Casii Stephan is a MN born, indie-pop meets soul-rock singer-songwriter now based in Tulsa, OK. Casii’s “gorgeously emotive voice inspires comparisons to alt-pop artists like Florence Welch and Fiona Apple with a writing style reminiscent of Carole King” proclaims (NPR).
Stephan’s voice is fierce and fearless, but this was not always the case. She grew up shy and afraid of her voice until she started writing songs on the family piano when she was 16. Casii moved to Tulsa in 2014 with the intent to give up her pursuit of a music career, however with a little encouragement from a friend, she continued songwriting and started releasing music in 2016. Since then, she has received national songwriting awards, toured regionally, performed official SXSW and Folk Alliance showcases, performed at the virtual Sundance Film Festival, and has been profiled on platforms such as Billboard, NPR, and American Songwriter.
Casii writes her songs honestly, from the depths of her emotions, with lyrics that pushback on negative societal norms like sexism, ageism and “playing nice” as a woman. She uses writing to deconstruct her own beliefs with an underlying hope that things can change, inviting listeners on their own journey. In October, Casii signed with TRO Essex music publishing, joining the talented folk writers such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seger, and iconic rock bands like The Who, Black Sabbath, and Pink Floyd.
The songwriter recently traveled to Muscle Shoals, AL to record with producer Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes, St. Paul and the Broken Bones). The concept EP to be titled, Relationship Status takes the listener on the emotional journey of going from one relationship status to another and finally landing on the realization that these statuses do not define you. Leading single “Can’t Handle Me” is a soulful funk pop rock thrill. She confides, “Being single has many highs and lows. This one is about overcoming a low. When a drunk guy at the bar can’t get the message that you don’t want to talk to him and he just keeps on talking and talking and talking… We bite our tongues, because the truth is they can’t handle us.” Relationship Status EP is set for release later this Spring.
Listen to Can’t Handle Me https://hypeddit.com/odbnlm
