Me & Mr. Cassidy

Hope Leigh Rollins and Scott Cassidy are definitely soul mates. No, this dynamic duo isn’t a couple in the romantic sense, but the bond the two share is arguably much stronger. The pair has been performing together under the name Me & Mr. Cassidy since late 2010 and recently released the debut single, “Wherever You Go,” off their sophomore offering. A rather heartfelt video featuring a couple dealing with separation juxtaposed with performance shots of Hope and Scott amplifies the song’s lovely lyrics. The track boasts a unique harmony, which Me & Mr. Cassidy exhibit both on and off stage. This cohesive existence is echoed in Hope and Scott’s appreciation for one another.

“What I admire most about Scott is his ability to play to his strengths,” Hope confessed to I AM THAT GIRL. “He lets me take the reins on certain things with branding and marketing and trusts me wholeheartedly, even with what he wears! He stands his ground when he feels a song I have written the base of isn’t quite its best yet and after the initial blow of his honesty, helps me rework it so I am giving my best.”

“I really admire Hope’s ability to work constantly; I can’t do it,” Scott proclaimed. “The spirit is willing, but the body is spongy and bruised. Hope is an explosion of dedication, every minute of the day, and everyone recognizes that. It’s very much impossible to keep up with her 100% of the time.”

Hope grew up studying the Suzuki Method and learned to play everything from the violin to the piano and even the recorder. She always knew she wanted to be a performer and she also danced as well as did some acting. Scott initially had his sights set on being an animator for Disney. He began taking music seriously in fifth or sixth grade and relished his first CDs, Usher’s My Way and Matchbox Twenty’s Yourself or Someone Like You. Although he first listened to just what was on the radio, Scott eventually discovered some of the classics from James Taylor, Bright Eyes, Fleetwood Mac and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. These musicians inspired him to pick up the guitar.

Scott fatefully met Hope through a mutual friend after both aspiring artists had relocated to Los Angeles. The pair was originally just going to perform one show together, but the symbiosis was hard to ignore even back then. “Our different talents kind of completed each other, so it’s always felt better playing with each other than going solo,” Scott admitted. The band’s name was derived from a hastily composed text Hope sent encouraging a friend to check out “Me & Mr. Cassidy” at an upcoming show. “The friend replied that would be a rad band name,” Hope elaborated. “So that night, when they asked what our name was, we just dove in and tried it out!”

While the duo draws inspiration from love, life and heartbreak, the first release by Me & Mr. Cassidy was actually a full-on concept album called MAMC Vol. 1, chronicling two lovers from childhood straight through death. Their new album, I Would Love You So…, contains a more diverse batch of songs, but still pulsates with that folksy, hipster vibe fans have to come to expect. When asked how each would categorize the band’s musical style, Hope and Scott agree that there’s been some debate.

“Stylistically, we are often grouped with indie folk and pop,” Hope explained. “And we are quite OK with that. iTunes calls us ‘singer/songwriters,’ which is true as well. We’ve heard people refer to us as ‘that new type of music you always hear in commercials’ and even ‘obnoxiously cute.’ I like to classify it as happy music, even the darker songs. We want to make people feel things and dance. We want people to leave our shows or play our records and feel good about love and life.”

Hope and Scott are not only performers, but true fans of music as well. Hope admits to actively listening to ’90s pop, while Scott is currently fawning over Justin Timberlake, also affectionately known as JT. He even sings along to JT’s new album in unexpected places. “JT is killing me on his new album,” said Scott. “How am I supposed to not sing along when I got my headphones on at Chipotle? Forget about it.”

Up next for the band is a potential East Coast tour and creating even more music. We’re certainly excited by the prospect that true music lovers outside the confines of Los Angeles will get a chance to see the duo perform live. Part of what makes Me & Mr. Cassidy great is their almost undefinable charisma and interplay. Hope is a badass because she’s tenacious by nature and “loves without an expectation or guarantee that love will be returned.” Scott displays his awesomeness by not getting too worked up about anything. “If one person shows up to a show, screw it; I’m playing that person the best show of my life,” he professed.