Q&A: Casey Bishop Talks Self-Titled Debut EP, Transitioning From ‘American Idol’ & Collaborating With WILLOW

Q&AMusic

Oct 3

☆ BY Shellsea Lomeli ☆

EXCHANGING HER TELEVISION SPOTLIGHT FOR THE RECORDING BOOTH — singer-songwriter Casey Bishop is embracing her powerful emotions and experiences with the release of her edgy self-titled debut EP. Produced by Chris Greatti (Yungblud, Poppy) via 19 Recordings/BMG, the six-track project is packed with a contagious blend of alt-pop melodies and punk-rock energy.

Beginning with the kicking, anthemic “Bad Dream” and transitioning into the more vulnerable sounds of “Denied,” Bishop’s debut EP showcases her impressive range, both vocally and as an emerging writer. At just 17 years old, the Florida native’s emotive energy is gripping, as she uses music to share her own stories about relationships and teen rage.

Bishop first came into the spotlight on Season 19 of ABC’s American Idol when she won the hearts of millions with her talent and passion, finishing in the top four. Now, a year later, she is setting the pressures of competing aside to depart on her own personal journey as a recording artist. With the support of collaborators such as Willow Smith and influences including Billie Eilish, this artist is ready to share her authentic truth with the world, beginning with Casey Bishop.

Dive into Bishop’s transition from the competition stage to creating, and learn about the hopes she has for the future below.

LUNA: Your self-titled debut EP is out now — super exciting! Can you walk us through how you're feeling about this release?

BISHOP: I am extremely excited. I feel like I've been ready for people to hear the new music. I'm so excited. I'm so excited to have my own music and songs that I've written out into the world, you know?

LUNA: Why did you decide to self-title this project?

BISHOP: Well, I wasn't super sure on a name. Nothing was really grabbing me name-wise — there were a few that we thought about but I wasn't super grabbed by it. And I was just like, “This feels right,” in the moment, you know? If I'm gonna have a name for it, I want it to be really meaningful and special and not just like, “Here’s this.”

LUNA: Let's get a little bit more into the music. Can you share about your writing process and what it's been like collaborating with others on songs?

BISHOP: It's so inspiring writing with new people.I learned something new every session. When I'm writing by myself, I always think of something I learned from a session that I did. I love writing sessions. Basically, [in] the writing process, I say something that's going on in my life and it’s like, “That sounds dope. Let's get on that.”

LUNA: Were there any specific collaborators that you felt really connected with?

BISHOP: Yes! I wrote two songs on the EP with WILLOW, and she is just so inspiring and such a great human being. Chris Geatti. I write Jordan Brasko a lot too.

LUNA: Is there a track on this project that you feel most proud of?

BISHOP: It's between “Denied” and “Kerosene.” But I think “Denied.” That's the song that I wrote by myself. I never used to be confident in my writing — I’m still working on my confidence and thinking that I'm good at doing it. I brought that song to Chris's house and we tweaked it and rewrote some things. But yeah, I'm super proud of that. It really makes me feel good and confident in myself that I love that song so much. It's the most vulnerable, and I think it's really relatable.

LUNA: What was it like transitioning from being on American Idol to really pursuing your career in the studio in a separate light from that?

BISHOP: It's two totally different things. I didn't think it would be as different as it is. American Idol… I can't explain how thankful and how much I love that show. That show did so much for me. It was like bootcamp, you know? It sent me off into the world. But the thing about Idol is that there was a lot of pressure — you cannot chill out.You feel like you're being judged all the time because it's a competition show. But going into making music and doing little shows, it’s so crazy because I can relax. I can mess up, I can say something wrong. It's okay if I sound crappy one day, you know? You can be really different without feeling like you're gonna get kicked off.

LUNA: How do you feel about your live shows with fans and your music compared to being on that big stage during American Idol? I'm sure that's a super rewarding experience.

BISHOP: Yes, it is. It's really trippy. I didn't do shows before Idol. And that was pretty much, like… I did like two talent shows at my high school, but it was the first stage where it was crazy. Now it's hard to fathom that people buy tickets to see me (laughs). It’s so cool (laughs).

LUNA: Some of your influences are Fleetwood Mac and Billie Eilish. How does the music that you consume contribute to your own sound that you've developed so far and that we hear on this EP?

BISHOP: I don't know if my music sounds like the people I'm inspired by. But what happens is that I'll be listening to, for example, Billie, and I randomly get a spark of inspiration. Then I kind of write something in the same tone as that song. I don't know. I have people tell me that they get Alanis Morissette vibes — that's like, crazy to me. Or Fiona Apple. I love that. It’s a huge compliment.

LUNA: Have you found yourself sort of facing any challenges or any benefits from our social media era right now?

BISHOP: Challenges and benefits. There's 100% pros and cons with social media. The biggest pro is that I can stay in touch …I'm more connected with people that like my music and support me. That's amazing. But I've always been weird with social media, even before everything started happening. I could not post anything. But I think social media is more of a positive thing for artists so that they can get their music out there. There's a strategy with it. I'd say more pros. Social media is strange.

LUNA: Are there any artists or tracks that you've been currently gravitating towards recently?

BISHOP: I used to listen to Fiona Apple on and off and now I'm, like, religiously listening to her. And I just saw Red Hot Chili Peppers in concert. I've always loved them but seeing them in concert was so inspiring. I've been listening to them nonstop ever since I saw them a few days ago.

LUNA: Aside from the super exciting release of your self-titled EP, what else are you looking forward to for the rest of 2022?

BISHOP: I am not 100% on what's coming next. I would love to start meeting people and doing shows and stuff like that, you know? I don't know what's next. I mean, I'm definitely continuing to make music.

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