About Casey
Falling in love will do that sometimes – change an artist’s perspective on life so powerfully that the next batch of songs take on a vibe and spirit that couldn’t have been imagined just a single creative cycle earlier. Even as Casey Ahern’s heartbreaking “Didn’t Even Get a Goodbye” – from her 2021 EP Where I Run – was spinning regularly on 54 country stations across the U.S., the 23 year old singer/songwriter was living an exhilarating new reality, developing a wonderful new relationship with her boyfriend (and now fiancé). Now that they’re living together together in Nashville, Casey is still passionate about being a pilot, but has shifted from her free-spirited mindset of “I’m a runner” to reveal a heart that’s open to settling down.
Casey’s growing relationship also inspired the tender, heartfelt ballad “The Cows Came Home,” a co-write with emerging Nashville based songwriter Caitlyn Dykes which uses the familiar title phrase and other whimsical “impossible analogies” to express her philosophy that sometimes the best things happen when we least expect them. The first verse is inspiration for anyone still looking for their true love: “It happens when you’re fine with who you are, where you’re at, and being alone/ It happens when you think that magic’s gone, you feel so sure you’ve seen it all…”
The soulful track builds powerfully on the great success of both Where I Run and her 2018 debut EP He Was Summer. Where I Run also included the singles “Sunday Driver (which was added to several country stations in Australia and whose video scored over 100K YouTube views) and “Just a Dance,” which had over 115,000 Spotify streams. The title track and “Indio,” from He Was Summer, together garnered several hundred thousand streams.
Produced by Nathan Meckel and Mark Niemiec aka The Buzz Brothers, who also helmed the sessions for Where I Run, the single features some of Music City’s top session musicians, including Tim Galloway (Josh Turner, Luke Bryan) on acoustic Guitar, banjo, mandolin and Resonator guitar; Sam Hunter (Ronnie Milsap, Willie Nelson) on electric and baritone electric guitar; Matt King (Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne) on drums and percussion; Michael Rinne (Jack White, Alicia Keys, Pistol Annies) on bass and upright bass; David Dorn (Tim McGraw, Kelsea Ballerini) on piano, Wurlitzer, B3 organ and synth; Jenee Fleenor (Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts) on fiddle; and Justin Schipper (Shania Twain, Chris Stapleton) on pedal steel guitar.
“There are so many different and exciting new things happening in my life now,” says Casey, a native of California, whose unique organic style combining country, bluegrass and a throwback Laurel Canyon 70’s singer-songwriter vibe continues to evolve. “Honestly, over the past year and a half my outlook on my career has changed drastically, mostly stemming from being in a serious relationship.
“In the past,” she adds, “my songs were all about that carefree, independent spirit and never settling down. Then suddenly through happenstance, Wyatt came into my life and I think more about the realistic side of life and the choices ahead of me. I’m no longer living just for myself and there’s an obvious balance there with someone having my back now. I wanted to share my positive mindset and some of the positive aspects of no longer being a runner.”
Launching her career as a performer in her native Southern California in her mid-teens, Casey began building a loyal following with regular performances at popular Los Angeles venues like The Mint, The Viper Room, The Canyon Club (Agoura Hills) and The Arena in Simi Valley. While her performances now feature exclusively original material, in the early days she enjoyed including classic pop/rock tunes like “Baba O’Riley,” “Listen to the Music” and “Big Yellow Taxi.”
“Since moving to Nashville, it’s like starting over as a live performer, and as I roll out new music, I am enjoying and learning a lot from the city’s great songwriter showcases,” says Casey. “I enjoyed writing with Caitlyn and definitely plan on new collaborations with other great Nashville writers in the future. Because there’s so much talent here, it’s a challenge to pierce the veil and get established, but I’m truly enjoying the process. It helps to know that whatever happens, I’ve got a boy back home who loves and fully supports everything I do.”