Since her emergence in 2021, Cassyette - real name Cassy Brooking - has been one of the leading lights for the nu gen, the genre-splicing alternative movement that has reshaped the music landscape in recent years.
Whether collaborating with Frank Carter, supporting massive acts like Bring Me The Horizon or My Chemical Romance, or just attracting massive interest online - she currently has 1.2 million followers on TikTok and over 416,000 monthly listeners on Spotify - Cassyette has proven time and again she is destined for greatness - and all before her debut album This World Fucking Sucks came out.
Hammer spoke to Cassyette to find out the 10 records that have shaped her as both a musician and a music fan - and as you'd expect she offered a diverse selection covering everything from t.A.T.u to Evanescence and Slipknot. Here are her picks...
t.A.T.u. – All The Things She Said (200 Km/h In The Wrong Lane, 2002)
“I had a kind of queer awakening to All The Things She Said by t.A.T.u. I was really young when it was released and I had the single of it, where you could type in this address that was printed on the single to see the music video. It was like ‘oh, what is this?’ I had to ask my dad, like ‘so two girls can be together?’ and when he said yes I became obsessed with it.
It’s such a fucking sick song too – Poppy did a really cool cover, but you can’t beat the original. It’s weird listening to it now because you can hear that the synths are really outdated, but you can’t take away from its iconicness.”
Bring Me The Horizon feat. Babymetal – Kingslayer (Post-Human: Survival Horror, 2020)
“Bring Me The Horizon released this really cool EP and it had Babymetal on, and I loved that through lockdown. It was so cool and experimental – I was partying on my own a lot and got obsessed with it. There were a lot of raging nights to that song! If someone has been going to Download for a long time, I think there’s a culture that can be gatekeep-y, especially about the headliners. Which is a real shame, because I think Bring Me The Horizon are amazing and they are pushing rock music further and further forwards.
It’s not always going to necessarily be the best song ever – if you’re experimenting, that’s just not going to happen because you’re trying out new stuff and it doesn’t always work – but it’s all in the eye of the beholder and I’m gassed they are headlining [festivals] because their music is so lawless – they break every single rule and do what they want, pulling in references from all over music. What more could you want?”
Evanescence – Bring Me To Life (Fallen 2003)
“I was a kid when Evanescence’s Bring Me To Life came out and it was fucking awesome, and the video was awesome. It was the first time I paid attention to screaming, because it was in this more commercial sounding rock song – I’d heard Lamb Of God before that and didn’t really get it, but Evanescence helped me so that next time I heard Lamb Of God I was like ‘oh, sick!’ I actually wrote a song that I pitched to Amy Lee, so I’m still hoping she’ll take it!”
Enter Shikari – Sorry You’re Not A Winner (Take To The Skies, 2007)
“Sorry You’re Not A Winner by Enter Shikari was such a moment in time. That was a serious growing pains era, so I just remember being like ‘YES’ the first time I heard it. My fashion sense was so fucked I was trying to be an emo and scene kid at the same time, at one point.
Everyone was getting scene jeans and hoodies from H&M, I remember getting stuff and not being comfortable enough to wear it, like ‘cool I’m going back to all-black’.”
Paramore – Decode (Twilight, 2008)
“Every teenage girl – and guy – was obsessed with Hayley Williams from Paramore. Misery Business was my gateway, but when Decode came out I had so much affinity for it that it became my song.
I love making music and coming up with visuals at the same time, when I was writing Petrichor we were watching Suckerpunch at the same time and it was like ‘this song sounds like this film!’ ha ha. Decode has such a great visual aspect, and was part of Twilight too!”
The Prodigy – Omen (Invaders Must Die, 2009)
“Omen means so much to me. The Prodigy mean so much to me because they’re from my home town. I was in year ten when I discovered their music and it really reminds me of this era of my life from the end of school and college where I’d go to illegal raves with my friends. It was fun, exciting and experimental.”
Nero – Guilt (Welcome Reality, 2011)
Nero’s Guilt is in a similar vein – I went through a very intense obsession with that kind of music when I discovered it, this hardcore dance scene. I take a lot of inspiration from both worlds in my music now, but this whole era was just so much fun.
It reminds me of being up to no good and going for all-night benders with my mate! We’d go to clubs like Fabric, but also emo nights. My group of friends were so rogue, and it makes me so joyful to remember that stuff, Guilt is such an amazing dance song.”
Motley Crue – Kickstart My Heart (Dr. Feelgood, 1989)
“Kickstart My Heart by Mötley Crüe is my all-time favourite song. When I was a baby I loved that song – you know how kids get weirdly obsessed with songs? Well that was mine! I loved the motorbike sound at the start – I’d run round in circles and crash into the kitchen cabinets. I want to see them live so badly.”
My Chemical Romance – Teenagers (The Black Parade, 2006)
“Teenagers by My Chemical Romance was another gateway song for me. Like Bring Me To Life, it was that sense of discovering new bands and having these more classic big pop choruses. Me and my sisters played it so often that my mom can’t stand it anymore, but in fairness when she came to see me support them she loved it! She was like ‘that’s that song!’ and it was like ‘mom, you always ask us to turn it off’ ha ha.
It was fucking amazing supporting them – the most unreal gig I’ve ever played, with so many people. So many emos! It was like looking at a rainbow because everyone had different coloured hair, so I got on and all I could see were these beautiful colours.”
Slipknot – Duality (Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses, 2004)
“Slipknot are one of the most amazing bands of all-time, and Duality just never gets old. I literally could never tire of that song – it’s so awesome that you can listen to it in any state of mind and feel good. I remember going through one of those ‘try not to headbang’ challenges online, and it was so hard and then Duality came on and it was like… you can’t not move!”
