An Interview with Casi Joy and The Best Blind Audition on The Voice

She turned 4 chairs on NBCs The Voice, securing a spot on Team Blake! Rolling Stone said she had one of the top 10 best blind auditions of all time – a testament to the hard work and dedication of someone who has been performing professionally since the age of five.

We chat about her music including her new song, “Business of Breaking Up,” getting signed at the age of 14, her charity work and her tour bus, aptly named “The Joyride,” that she now calls home.

Sue Bonzell 

She instantly turned four chairs on the voice and was on Team Blake. I am so excited. Casi Joy is here. Hey, Casi. I’m so excited. We got to talk about the voice. This is a big deal. Yeah. I mean, because a lot of times people go on the voice and they’re like, you know, their plan and their plan. And they’re like, huh, but you were like, Boo

 

Casi Joy 

Boo Boo. Yeah, that was insane. Still to this day. I really, like can’t believe that it happened so quickly. And you know, you’re just hoping to get one chair. Or that like one of the coaches will understand you. And you know, I came in yodeling so I was already like, I don’t know if this is a good plan, guys. But I went in and they got it. Yeah,

 

Sue Bonzell 

they really got it now. So you’re on Team Blake, I love that guy. Tell us about working with like,

 

Casi Joy 

he was awesome. He was so supportive. And I feel like we just clicked really quickly because you know, he comes from Nashville and you know, has played down in in the clubs and you know, has worked from a bar stool and a tip jar. And so, you know, him and I and even Luke Bryan when he got to be a surprise mentor, I feel like we all three kind of like jived immediately and talked about just kind of the kind of the same path mine has taken longer. That you know,

 

Sue Bonzell 

less well taken, but it’s still it’s a path and you’re on a great path. Yeah. And everyone’s is different. So I mean, he had something really nice to say about you. This is a little quote here. I love this quote. I was like, dang. Okay, this is about Kathy joy. All right. She has this electric energy when she’s onstage and has these unique things that she can do vocally. She’s an edgier version of a country artist. She’s old school but has a youthful energy about her. There’s no stopping Cassie joy. Okay, that’s like huge. Like, was it?

 

Casi Joy 

Was that really mean? Or did they mean Casey Jo, my alter ego.

 

Sue Bonzell 

You have an alter ego? Well,

 

Casi Joy 

so my name gets mispronounced. So so often, like I answer to Casey, more than my real name, which is Casi. Oh, Bella, still might be shocked if like I thought it was Casey. But yeah, so now we’ve kind of made up this like alter ego of Casey, Joe. Okay, so

 

Sue Bonzell 

Joe, so So does Casey Joe come out when maybe it breaks or something like that? Oh,

 

Casi Joy 

yeah, there’s a number of characters that come out.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Okay, favorite drink? Oh,

 

Casi Joy 

Jack and diet.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Oh, okay. All right. So that’s a go to see that’s an easy one too. Because no matter where you go, you can get it. It’s usually a It’s not like something like fancy.

 

Casi Joy 

Yeah. Or anything. And again, I’m not picking

 

Sue Bonzell 

on music. Good old white call do Yeah, yeah. Totally, we get along just fine. Now you have a new single and music video out. This is exciting business and breaking up. Let’s talk about that. And how this all came about?

 

Casi Joy 

Yeah. So I started writing this one just off of a piano riff and kind of immediately, like, knew the vibe that it made me feel like lyrically. And I wrote half of like a chorus and a verse and ended up bringing it to a couple co writer friends of mine, Justin clump, and Lauren Tober. And the song just kind of spilled out of me and kind of was like a therapy session almost. And it was actually like the first co ride I like, was sobbing and I was like, Whoa, I guess there was some weigh in on me there that, you know, felt really good to finally get this message out of just, you know, when you suddenly wake up after years of having somebody in your life and you realize, like, you’ve completely changed and you you know, it was kind of a traumatic experience having them in your life. And that it’s okay to just cut them right out. So my new favorite thing, sometimes,

 

Sue Bonzell 

sometimes you just gotta do that sometimes just and sometimes that even happens with friends or

 

Casi Joy 

be friends, family and co workers, you know, like a job. I mean, sometimes it’s really hard, but you just have to, you know, kind of put yourself first in your mental health

 

Sue Bonzell 

first. Yes. And there’s nothing wrong with that. A lot of people you know, they think, Oh, you’re being selfish. I don’t call it selfish. Like y’all gotta take care of Yeah, if

 

Casi Joy 

it’s driving you actually crazy.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Exactly, exactly. So now you have shared the stage with some pretty big artists. So we’re going to name drop just a little bit because we can get the bucket we’re dropping. All right, Maren Morris, Keith Urban, Carly Pierce Dustin Lynch. Chris Jansen. Oh, my goodness, girl. Yeah, like that is pretty cool. So now were you able to, like hang out with any of them or get to know any of them? Or were you just kind of opening for them?

