Cassie Taylor in her music video “DEADNAME (Find You).” (Photo courtesy of The Karpel Group)
Cassie Taylor, a bluesy, soulful artist, has released a music video for “DEADNAME (Find You).” The song features BIPOC trans artists Cuee and Dante Foley.
“The driving disco beats and infectious instrumentation provided by trans drummer Dante Foley embody the song’s themes of self-acceptance, liberation and embracing one’s authentic identity,” the artist explained in a press release. “The addition of trans rapper Cuee’s lyrical stylings add a dynamic layer to the track through the power in his thought-provoking verses.”
Taylor was raised by blues musician Otis Taylor, who she started touring with internationally with at the age of 16. Shortly after leaving that world, she joined a girl group before moving on to a solo career.
The artist slowly backed away from the scene following feelings of burnout but ultimately left after the birth of her child. As her child got older, she touched on recording music but had not released anything until December of last year.
What eventually pushed her back into the scene was the insurrection on the capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“I really needed an outlet for my emotions and my thoughts and feelings, and so that was kind of what spurred me to start at least like writing and demoing songs. And then last summer I started kind of playing out a little bit more,” Taylor says.
Performing as a touring artist can make for a difficult life especially as a solo act with a child. For the time being, Taylor says she has no plans to take her new music on tour but is committed to releasing more music for fans to enjoy.
“Releasing music is really what I love doing and being able to tell stories that I think are important and need visibility,” Taylor says.
Taylor’s new song “DEADNAME (Find You)” tells the story of a trans man coming into his own and finding love.
The story was inspired by people in Taylor’s life that transitioned during the pandemic as well as the artist coming to terms with her own queer identity.
The single works as an anthem of acceptance and a musical form of resistance.
“For people to have the ability to show up as themselves, I think it’s going to make the fight more sustainable,” Taylor says. “I think to be queer and to lean into joy is a protest.”
It took over two years from concept to execution between issues with label managers not wanting to release a song about trans issues to finding an authentic voice on the record. Releasing the song was no easy feat but the hard work paid off.
Taylor says the single has received overwhelmingly positive support since it released last month.
For Taylor, it’s important to normalize the discussions around transitioning and gender-affirming practices as almost everyone is prone to do the latter.
“I don’t think that there’s a single celebrity, model, human being on Earth that isn’t participating in something to affirm their gender. I think that the thing that catches people up, especially in the conversation about trans rights and inclusivity, is that we’re all doing that,” Taylor says.
Taylor has recently been back in the studio recording new music that speaks on LGBTQ+ topics. The artist says fans can expect new music to drop sometime this summer.
Watch the music video for “DEADNAME (Find You)” below.
