Everyone has a story to tell, but sometimes, that story evolves in ways unimaginable. For Upstate New York dreamer turned Nashville recording artist Cassidy Lynn, that path would evolve through the art of the ultimate form of storytelling, songwriting. This force to be reckoned with arrived in Music City with the spirit of Patsy Cline and the fierceness of Natalie Maines, hell bent on blazing her own path.

The pursuit of the artist thing led her to realize the importance of knowing how to write a song. After honing her craft at Belmont University, she landed her first notable pen, “Ball Cap.” The track hit #1 on Sirius XM’s The Highway fronted by Black River Entertainment recording artist Glen Templeton and was later released by Curb recording artist Dylan Scott.

The little song that could is much like the story of Cassidy, a child of the 90s who grew up on Tim McGraw, Reba, and George Strait. With humble beginnings in Upstate NY, a young Cassidy Lynn grew intrigued by the music industry thanks to the discs and karaoke machine left behind by her father, a radio veteran. Her mom, equipped with a great ear for songs, introduced the curious free spirit to the music of John Denver, The Judds, Alison Krauss, and The Eagles. At age 9, Cassidy begged her mom to allow her to move to Nashville to follow in the footsteps of LeAnn Rimes, but local community children’s theatre and choirs in her tiny town would have to suffice for the time being.

Cassidy spent her teen years laser focused on her goals while simultaneously nurturing her abilities, which led to landing her first real country gig at the age of 11. Her karaoke-backed performance at the Chenango County Fair led to the rest of her Upstate summers spent playing the county fair circuits. At age 16, her karaoke-band transitioned to actual musicians, and the tightly knit group soon became the freshest talent in the area landing them opening slots for all national acts in the region.

It was then that she made the decision to pour herself into her Northern fan base and delay her move to Nashville. A choice she is thankful for still to this day. “Those early fans voted me to win a contest through CMT where my music video was played on there for a stretch, they voted me to win a songwriting contest through NSAI and won me a spot (again through voting) to play Riverfront stage at CMA Fest in 2010. I don’t know many people here in Nashville with that kind of hometown support. I’m forever grateful.”

The move to Nashville was imminent and in her junior year of college she transferred to the prestigious Belmont University.  While there’s no clear-cut path to making it, the promising talent quickly began to flourish in an unexpected way, in the publishing world.

“I grew up in the 90s when artists didn’t write their own songs and if they did, it was rare. All my life I’d wanted to be an artist so I never really realized the importance of knowing how to write a song. I wrote poems as a kid but I never knew you could write songs for a LIVING.”

While being an artist was always the goal, Cassidy set her sights on growing and prospering in songwriting for others. After graduating from Belmont, she held a position as an office manager for a Christian publishing company, but as soon as 5 o’clock hit is when the real work started, songwriting to pursue a deal. Her persistence and hard work led to effortlessly holding her own in writing rooms alongside the industry’s biggest heavy hitters.

 After 5 years and countless publishing meetings and co-writes, the hard work paid off when she was offered her first major publishing deal. She explains: “There’s a fulfillment that I get from hearing someone else sing lyrics I helped them write that I never expected to feel. It still comes full circle for me when I get to perform songs I wrote (especially since I grew up singing covers) but I LOVE writing songs for other artists as well and helping them say what’s in their heart.”

The evolution of this self-proclaimed old soul and now accomplished songwriter has landed her in the perfect position to push forward as an artist. With co-producers David Dorn and Dan Wilson at the helm, Cassidy is celebrating the release of her brand new single, “The Writer.” Cassidy proclaims: “If we were all truly writing our own stories without our Good Lord in control, our lives would be a whole heckuva lot messier than they already are.. At least I know mine would be. This song is so special and so personal that the day we wrote it I was ugly crying in the writing room. That doesn’t happen very often!”

The future proves promising for the Miranda Lambert and Waylon Jennings influenced entertainer who has managed to carve her own unique path in the industry while seamlessly combining her resonating vocals with songwriting abilities well beyond her years.