Brooke and we’re lucky to be witnessing an artist pouring that much heart, hustle, and creativity into the world.
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