It’s impossible to forget a Cassandra Lewis performance. Her booming voice and pulsating yodels pique wide-eyed wonder, while her witty charm and knack for storytelling kindle heartache and humor.

Despite having a slew of original tunes up her sleeve, recordings of the singer-songwriter have been hard to come across for several years. That was changed on Aug. 19 with the release of Lewis’ debut album, Always, All Ways.

“Handing off your art to a bunch of strangers and trusting them to work in your best interest is something that I have a very difficult time wrapping my head around,” Lewis imparted in an interview with The Daily Californian. “But at the end of the day, I saw how my music was affecting people and reaching them. I was like, alright, I feel ready enough to at least do this. The songs are there. My heart is in them. Let’s make (an album).” 

Always, All Ways was made specifically for vinyl in the hopes that listeners would experience it in order from start to finish. “It represents a cycle and a number of cycles within that cycle,” Lewis remarked of the 10-track album. “A lot of reflection on the fear of making decisions, executive dysfunction disorder type of thing.”   

From navigating the push-and-pull of an addictive relationship in “Darlin’ ” to finding the strength to walk away in “10,000 Reasons,” Lewis shares the fractured tensions and mind-bending transformations of her venture to self-discovery. Audio recordings may focus on the sonic senses, but they don’t block Lewis’ thunderous spirit from blazing through. 

“I’m slaying demons in every single song,” Lewis earnestly expressed. “ ‘Don’t Get Any Ideas’ is about being a closeted queer girl growing up in Idaho, having feelings for my best friend and not being able to say anything about it. I’m slaying that demon by being very loud now and proud about it.” 

Even with her powerful voice, Lewis has had to fight for her place on the stage. After a group of men harassed her during a performance early on in her career, a harrowing scream gave birth to Grammy Foxx — a clowning alter ego of sorts. 

“Dolly can say whatever she wants because she’s got that charm and that sass,” Lewis musingly explained of Dolly Parton. “So I was like, I’m just going to channel Dolly — a drunk, weird acid version of Dolly. I’ve gone out into the crowd and pulled a man up by his ear on stage, sat him down, and had my boot between his legs, singing directly into his mouth, essentially. But he shut up, and ended up becoming one of my bigger fans.” 

Lewis’ job isn’t to deal with hecklers. Expressing her intention to playfully teach people decent audience etiquette, Lewis said, “I probably haven’t done it perfectly — I’m sure I’ve offended some people — but I think it’s for the sake of a good thing, which is really learning to be a part of what you’re doing, being present and being aware of the space you’re taking up. And if you’re going to take it up, then be the star.” 

Lewis’ command of the stage is enriched by her natural flair for style. She crafted the mint-colored suit on the cover of Always, All Ways, complete with translucent jewels, twisted cord trim and golden sequins sprinkled around her groin that signify gender fluidity. 

“I have a serious fabric fetish,” Lewis revealed. “It is a kink beyond worlds. I love, love, love, love, love, love vintage clothing and secondhand clothing. I don’t really buy new stuff; it has to be really fabulous or really, really necessary for me to buy it brand new. For the last 15 or more years, that’s been my M.O.”

With Nashville as her new home, Lewis may try to carve out some time to build a wardrobe fit for the Tennessee heat, but her hands are pretty full. Moving away from her independent writing style, Lewis is already working with producer Dave Cobb and artists from his record label Low Country Sound on her next album. On top of that, two music videos for Always, All Ways and a full-length documentary are currently in the works.  

Reflecting on her debut album, Lewis mused once more over her slayed demons, confessing, “It doesn’t mean that it’s going to be pretty and, often, it doesn’t look like what all the gurus or pseudo-woke, spiritual coaches make it look like. It’s about laughing at yourself through the journey, crying, being radically vulnerable and being willing to show yourself wherever you are. That’s where you get your power to really step into the next chapters of your life.”