Having a career in music was a dream for Cassidy Daniels. That is, until she made it a reality.
As a nine year-old girl, Daniels woke from a dream where she was performing for thousands of fans, and from that moment on, her path was clear.
Daniels made her way to Music City, and doors began to open. She found herself in writing rooms with A-list songwriters, she started releasing her own music, and most recently, she was featured on CBS’s The Road, where she wowed audiences with her booming, powerhouse voice.
On the heels of The Road, we chatted with Daniels all about her time on the show, recording her forthcoming debut album with producer John Osborne of Brothers Osborne, her musical journey and more!
Pro Country: In past interviews, you’ve mentioned a love of both country and classic rock music. Who were some of the earliest artists in each genre that you remember falling in love with?
Cassidy Daniels: I remember singing “Goodbye Earl” by the Dixie Chicks in my car seat. Gretchen Wilson was another one. My mom loved when I sang the “hell yeah” in “Redneck Woman.” [laughs].
As far as classic rock goes, my dad loved Heart, and my mom loved Fleetwood Mac. They both had great taste for female-focused rock music.
Aretha Franklin was also a big one for me. I remember listening to all of those records as a baby, and singing them before I could even talk.
PC: Your bio mentions finding solace in singing and songwriting early in your life. When did you realize that you had passions for both, and what was it about expressing yourself in those ways that connected with you?
CD: My dad was in the military. We were a very active duty, post 9/11 military family, so my dad was deployed a lot of the time. That’s such a hard thing to go through as a kid, because you’re not only without your dad for months, but you don’t know if he’s going to make it back. I needed something therapeutic, and music just clicked for me. Writing songs helped pass the time, but it also helped me get out everything I was feeling. I wrote my first song at seven years-old. It started out being therapeutic to get through my dad’s deployment, but it turned into being therapeutic for getting bullied in school, and it kept going. Anything that happened to me turned into a song.
PC: Though you’d had those bases in both singing and songwriting, when did you realize you wanted to, and feasibly could, pursue music as a career?
CD: I remember a defining moment as a kid. I had a crazy dream when I was about nine years-old where I was performing to tens of thousands of people. I literally woke up the next morning and thought that is what I’m going to do. I always joke with people that this is all a childhood dream that I never gave up on [laughs].
PC: Your love of rock and roll music led you to Johnny Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd, who became an early mentor to you. What was it like to have someone of that caliber in your corner?
CD: It was such a God thing. When we moved to south Florida, my parents bought the cheapest house they could find in the richest neighborhood. We moved in between Brian Hill, who we call Bubble Up, who was Skynyrd’s guitar tech for a decade, and a famous songwriter named Billy Thundercloud.
I used to play my guitar in the garage. Bubble Up came over one day while I was playing, and he said he was going to call a friend about me. Come to find out, the friend was Johnny Van Zant! Johnny called me and gave me a two-hour life and music advice phone call. It was life-changing for me. Something he said that always stuck with me was, “little girl, there’s better singers than you and me washing dishes right now. It’s all about timing and opportunity.” He was a really big influence on me.
PC: You mentioned growing up in a military family that moved a lot through your early life. Did that consistent moving make it easier when you decided to move to Nashville? What emotions were you feeling as you made your move?
CD: With all the moving around I did, God really prepared me in the best way possible to be a touring musician. Because I moved so much, changing lives ain’t nothin’ to me. I’ve been a Carolina girl, I’ve been a Kentucky kid, and I’ve been a Florida kid. Moving from Florida to Nashville was just another move for me. My mom was trying to get me to stay as long as she could, but she could only hold me until I was 17. This was the first place that I got to choose for myself, and I knew you had to be present in Town to be in country music, so that’s where I went!
PC: Soon after moving to Nashville, you signed with Liz Rose, who has a long list of accolades as a songwriter and businesswoman. Can you tell us how you came onto her radar and what her belief in your talent has meant to you?
CD: I met Liz at a little place called The Bayside Grill in Key Largo. One night, The Ladies of Nashville was happening. It was Liz Rose, Lisa Carver and Stephanie Smith playing. Again, I had a crazy dream one night where, once I woke up, I had a feeling that I needed to go to Key Largo. I ran downstairs like a psychopath and told my mom that we needed to go. Mind you, I was 14, but a feeling has never steered me and my family wrong before. We packed up the car, loaded up the family and made the three and a half hour trip.
