I’m excited to be interviewing the living mermaid, Cassia Crawl today. When I say she’s a mermaid I’m not joking, she has the long turquoise/green hair, the tail and the mysticism that come with the title. I first became acquainted with Cassia as a classmate at York University where we both shared a couple of English lit classes. There was something about her that made me want to befriend her; the big blue bouffant hair, the bright pink Doc Martens and the cool clothes she wore to class week after week. I later found out that the unique beauty is actually a pretty successful model. Her Facebook like page boasts over 87K likes and continues to grow; she is also a makeup artist has recently ventured into music and I thought now would be a good time to chat with her about her journey thus far.

So Cassia, I think the first thing I want to know is, why are you a mermaid? What about the mythical creatures appeals to you? 

Pretty much everything, their beautiful long hair, their captivating voices and their shiny mermaid tails and clam bras! Being a mermaid is pretty awesome.

I did my research on you and you’re literally everywhere when I Google search your name; how did you get to be so well known as a model, where did it all begin?

Well the first shoot I ever did, I was approached by a designer, she saw a future in me and I
kept doing it ever since. It’s so important that people believe and support you, since most
creatives I’ve done were for trade/creative exchange.

I checked out your Soundcloud and your songs have a kind of dreamscape sound to me
which I like, my favorite one is “Die Beautifully”; where do get your inspiration for your sound
and lyrics? Also, how do you describe your sound?

Die Beautifully was inspired by a dream I had, where I was floating above the world. I felt at
ease and everything in that moment seemed to make perfect sense so I felt compelled to write
about it! It’s hard for me to describe my genre but many have told me it’s experimental.

What do you find is the most challenging thing about navigating the alternative music scene? Do you have a manager and booking team or are you working alone?

Nope, I do it all on my own! It can be a little bit overwhelming at times, but well worth it in
the end! When I’m awake I try to submit my songs, work on new material and talk to my fans.

What do you think are the key elements for an artist to succeed these days?

Be true to yourself, people will appreciate you more that way.

What are your goals as an artist for 2016?

Playing more shows definitely and releasing a new album!

Connect with Cassia Crawl: YouTube   Facebook   Tumblr   Soundcloud

Asha Mullings aka Ekelle is a Toronto based artist, model, and writer. You can connect with her on Twitter and IG at #officialekelle.