 

Casi Joy 

Yeah, you know, it’s different every time. But yeah, we’ve gotten like the total honour of meeting so many of them and even like, I’ve opened for some off the wall like not Country artists like finger 11 and Buckcherry and she got to hang out with them. And, you know, they’re just the greatest guys and just seeing how like all of these people who are on top of the world are just normal and they’re like we’re playing board games and It was just you know, it’s really cool to just get to meet your heroes. That is

 

Sue Bonzell 

really close. Okay, board games. What were you playing

 

Casi Joy 

a lot of dominoes and they finger 11 actually created their own board game. They’re like that into board games and on the road so much that they just have created their own now. So I guess when you have that much time on your hands?

 

Sue Bonzell 

Well, there you go a new a new product for you. No, go on the road. Yeah. Okay. monetize your hobbies. That’s exactly. You’re gonna get paid get paid to do something fun. Exactly. Which is probably why you’re singing as well. Right? Yeah. Now, you’re a pretty talented gal. Okay. So I found out that you were you played soccer track. You’re on the dance team, Student Council. I mean, you’re like, there’s like the girl next door. Right?

 

Casi Joy 

Yeah, I mean, I tried to be. Yeah, I was always really, really into sports growing up. My whole family’s athletic. And we’re professional water skiers and cheerleaders and everything. And so yes, sports have always been a big part of my life. And now, I feel like I tried to bring the lettuces in to my live performances, because I don’t get a lot of time to work out. That’s totally an excuse. I could probably find time to workout. But I always tell myself that like, that’s why I wear really high heels on stage because it’s a duty work. And Tony Yeah, and, you know, I wear my watch on stage, I get those steps in counts.

 

Sue Bonzell 

You made sure you were the watch all the way in here to make sure you’ve got all the steps

 

Casi Joy 

all the way until I sat down. I was like, take it the steps count steps always count. They totally count. I know, I know

 

Sue Bonzell 

that you’ve also done a little bit of charity work. Your passion lies in like helping children animals. Tell us about some of your most what you’re most passionate about.

 

Casi Joy 

Yeah, I would say, kids and dogs, and animals, all animals. But yeah, just giving a voice to the voiceless, especially with, you know, having some sort of a platform and a microphone, so to speak. Yeah, I just want to be the one that speaks up for those that can’t speak up for themselves. And I come from an education background, and I am a dog enthusiast, but like to it could be a problem. Like I’m so obsessed with my dogs. How many dogs do you have just two right now, but I would have 22 If I didn’t live on a

 

Sue Bonzell 

bicycle with you on the bus. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Which I love the name of your bus Joy Ride. That joy is so great. So what kind of dogs are they? I have

 

Casi Joy 

tunafish. She is like every breed except for poodle. But she’s mainly a pit lab, cattle dog Rottweiler boxer, and then probably got a little bit of energy there. It’s a little much. She’s hilarious and gives me a lot of Instagram content. So we thank you for that. And then I have a chihuahua who’s even more personality and as much chihuahuas you can.

 

Sue Bonzell 

But I do love the Chihuahuas. They’re so cute. I used to have two of them. Yeah, yeah, I know exactly. You love to hate him.

 

Casi Joy 

We call him a Sour Patch Kid first him was sour.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Sweet. I had one that was called mean motor scooter.

 

Casi Joy 

Yeah, a Chihuahua. What a perfect name. He

 

Sue Bonzell 

was mean to we had to break him up the meanness. He was. I rescued him. I couldn’t let him get and let him go. Yeah, so it’s like kind of the same way. Exactly. Rescue rescue the babies rescue the babies. So I know that you your brought your guitar. We’d be willing to play a little song today. Sure. Okay, great. Well, when we come back Cassie joy is going to play us her latest song

 

Casi Joy 

Hey guys, I’m Casi Joy. And here is my song business of breaking up how do we even get here walking on eggshells questioning myself to really go to it’s like you can’t tell I’m in some kind of them. Let’s give it a rest. Because it can pick up my phone when are you I’m trying my best you put a need me huge double crossed, lie carry between him name me. Smile lie. Still trying to get even dreams and she promises or took personally we can call it quits or just bad luck. Kiss when business of breaking up you have every intention to nip you late me make me hate me pretending it’s too late there’s nothing left to say me to juggle cross lie care carry between them Ill maybe lose my mind still trying to again even dreams and see promises I took personally we can call it quits or just a castle in this break you always just get in your choice dance around and talk now because you double crossed carry between them hill made me lose my jeeps and see promisee is that soon took personally you can call it quits or just bad luck kiss when business of breaking new cars suing business of break in kissoon versus So breaking

 

Sue Bonzell 

all right, that is Casi Joy business of breaking up. Thank you for playing. It’s so great. Okay, but before you leave, we have to play my world famous game. It’s truth or truth. Oh, are you ready?