I didn’t know who Liz Rose was at the time. My sister was the biggest Swiftie in the world, and she told me that Liz wrote a lot of great Taylor Swift songs. I asked the owner of the bar if I could plug in and play a couple songs when they took a break. He basically told me “get lost, kid.” [laughs]. Me being me, I had a lot bigger balls at 14 than I do now, I got up and plugged in when they took their break and started playing. Stephanie went to Liz and told her that she had to hear the girl on stage. Liz told me to go to Nashville and to go to her.
I didn’t realize my privilege of having someone like Liz in my corner until a couple years ago. There’s so many horror stories of girls going through industry people that take advantage of them, but Liz has been a mother figure to me. I call her “Mama Liz.” Having her in my corner has made all the difference for me. She protects me from the wolves in sheep’s clothing. She’s a boss lady, she keeps ‘em in line!
PC: What was it like, early in your time in Nashville, being surrounded by the collective talent in the City?
CD: Once I moved to Nashville, I’d already been co-writing. My first ever co-write was with Liz and Phil Barton. I got to Nashville with those people in my corner. I felt like I was spoiled!
Being around the talent when I moved to Town was crazy. You’d be on Broadway and everybody was good. The best musicians in the world were playing at Tootsie’s from 2-6pm [laughs].
PC: You released your debut, self-titled EP in early 2020. What emotions were you feeling as you were preparing to release music for the first time?
CD: That was my very first project. Those were songs I’d been sitting on for years. Chip Matthews produced it, which made it really special. I didn’t have a lot of studio knowledge, and he taught me a lot.
There was a whole range of emotions that came with that project. It was February of 2020, and I was on the road with Willie Nelson. Covid hit a month later. They had to protect Willie immediately, so he was one of the first acts to get off the road. It was very much a “hurry up and wait” situation. I was so excited to get the music out, but I feel like it didn’t get to reach its full potential because of Covid.
I still love all of those songs, though. It’s very rare that you don’t cringe when you look back at your first project, but I’ve loved all of the songs and still play them in my set today.
PC: “Backbone” has been the top-performing song on that EP, earning over 100,000 streams on Spotify, along with several thousand more across platforms. What has it been like for you to tangibly see the support the song has received?
CD: It wasn’t much tangible until about four or five months ago [laughs]. When The Road started airing, that’s when things started to pick up traction. I’m very thankful for it, because it’s given these songs a new life. Now that chapter can be closed, because those songs are finally getting some love.
PC: About four and a half years passed between the release of your EP and your next single, “White Mustang.” Can you talk about taking that time between releases and why you felt that was the right song with which to return?
PC: I was in a trio called July Moon, and we released a project together. I took a hiatus for that, because I love being in a band. That vibe is so fun for me, and we put out a great project.
I’ve always loved “White Mustang.” It’s a song that Liz and I wrote with Alyssa Micaela, who is one of my best friends. I love a dramatic love song, and that one was the end all be all for me!
PC: You released “In a Trailer” in early 2025, which has quickly become your top song on streaming services. What do you think it is about the song that has connected with people the way it has?
CD: That was the first song that I put out since my first project that was truly me. Everything I write is me, because I won’t write something that’s not true to me, but “Trailer” was super special because it was about my family. I wrote that song about my aunt and uncle’s love story. I’ve always been inspired by how content they are in their sweet little life. I think people resonated with that, because it’s no secret, we’re in hard times right now. It’s easy to get lost in what you don’t have, but that song is about being in love with what you do have.
PC: Last year, you were featured on CBS’s The Road. Can you talk about how the opportunity to audition came to you and when it took place?
CD: Being a songwriter in Town, I’ve pitched a lot of songs to a lot of different places. There was a hot minute where my publishers were pitching a lot of my songs for Yellowstone. We met an amazing woman, who’s been a champion of mine since, named Andrea von Foerster. She’s the lead woman for putting music on Yellowstone. She came to me a few years ago about a show that she thought I’d be a great fit for. I said yes, but then the show went away for about a year. It came back around at the perfect time for me. Everything Taylor Sheridan (executive producer) touches turns to gold. No pun intended, but that show was tailor-made for me [laughs].
