EXCLUSIVE: Casi Joy Talks New Single ‘Senses Fail’

Following on from a successful stint on the US TV talent Contest The Voice, Casi Joy recently wowed with the release of her newest single titled ‘Senses Fail’ which is out now across all digital platforms.

Here we chat with Casi to discuss the track and her experience on the Voice in more detail:

Congratulations on the success you received during your time on The Voice, what was that experience like?

Thank you so much! It honestly still feels like a dream! I had been working toward something like that since I was five years old, so it was the most validating feeling when all the chairs turned! Getting the opportunity to work with the best of the best, and to see how everything worked behind the scenes was priceless! I learned and grew so much from the experience. 

What was it like working with Blake Shelton on the show? 

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but Blake was the most down to earth guy! Also, VERY tall! We connected quickly when we had a mutual connection through both performing in American Kids when we were younger! Small world! It was an absolute honor to work so closely with someone who’s had such a high level of success doing exactly what I had been working so hard for. 

What would you say was your biggest learning curve from your time on the show?

I’m used to playing pretty long sets, sometimes up to four hours, so I have vocal tricks I do to save my voice throughout the set. When I was on the show though, Blake pointed out that I was habitually doing that even though it was just for one song. He definitely knows what it’s like to play long sets, so he noticed I was resorting to easier notes or registers in my voice during rehearsals of “My Church.” I had to re-train myself to just “let er fly” on the one song! 

Following your time on The Voice, what’s it been like sharing the stage with the likes of Carly Pearce, Maren Morris, and Keith Urban?  

It’s been quite a whirlwind being on the road pretty much non-stop since the show! Getting to share the stage with some of my heroes has been such a validating feeling that I’m continuing with forward momentum. It’s also been so exciting to see so many of my musician friends playing for A-List artists, and getting to hang with them at the shows! It’s a hard industry to be in, so those are beautiful little victories that I’m grateful to share with my friends. 

On the back of all that you’ve recently released a new single, “Senses Fail,” how does it feel to have new music out in the world?

It’s the best feeling getting to release something I’ve created. This song is especially personal to me, and I know it’s something everyone goes through, so it was a really big moment when it was finally out. Releasing music while touring has definitely made life crazy the last few months, but I wouldn’t change it for the world! I’ll sleep when I’m dead! 

Who have you worked with to bring this vision to life for “Senses Fail” and the music video?

I wrote “Senses Fail” alone, but worked with producers Mark Lonsway, David Dorn, and Justin Ostrander to bring this song to life in the studio. I had already created the demo for the song, with semi-full production, so I knew how I wanted it to sound. But when the guys got to work and started playing around, it took quite a different direction. When the piano came in for the first time in the studio, it immediately brought me to tears. I couldn’t believe how perfectly the music matched my lyrics and emotions. I was so blown away watching this song transform into my exact feelings, so I ended up releasing the studio video of how it came to life! For the official music video, I worked with Lucas Cohen, who also shot the cover art. He directed and shot the “Namaste” music video as well as multiple performances, so I already had a great connection with him! He was someone I trusted with a song this personal and special to me and knew he would bring out even more magic on the screen. We shot the video at a beautiful, tranquil property called Raising Rust in Platte City, Missouri, and I couldn’t be more proud of how it turned out! It felt like closure and new beginnings intertwined. 

What are you hoping fans take away from the song?

I think this is one that’s purpose is to just be with the listener in their feelings. So I guess there’s not really a takeaway from this song; because sometimes memories, events, and people just stick with us. They stick to our senses, and that smell, or that song, will always bring us right back there. Sometimes things simply don’t get completely resolved, but we can still learn and grow from that hurt or loss. I have “senses fail” moments often, and I’ve always leaned on music to get me through those times. I hope this song can be a song for others to lean on when they need it. 

Can you take us into the writing process for the track?

I first got the idea when I had a “senses fail” moment myself. I was at a family function at my parents’ house, and suddenly caught a scent that transported me back to a memory from years ago; one I thought I had buried. The pre-chorus melody and lyrics came to me at the same time, almost like I was singing my thoughts, and they were rhyming on their own. I sat down at my grandma’s old piano and quietly worked out as much as I could without totally ghosting my family for too long. The rest of the writing process was a little slower because I almost had too much to fit in a song. I had to really narrow down what I was trying to say. I thought I had finished writing it the morning I was to play around at The Listening Room. I was adamant about performing it that day, and getting a feel for how it was received, so I worked on it all morning so I could debut it. I thought it was finished then, but a month later, I ended up writing the second pre-chorus (the “just shades of you” part) while I was driving to the studio to cut vocals. It became my favourite part of the song, and I still can’t believe it almost wasn’t even in there! I’m probably the first to say this, but thanks to Nashville traffic, I had some extra time to sit with my thoughts! 

Do you have any set goals in mind for the single?

My main goal is that this song is one that can help people heal from memories they can’t forget. I hope this can be a song that helps people process their emotions; one that just sits with them in their pain. We have to be able to acknowledge what our hearts are going through to be able to heal them. Sometimes a good cry with a sad song is the first step in admitting there’s something to be fixed. 

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