 

Casi Joy 

I love truth or truth. All right, it was fleet Truth or Dare back in the day and I was always the truth or truth.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Oh yeah. Like forget the dares like I don’t want to hurt anything. Right? You know, broken bones or you know blood.

 

Casi Joy 

streaking. Not again.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Not again. Please not again. All right. Well, here are your questions. You get to pick your questions. This would be fun.

 

Casi Joy 

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life. What would you choose chips and queso? Oh, that’s not allowed layer doesn’t have to be something I could survive on.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Now I can survive. You can survive on that. It’s got most of the food groups, right? Dairy corn. It’s corn dairy. It’s got the calcium in the case. So yeah, it’s like, it’s almost like it’s almost like pizza. Yeah, like, you know, it’s perfect pizza, right? Yep. Basically, that’s Yeah, and it’s triangle. Shape your chips. Right. Exactly. Don’t look out. Okay, so we know what to get her if she’s hungry. We’re getting the chips in case out.

 

Casi Joy 

Yep. So much cheese. Okay, any kind of chip?

 

Sue Bonzell 

Chips. Okay, good. All right. Good. Yeah, we’re gonna do a couple.

 

Casi Joy 

Once, calm down. Ooh, what have you bought? That’s been the biggest waste of money. Can I see Pro Tools? Oh, right. It’s, uh, okay. So if people don’t know, it’s a really expensive recording software that like everybody and their brother and hamster uses. And I just am really a big fan of Jimmy rigging things. And so I am still just rocking that GarageBand life. And,

 

Sue Bonzell  

you know, it’s so funny. So it’s like Pro Tools is like Photoshop. Yeah, it’s like, I can do like three things on Photoshop, even though we can do like, you know, 1 million different things. Yeah, I’m like, Ah, Pro Tools a little overwhelming. Yeah, yep.

 

Casi Joy 

And I’ve so I’ve used it like three times and I just keep taking it off my computer because it takes up so much space. Right, exactly. Like I need more pictures of my dogs on here. So ProTools says to go you know what priorities

 

Sue Bonzell 

exact right? We know what the priorities are. It is not Pro Tools. Yeah, it’s the puppies know.

 

Casi Joy 

Everybody should just switch back to GarageBand. Exactly.

 

Sue Bonzell 

That’s it’s built in and it’s free. Yeah. On your Mac. It’s yeah, it’s it’s like iMovie Okay, good. All right. That’s interesting. One more, one more. Here we go your dancer Oh, no. All this.

 

Casi Joy 

Have you ever been fired from a job? Who? Okay, so I don’t even know if my husband knows. Oh, oh, call the cops. So I actually liked For a hot minute, while I was in a rock band, I was also working at a daycare. And I might have left a child inside while we went out for recess twice.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Oh, man.

 

Casi Joy 

It was her fault that the study was she hiding? Brat and so yeah,

 

Sue Bonzell 

but Kathy loves kids.

 

Casi Joy 

Great education. So five is fine, totally fine. It’s my lesson. This happened before the degree change

 

Sue Bonzell 

and this was a growth moment for that child. Some learning there was some learning or a growth period there’s a new writing so did you like literally get fired from the job? I sure did. Oh, man, how old is that child now? Do you think

 

Casi Joy 

I follow her on Instagram and she is alive and well. Megan Danny

 

Sue Bonzell 

call out to college. I love the small

 

Casi Joy 

town we all still know each other. Probably already got around the town. Exactly. Yeah,

 

Sue Bonzell 

I feel like she’s walking by like,

 

Casi Joy 

yeah, yeah, that’s why I just have dogs still so far.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Oh my god, I love it. Oh my God. I want to thank you so much for being here playing your song. We’ll definitely be following you. Follow her on all the socials and of course keep it here on up and country for all the latest.

 

Casi Joy 

Yeah, thank you so much for having me on. This is so good. Thank you.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Thanks for watching up in country. Be sure to like and subscribe And leave us a comment. We do new episodes every Tuesday and be sure to follow up and country on Instagram Tik Tok and Facebook and you can follow me to add Sue Bonzell on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.