Casey Allen is an NC State graduate and full time musician. In his solo project, HeartMouth, Allen seeks to create relatable music, by combining a pop sound with lyrics inspired by personal experiences that others can connect with. 

Allen’s lyrics are mainly about the human experience. Gathering inspiration from the harder times in his life, his music is sure to resonate with listeners. 

“If I’m happy, then I don’t tend to write music, I just kind of live in the moment,” Allen said. “But whenever I’m going through something difficult, music is kind of like my therapy.”

This human experience is communicated in HeartMouth’s newest single, “Get Right for You.” Coming together in only a few days, the song digs deep into depression and the feelings faced when at your lowest. The lyrics emphasize thinking about both yourself and those around you, and how that brings the desire for improvement in your own life.

“You want to get better for yourself but even for the sake of others around you.” Allen said. “So you can be who you need to be for those other people and that kind of thing too.”

As a singer-songwriter, Allen said he is especially fond of a line near the beginning of the song that states, “Sometimes I feel like I’m falling in a dream but I’m wide awake.” 

“I feel like that just sets the tone for the rest of the song really easily right off the bat,” Allen said. 

The lyrics are not the only thing listeners can grasp onto in HeartMouth’s music. Allen also plays the drums for a rock band called the Bronze Age. His love for the instrument led him to point out he is drawn to the instrumentals that occur in the bridge of the new single. 

“It’s only for a two bar phrase, but it just cuts it down to nothing but the drum beat which I think is pretty interesting,” Allen said. 

Although HeartMouth is a fairly new project of Allen’s, he has been playing music since he was 11 years old. He started taking lessons and eventually graduated high school early to go on the road with his band of the time. After this, he found his way to NC State where he studied communication. Along the way, he started teaching songwriting, production and music lessons. 

Out of all of his accomplishments thus far, Allen admits that winning a Shorty Award in 2016 was a pivotal moment in his career. He said it was the first time he felt that he was being taken as a serious musician.

Considering all of his accomplishments and different roles within the music industry, Allen said he is happiest when he is on stage performing. 

“If you ever look at pictures of me or watch videos of me on a stage, I look like an absolute idiot because I’m just grinning from ear to ear,” Allen said. “It’s just like the one time where you can just shut everything off and let loose on stage.”

And the stage might just be where you find him in the future. Along with potential touring with his band, Allen plans to release more singles throughout the remainder of the year. 

These future singles might end up on TV. Allen has a song featured in “The Archer,” a film from 2017 streaming on Hulu. He wants to have more of his music in future TV shows and movies. Overall, between writing, performing and releasing music, there are sure to be more songs coming to listeners in the future. 

“Get Right for You” is now available on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. To keep up with Allen, check out HeartMouth’s Instagram or visit heartmouthmusic.com.