I went to the callback auditions in Burbank in February of 2025, and they said I was going to be on the show. We left in the beginning of March.
PC: The Road ended up airing in mid-October. How hard was it to keep the secret that you were going to be on the show?
CD: Oh my gosh, it was crazy! I literally sat on my hands starting around April. People around Town couldn’t understand why I was so quiet, and I’d think, “guys, just wait.”
PC: Throughout The Road, you had the opportunity to play several original songs to large crowds. How much did you cherish the opportunity to be able to share original music to so many potentially new fans?
CD: My sole purpose in life is to be on stage and to entertain people. I want to make people forget their worries for a while. We got to open for Keith Urban at those shows. I remember the first night in Fort Worth, I thought to myself that even if I went home that night, I got to open for Keith Urban, which was so cool.
Those crowds were so awesome. You don’t get put in front of that many people on any particular day. Having a captive audience was such a blessing. It reassured me that I knew what I was doing.
PC: Through the course of the show, you earned praise from great artists like Keith Urban, Blake Shelton and Gretchen Wilson, among many others. What did their words mean to you, and what was it like to be getting advice from so many heavy-hitters in the industry?
CD: To me, the time we got to spend with Gretchen, Keith, Blake and the guest judges was worth its weight in gold. It’s very rare that you’re able to sit down and talk to someone who has done what you’re trying to do. They were all so gracious about telling us the ins and outs of the industry and what it takes to make it. They reassured me that I’m in the right career. They think the same way that I think, and that means that I belong here.
PC: The Road ended with a performance at the Ryman Auditorium. As someone who is so in touch with the history of music, what did it mean to you to stand on that stage?
CD: The Ryman is famously haunted, and I love that kind of stuff! Being barefooted in the original circle where the Opry was held was so special. At the time, I didn’t really want to do a Heart song at the Mother Church of country music, but looking back, it’s kind of badass that I did [laughs]. It was an incredible experience. I’ll never forget that energy.
PC: With time now having passed since The Road concluded, what was your biggest takeaway from your time on the show?
CD: My biggest takeaway was being reassured that I’m in the right lane. I’m more sure of myself than I’ve ever been. I felt like I genuinely earned respect from people like Keith, Gretchen and Blake. I would rather earn respect than buy it with TikTok followers. It was such an incredible experience to be in the presence of people who have done what you’re trying to do and to fit in with them right away. It made me feel like I’m a well-oiled music machine.
PC: What kind of momentum have you felt in the wake of The Road?
CD: I feel like I’ve found more of my people. Everyone has their niche of people that they resonate with, and The Road gave me that. They found me, and they’ve stuck with me. I’ve had such an outpouring of support on social media, which has warmed my heart.
On top of that, John Osborne is producing my record. It’s been a big, crazy snowball effect that’s kept on going!
PC: What information can you give about the album you’re making with John Osborne? Where you are in the process and what people can expect to hear?
CD: Red Bull was a sponsor on The Road, and they gifted some of us $50,000 for recording at Red Bull Studios in Santa Monica. It was such an incredible thing for them to do.
I met Brothers Osborne on the show when they were guest judges. My management set up a write with John, and we loved the song we wrote. He started asking if I had a producer. I didn’t, and asked if he’d want to be the producer, and he agreed. I couldn’t believe it! We’re going to Los Angeles this week to go do the damn thing!
PC: Along with recording your album, what else do you have planned for 2026?
CD: Taylor Sheridan has been a great mentor to me. He’s put me in two episodes, so far, of The Dutton Ranch, which is a Yellowstone spinoff that’s coming. I’m so excited! I had the opportunity to go down to Texas to film, and we just wrapped the second episode last week. Hanging out with the cast and being able to play as many songs as I did was such a blessing. Even telling you right now, I still don’t believe it!
PC: Is there anything you’d like to add?
CD: To everyone that watched The Road, thank you for changing my life. To anyone that’s believed in me from the jump, I’m trying to make everybody proud. Grateful doesn’t even begin to cover it.
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