Fresh off the back of a BBC Radio 1 ‘Hottest Record’ title with their collaborative single ‘Circular Motion’ with Kawala, not to mention a highly-coveted slot at the Corona Capital festival in Mexico this November and wrapping up their most critically-acclaimed run of singles to date, Cassia are set to release their new ‘Home Soon…’ EP with focus track ‘Gamma Rays’. The Northern three-piece have already sold out their intimate EP release show at London’s OMEARA on March 4th (where they’ll be joined by some familiar faces) in less than 6 hours, so it’s safe to say that the anticipation for Cassia’s latest body of work is well and truly bubbling. (would be good to add that they’ve got musician friends joinign them for it)
On the new project, Cassia have blended their tropical feel-good vibe with more nuanced and poignant moments, fuelling the track with more heartfelt vulnerability on tracks like ‘whatstheuse’ and ‘Find My Way Around’. Through this new lens there are still plenty of the bright guitar melodies, playful drum grooves and nifty bass lines that exude the joy and optimism within their warm and sunny soundscapes. Effortlessly bouncy rhythms and rich harmonies brighten up gloomy days with a soaring enthusiasm. A sonic collage of their recent expeditions to new writing locations and experiences with new collaborators, the EP artwork is based upon an everyday fridge that you would find in a busy kitchen, covered in magnets, postcards, pictures and anything fun collected over time giving insight into the bands touring life, travels and where the EP songs were written.
With the project the band share new track ‘Gamma Rays’, a track that brings bouncy acoustic melodies and soft, lively tones akin to their earlier work, drawing upon their long-standing, eclectic influences but with the self-awareness and nuances of their more recent, introspective offerings. Supported with a locked in bass and drum part that sensational inject energy into the track, the vocals are classic Cassia, you can almost hear the smiles through the lead line, whilst harmonies feel like an angelic party that dance around infectious arrangements.
The band explain the release, “This latest batch of songs took us on a bit of a journey out of our usual surroundings; each song was written in a different place on the globe some of them with good friends of ours and we felt that gave us a new lease of life creatively. I think you can really hear the energy captured in the room of tracks like circular motion, and in songs like gamma rays I can almost hear the whirring of the planes engine in the background when listening to it. We didn’t have an idea going into this EP of any sort of lyrical theme however as we finished more and more tracks, one started to naturally appear. Summed up the EP is based around life cycles. I feel that l always struggle to cope with chapters drawing to a natural close because it forces me to change what is comfortable, it is just a natural response of mine and so these songs act as an outlet for me, some tracks reminded me of the positive outcomes that come off the back of change, whilst some songs were jotted down during a painful switch of reality.”
Since the release of their 2022 album ‘Why You Lacking Energy?’, frontman Rob Ellis has spent time writing in LA, Cape Town, London and Berlin with a host of collaborators, piecing together the band’s new chapter, whilst maintaining the core Cassia DNA. Elaborating on the collaborations, Rob explains: “It’s the first time we’ve really gone out of our insular bubble. Usually we would write alone in our rooms. Now we’re getting friends and different producers involved.” With the songwriting process becoming increasingly open and synergetic amongst Cassia and other artists, we can assuredly say there will be some exciting new sounds on the upcoming EP.
Cassia’s second album ‘Why You Lacking Energy?’ dropped in 2022, a complex work during which the band processed some of their darker moments and revealed a more vulnerable side – a dramatic but insightful change for a group known for their carefree attitude and sunny disposition.
Cassia have come a long way from their start to life in Macclesfield, near Manchester, where their seaside town sound started in a small market town. 2017 saw the release of their debut single ‘100 Times Over’, a dreamy, addictive guitar track with shades of Vampire Weekend and a wiggling rhythm hinting at the group’s Afro-Caribbean influences, stemming from Rob’s dad having grown up in Zambia and bringing home his record collection for Rob to listen to as a child.
Since then, they’ve released two albums and in recent years have been touring relentlessly around Europe and the UK with their hard work rewarded with a live session at BBC Radio 1’s Maida Vale Studios. The band also supported Bastille and Circa Waves this summer, as well as returning to main stages at many UK festivals. With three ‘Hottest Records’ to their name thanks to DJs like Annie Mac, Clara Amfo, Jack Saunders, Mollie King and Maia Beth, the band is now ready to release the new EP.
With over 75 million Spotify streams to their name, ample support from DSPs across editorial playlists, a sold-out show at Koko in London and fans at The Independent, Wonderland, Notion, Ones To Watch, Clash, Earmilk, Radio 1 and Radio X, Cassia is poised to take their radiating joy to new audiences the world over. The new EP promises to be a fitting soundtrack as the days start to get longer, but whatever the time of year, the band will always be bringing an uplifting, heartening and utterly captivating energy.
