19-year-old UCSB student and singer, Casey, is keeping it real and local with her IV- inspired music video and song, 19.
“I wanted to do something different” she says, about her soon-to-be released video and song that capture the feeling of walking down DP and embrace the fun, youthful spirit of her life.
For Casey, 19 is the result of a decade of training for a passion that she’s taken very seriously. From writing songs since elementary school to working with her producer and manager of two years, Neil Cabana, she’s worked hard to create a unique voice within the pop genre.
Starting with classical choral music at the age of ten, she then expanded out into jazz, pop, and opera. Since then, she’s been on a European choir tour and is currently a composer for the on-campus acapella group, Naked Voices.
How have you incorporated your music background into your current projects and sound?
I take the background that I have within composition and music theory and apply it in the pop industry. I try to integrate unconventional dynamic expressions, backing harmonies — things you don’t hear as often within pop music.
How has your time at UCSB inspired your music and how did it influence the songwriting/video process for 19?
The song is completely inspired by my experiences as a UCSB student and young person who’s still in this kind of transition process. It was completely influenced by the friendships I’ve made here and this really vibrant and supportive community that we have. I think that the emphasis IV culture has is just about being present and enjoying this time in our lives, not about taking life too seriously. It’s very much a coming of age song. I wanted to capture the feeling of living in this fun-loving, strange utopia.
The single’s music video was a four-day shoot filmed in Long Beach, Huntington Beach, and Isla Vista that features UCSB organizations, such as the dance team, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Naked Voices.
What was the filming process for the song?
It was such a whirlwind, incredible process. I got to work with talented director/videographer, Spencer Sease at Out of Sight Creative along with my manager, Neil Cabana. Spencer is also 20 and we’re both at the stage of just enjoying our lives. For the video, we wanted to channel pure fun and enjoyment. It was fun getting a chance to feature my real friends, just doing our thing. I had a lot of support from the UCSB community. I’m super grateful for that.
Could you talk about some of the companies you partnered with in the video?
UCSB basically runs on yerba so I wanted to be authentic with the UCSB experience and partner with Guayaki Yerba Mate. They’re also involved in reforestation projects and are focused on sustainability which means a lot to me. I also partnered with Ilia Beauty and Twoobs, an Australian shoe company. Both of them use vegan products and are very into cruelty free, sustainable business models.
Now that you’ve completed this project, what have you been working on/ what do you see for the future?
This is all a part of a larger project- my EP. I’ve been trying to explore different components of my life and personality, and also dive into deeper issues that I really resonate with- things that are going on at a greater societal level… challenges with different mental health difficulties, how important the feminist movement is to me. I want to communicate the sense of realness. I want you to get a feel for who I am, what I value, and connect it to more on a personal level.
Casey’s music video and single, 19 will be available on Spotify and Apple music this Summer 2018.
You can check out Casey’s Instagram @caseyglasser and her website: officialcasey.com for more updates!
All images via Casey.