Interview by Carol Wright

We got to chat with singer Cassidy Louis about her Technicolor Virtual Tour and what advice she has for aspiring singers.

Has music always been an outlet for you?

Music has always been a necessary form of communication and processing my emotions. It started out very private, something that I would turn to in search of a cathartic release in situations where I felt like my voice wasn’t heard, and then it grew into a more public form in which I claimed my space. I broadcasted my voice for those who refused to listen, and consequently who would listen when I sang. In turn, music has become an essential outlet of expression for me as a form of self-empowerment. Further, I hope that my taking up space has inspired others to feel empowered to do the same. I hope my music helps them to realize that their voices deserve to be heard, too.

Tell us a bit about your Technicolor Virtual Tour. How did it come to be?

The Technicolor Virtual Tour came out of a brainstorming session, during which my team and I were trying to come up with a creative way that A) set us apart from all of the other live streams going on (truly everyone & their mother has been live streaming since the beginning of quarantine), and B) could serve our community, since the music industry was hit really hard by the pandemic. My promotions manager, Brooke, had seen a similar concept online and brought it up during one of our meetings, so we took the idea, made it our own, and ran with it.

The tour benefitted venues and artists that have been affected by COVID. How did it feel to be able to support the industry in this way?

Honestly, I wish I could have done more. I wish we could have raised more money to help the immense number of people who have been affected by COVID-19 within the music industry because people can forget just how many people are involved. Sure, the artists are struggling, but so are the tour managers, the sound crew, the lighting crew, etc. There are so many forums that I’m in with hundreds of people facing the same things as the other hundreds of people in different forums. There are so many people, a year later, who are still struggling. I still wish I could do more. I feel like there’s still more work to be done.

Where do you see the future of the music industry going as COVID is navigated? Do you see more virtual concerts and tours becoming the norm?

I’ve honestly thought about this a lot, as I’m sure a lot of people in the music industry have. There are days when I feel like the days of huge stadium tours are over, but then I find a bit of hope. I see the big festivals relentlessly rescheduling, and despite the circumstances I know that the people in the music industry are some of the toughest people out there (we have to be). I know we’re never going to give up doing what we love. 

I also think about the pandemics that have passed before, too. The 1918 pandemic with the Spanish influenza comes to mind, as I’ve noticed a few parallels with current events and things that happened then. We as a people were able to make it out of that. We were able to continue. We were able to achieve normal again. I’m not sure that normal will look the same as it did before, but I’m hopeful that we will be able to come together again.

Can listeners expect new music from you in the near future?

Always! My team and I are hard at work figuring out our next steps after my September release of my EP, Technicolor. I have a lot of material waiting to be heard, so stay tuned y’all!

What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?

Keep going. It’s so easy to feel discouraged like people don’t want to hear your music or care about what you’re doing. But your voice matters. Your voice is needed. Because there are people out there who need to hear what you have to say. Your words are what’s going to keep them going, and only you can create the way that you can. I know it’s so cliche, but please don’t give up.