Interview with Musician Chris Casey
Following the release of his 2025 album Buried Out Back, Chris Casey is making a comeback with singles “Boys & Girls”, and most recently, “Filth”. Based in Savannah, Georgia, Casey first started his music career with the release of Good Job in July of 2021, and has since grown his discography to consist of five more albums.
Recently, Chartium had a chance to sit down with Casey and talk everything from musical influences to his artistry.
Learn more about Chris Casey here!
1. You’ve just released your song “Filth”, in early March, which you’ve described as a song about wanting to be a girl. When did you first conceive the idea for the song?
I've always had the idea to write about gender identity in some capacity. It's a topic that I find really interesting and I thought it'd be cool if I could capture the deeper feelings of that in the lyrics. I started on the song around when Buried Out Back was being finished, and I think that comes through in the production. The chords are very melancholic and grimy but the beat is really smooth which I like.
2. When you started the writing process, how did you find the words to express what you wanted to say?
Recently with songwriting I really try to take myself out of it and assume the role of someone who would feel the message the most. I think part of me knew that if I could pull it off a lot of people would resonate with it and it would set me apart from other artists in a way. With that being said, I myself resonate with the struggles trans people can feel when it comes to expression and figuring out who you are. I want people to feel comfortable in their identity, and I see Filth as me saying "it's okay to be yourself however you see fit. You are loved and there's a place for you." It's also not very often you see that message come from Black men so explicitly, and I think there should be more of that in general.
3. You released Good Job back in 2021, how has your artistry changed since then? How did the pandemic affect what you created, if at all?
Honestly not a lot has changed about how I create, which is very interesting. I think the biggest difference is my approach to songwriting has really evolved. I used to be very self focused in my lyrics, and now I've started to capture things that aren't as personal to me but still relatable. I still write in a way that makes it sound like I'm talking about myself, and I think that adds to the appeal of some songs. The pandemic is when I really started diving into learning how to make music. Before that I was just getting started with writing lyrics, then that shifted to learning how to produce and putting songs together from scratch. It was a very bright time for my creativity, but looking back I was pretty much just copying from Brockhampton and Tyler. I don't put that past myself because we all start somewhere, but it's hard to listen to my older stuff because of how derivative it is lol.
4. With the recent releases of “Filth” and “Boys & Girls”, are there any plans for a full album any time soon?
Definitely. I've been working on something since the start of 2025 that I'm really excited to share. I think people who have dived into my discography will be very pleased with it.
5. You’ve described your music as “Tyler the Creator if he joined Weezer” — how were you introduced to them, and how do they influence your music? What other artists have influenced you?
I actually got into Weezer through a video essay about the Blue Album. Rivers Cuomo is a super interesting dude and his ideas on pop and rock music were very unique in those early phases. Weezer has always captured this weird energy that always sounds fun but has a decent edge and weight to it. Even their goofier sounding songs have depth and it feels very effortless.
Tyler, Kevin Abstract/Brockhampton, and Childish Gambino are probably the most influential rap artists for me. Those guys basically embody the "Black alternative creative", and seeing that at a young age really inspired me to pursue music. Kenny Mason, Paris Texas, Jean Dawson, and Dominic Fike are others that showed me how genres can be fused together in a cool way.
6. Which song of yours in your discography was your favourite to make, and why?
Cow Killers will always be a standout to me. I made the beat and wrote the lyrics in one night, which is not common for me at all, then I recorded it the next morning. It was super fun writing the song, just trying to come up with funny lines. I sampled this artist named NUFFER who makes super sticky riffs, and just built the instrumental around that zany energy. After I made the song I knew it would make waves, but I don't think I anticipated it taking off as soon is it. Really that's the song that changed everything for me so I'll always hold it high.
