Nashville native singer/songwriter Cecilia Castleman takes the world by storm in her coming-of-age self-titled LP – a record filled with a timeless warmth, depth, and intimacy.
‘Cecilia Castleman’ – Cecilia Castleman
Have you ever met someone who you knew was destined to be a shining star?
About eight years ago while at summer camp in Los Angeles, I felt that way about someone for the first time in my life.
One day at camp, a small group of us young musicians formed a semi-circle and took turns showing our songs to each other. In the center was Cecilia Castleman, a blonde-haired, bright-eyed girl playing her acoustic guitar. Time came to a standstill the moment she started singing. She had a delicately soulful tone beyond her years and a presence that stole everyone’s attention. I remember thinking to myself, “Whoa, music can sound like that?”
That summer I not only made a new friend, but I also found one of my musical inspirations for the years to come.

Cecilia Castleman made her initial breakthrough in 2022 with the release of her first single “Lonely Nights” (co-written with Daniel Tashian, who co-wrote/produced Kacey Musgraves’ Grammy Award Winning Golden Hour). Set against the backdrop of a luscious, old school country-esque soundscape with lyrics that could’ve been taken straight out of an Eagles’ songbook, “Lonely Nights” captured the hearts of people of all ages and walks of life.
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, which also just so happened to be her first interview ever, Castleman says, “This song [Lonely Nights] was the start of everything. It was written during the pandemic, and it appeared out of nowhere in this mysterious way… the thing about making this record was that I didn’t really question a lot. What was gonna be was what was gonna be.”
Atwood Magazine also made the song an Editor’s Pick, writing, “Castleman’s radiantly expressive and emotionally potent vocal chords seal the deal as she spills her heart out in song.” She was subsequently named one of our top artist discoveries of 2022, and an artist to watch in both 2023 and 2024.
The 2021 pandemic, though an isolating time for Cecilia Castleman and many artists around the globe, ended up being an equally exciting and fruitful moment in time for the singer/songwriter.
That year, she got signed to esteemed indie label Glassnote Records and started recording her debut album with none other than legendary musician/producer Don Was of The Doors.
“Don and I were working on the record at Henson Studios in LA, and one specific moment that stands out was recording ‘I Don’t Need to Love You,” Castleman shares.
“It was the third day of tracking with the band, and we were all jamming on what is now the ending of that song. I think everyone could feel that we were creating something special that day.”

Coming down from a massively successful few years playing Bonnaroo and SXSW festivals, as well as opening for some of her heroes such as Sheryl Crow, Hozier, and Marcus King, Cecilia Castleman is taking to center-stage with her very own record now out in the world. Castleman’s self-titled debut Cecilia Castleman (released January 25th via Glassnote Records) is a timeless and sonically lush coming-of-age album with seemingly endless layers. It is both personal yet universal, confident yet yearnful, straightforward yet complex.
When listening to Castleman’s debut, it’s clear that she’s an old soul living inside a 20-something’s body, and she fully embraces it. In the album’s standout track, “Cadillac,” she proves that she’s more than what people see on the surface; she’s got something to say, and she’s here to stay.
“Everyone loves a pretty girl
Like there’s nothing more in her world
It takes a while for them to see you grow
Let ‘em wait.”
– “Cadillac,” Cecilia Castleman
It’s nothing short of a full-circle moment to have reconnected with Cecilia Castleman at this phase in our lives.
Sitting in the bedroom of her Nashville home with her dog by her side, Castleman is every bit composed, humble, and soft spoken as I recalled.
It feels like no time at all has passed, though we have so much to catch up on. In this conversation, we discuss the stories behind her album, some of the highlights of her career thus far, and how her mom has inspired her to be the multidimensional artist she is today.
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:: stream/purchase Cecilia Castleman here ::
:: connect with Cecilia Castleman here ::
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A CONVERSATION WITH CECILIA CASTLEMAN
Atwood Magazine: It’s kind of a power move to self-title an album, especially a debut! What made you decide to use your name for the title of the album?
Cecilia Castleman: I think this record just felt like the most me that I ever have. This is sort of my first stamp on making a record, and it felt fitting to title it my name. I’ve always loved self-titled albums. Some of my favorite albums of all time are self-titled.
How would you describe the album to a stranger or to someone who hasn’t heard it yet?
Cecilia Castleman: This album to me is very much so eight years of a young girl who’s just trying to grow up and figure out her life. It’s a very coming-of-age album that shows a young girl’s heart.
How have these songs evolved over the past eight years, if at all?
Cecilia Castleman: I brought to my producer Don Was all the demos that I had. We didn’t try to change them. I didn’t change any of the words either. I think it was about capturing a performance and enhancing the music more than anything.

