Cassadee Pope

My style is kind of all over the place. I've always loved the combination of leather and lace, but that's probably just been something that I fall back on if I can't really figure out what to wear.

I came from a private school, and public high school was the first time I ever went to a public school. So I went into it very preppy; I was wearing a lot of Abercrombie and Hollister. Then, my sophomore year, I started listening to rock bands. I had a boyfriend that took me to my first rock show, and I was just addicted to that.

I had always dreamed of starting off in pop radio and crossing into country. I used to sing country; that was my genre when I was a kid.

I always felt different because I didn't pick one specific clique or group to be a part of, and I didn't choose one thing to be. I cheered, sang in chorus, was in student government, played in rock bands, went to dirt races in western PA... My interests have always been diverse.

There's something about being onstage, singing my lyrics to somebody and them either listening and receiving them, or singing them back to me, that I just can't get enough of.

I obviously appreciate all the fans I gained from my band, but there weren't enough of them to make me a very successful artist. To me, being successful is selling a lot of records and selling out big venues on tour, and it's not up to anyone else to decide what success is for me.

Don't be afraid to not be OK. For a lot of people, when they get upset about something, they keep it bottled up, and that's the worst thing you can do.

I am writing things on my own, but I really believe co-writing makes you a better writer.

I really love that song. I love when people cover songs that are familiar but have been kind of forgotten about. So when you play it, it takes people back to a certain place. That's what I wanted for 'Torn.'

I love writing with really experienced producers and co-writers who open my mind to things I never would have thought otherwise. We may think the same way about something, but they might say it in a way that I never would have thought to say it.

I'm not trying to claim I'm a country singer, but I do love country music.

I love country and rock, and I wanted to fuse them together. But I also knew that there were certain elements that needed to still be there to be both country and cater to my old fans.