One of the singles off the album, “It’s Alright,” was a really huge moment for you! What’s the story behind the making of that song?
Cecilia Castleman: I wrote ‘It’s Alright’ while at my professor Mark Rubel’s studio here in Nashville. Me and my friend Elijah went over to the studio and recorded some songs. There were a lot of guitars there. I had never played electric guitar before, and I was really interested in trying it out. I came up with the riff for the song and wrote the rest of it that night. It sort of came out of nowhere, and I was really excited when I wrote it.
That’s an amazing story. You mentioned your professor Mark Rubel – were you two close?
Cecilia Castleman: We were pretty close. I remember I had all my songs burned on a CD, and at the time I didn’t have a computer or any of that. I would take them over to school and he’d put them on a computer and let me listen to them on the big speakers… He was just a really kind soul and a savant of all things music. Everyone who ever met him loved him. “It’s Alright” is a special song to me too because Mark passed away last year from stomach cancer, and I just think of him a lot when I play that song.

I’m so sorry. It seems like the song is a tribute to him now, which is really beautiful.
You’ve had a really big year since the release of that song. Last summer you opened for Marcus King, and I read that it was your first time receiving a standing ovation! What was that experience like?
Cecilia Castleman: I remember it was in Syracuse, and I was so nervous that day because my flight had gotten delayed and I was so late to soundcheck. I had been up since 3 AM and was so flustered and everything. Then I got there and just took a breath.
The crowd was very kind. I feel like once a couple people stood up, everybody else probably felt like they had to stand up too [laughs]. But it was really, really cool. I’d never experienced anything like that before.
Was it intimidating playing by yourself at Marcus’s show or are you comfortable playing solo?
Cecilia Castleman: It was intimidating for sure. His band was huge, and they were killer. I remember one of his band members jokingly said to me, ‘Is it just you? Where’s your band?!’. It’s just super expensive to tour with people, let alone get myself there. I’ve just learned to go and play by myself, and I really enjoy it. It’s really fun for me. It would be nice to have a band to cover up all my mistakes. Maybe someday we’ll get there.

Have you found that the songs translate well to live audiences?
Cecilia Castleman: I’ve only played the whole album through once with a full band, but it was interesting to see which ones people gravitated towards more. It’s funny because some of the notes in my songs I can’t sing anymore, so we’ve had to play around with them and move them down. But it’s really fun to figure it out and to play them live. I love playing them live. I hope I get to do it more.
Is there a song off the album that you personally feel most connected to at this moment?
Cecilia Castleman: I really love ‘Company’ right now. But as long as I’ve lived with these songs, they all thankfully still very much feel like me, and I love them a lot.
That’s so awesome.
I saw that you cited your mom as one of the biggest influences behind this record, which I thought was really sweet. Could we talk more about that and your upbringing and how it’s influenced this record?
Cecilia Castleman: My mom showed me everything music-wise. As a kid, we would go to the CD store and she was just always making sure that I knew really great artists. I used to say she would’ve been such a great A&R, because she just loves music and instilled such a work ethic in me. As a kid she would say, ‘Hey, you want this? It’s not going to be easy, but you gotta give it your all. What do you have to lose?’ I feel like I am who I am 100% because of my mom. She’s such a kind soul, and I love her so much. I feel like I owe everything to her.
That’s so sweet. Who were some of the artists she introduced you to as a kid?
Cecilia Castleman: She showed me a lot of harmony-based stuff growing up, lots of Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty, and she was the biggest Prince fan. My favorite artists to listen to now are all of her heroes.

Speaking of Prince, I saw that you got to use one of his guitars on the record, which is probably the coolest thing ever. What was that experience like?
Cecilia Castleman: It was so surreal. My producer Don bought it from him. I remember while I was playing it, Don – so nonchalantly – told me it used to be Prince’s. It was hard to take in. It was wild.
What, if anything, would you want someone to take away from this record?
Cecilia Castleman: I hope they can see themselves in my songs. They’ve kept me company for so long now. I hope maybe at least one of the songs would keep other people company as well. I try to always keep it personal yet universal writing-wise, so if people take away anything, I hope they just relate to it in some way. Even if it only reaches five people, that’s all I hope for.
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:: connect with Cecilia Castleman here ::
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