Marty Casey Rocks On with Lovehammers

Occasionally, reality TV casting directors select a true gem to be on their show. It’s rare, but it happens. And when they do, the amazing thing is that being on the show doesn’t end up consuming that person’s identity, it enhances it.

Marty Casey is one of those uncommon people whose inner qualities really stand out. He takes a moment to gather his thoughts before talking. He speaks openly and honestly. And furthermore, he has unbelievable patience when it comes to answering endless questions about his experience being on CBS’ Rockstar: INXS.

“I still kinda can’t believe that I was on a reality TV show,” says the 32-year-old musician, who has yet to watch a single episode. “But it’s really done a lot for me, so I’m very thankful that I got the opportunity to be on it. I think it busted me out of my shell.”

An estimated three-fourths of the people who watched Rockstar: INXS were rooting for Marty Casey to win. When he belted out his own heart-felt renditions of “Baby One More Time,” “Creep” and “I Alone,” the audience swooned. When he performed his original song “Trees,” it was an instant hit. His success seemed inevitable.

“I’ve only been in one band my entire life,” says Casey, “so when I got the opportunity to play with this unbelievable house band, be challenged by different songs, and try to take [my music] to a different level, I think it helped me progress.”

In the final episode of the show, however, Casey was not selected as the new singer of the band. This did little to absolutely nothing to dampen his spirit. He and his band, the Lovehammers, promptly cut a record deal with Epic, and released a self-titled album this past January. The band has just taken a break from opening for INXS on their North American tour, and is currently planning a headlining tour that will run until the fall.

“The first leg [of the tour] was really successful,” Casey says. “I mean, every gig was sold out. There was a really good response from the crowd; they all showed up early and checked out Marty Casey & Lovehammers. INXS was kicking some ass, and I thought it was a really good bill.”

Casey is doing the interview while in New York for a few weeks, to create more new music. “My life’s completely 100 percent music right now, which is f***ing awesome,” he says.

Originally from Hickory Hills, Ill., Casey met the other members of the Lovehammers playing ball together as kids. He’d always been musically inclined, writing and performing songs for family members from a young age. When he was 15, the Lovehammers were formed.

“I’ve always been just dying for attention,” he admits. “It initially starts when you try to make people laugh at school. I used to sing for my family. I used to be crazy in high school to get people’s attention. There was a need for attention, and I think that need for attention eventually grows into something bigger. In order to get onstage, I needed to have songs, and that’s the whole cycle of the need for attention.”

Casey graduated from the University of Illinois, Champaign with a degree in finance. He went on to do real estate appraisal, while trying to simultaneously keep alive the dream of a future as a rock star. The Lovehammers eventually made it on tour with bands such as Cake, Jerry Cantrell and Nickelback, but they had yet to land a record deal.

Then, one day, a friend emailed Casey information on the Rockstar: INXS audition. After he landed a spot on the show, Casey prepared himself to make the most of the opportunity.

“At first I was really cautious,” he says. “I was thinking a lot about how something I said would be portrayed, so I took it pretty slow. I didn’t want to dive in and be outlandish and stuff. I figured out how it worked, and then once I got comfortable, it got pretty easy to exist, and not feel like you’re playing or portraying.”

“I feel like a rock star when I’m on stage,” Casey continues, “but I don’t walk around like a rock star with my head up my ass on a daily basis. I consider myself a blue collar, hard worker. You know, writing music and creating things, but when I step up onstage, I turn into a whole different monster. That’s when I feel really powerful. That’s when I control my destiny; when I’m onstage.”

Casey worked hard at remaining centered and true to himself while being watched by millions of people for three months. He managed to keep his cool, and proved that not all bizarre, intense living situations have to be packed with drama and scandal.

“It was a lucky situation [with the roommates],” Casey says. “When you get to that base level and build friendships with people in a really strange environment, you become friends really quickly. Nobody knows who you are, so you get to walk in there with a fresh palate, and nobody has any preconceived expectations.”

Casey wore his inner tranquility like armor against the stress of being under a microscope for three months. In fact, there was only one incident throughout the show that hinted at this angel’s oppositional angst; the infamous night that he and fellow cast member JD Fortune snuck out of the mansion to go join locals at the nearest bar.

“I was a standard rebellious kid,” he admits, “I snuck out and I got in my share of trouble. But the one thing I always did was get pretty good grades. [It] just happened to be that I hung around with the really crazy group of friends. I was more the sane one of the group, but, you know — that being said, I got into a lot of trouble, because they were pretty crazy.”

The producers were upset by the two’s blatant disregard for the show’s policies. Not surprisingly, they didn’t make the unruly contestants suffer any consequences. (Thus proving, once again, that rock stars can and will get away with breaking the rules. In fact, it usually heightens both their personal appeal, and the ratings.)

The decision to let him stay didn’t shock Casey much, either. He was most blown away when the producers decided to bring his sister on for one of the episodes.

“It was strange, bringing the outside world into this television situation,” he recalls, “where we were all sequestered. We didn’t talk to family or friends. We didn’t have a TV or radio. We had no idea what was going on. So, when they brought my sister in for a couple hours, that was pretty freaky; to have her there was bizarre-o world.”

Casey is the youngest of five (two older sisters and three older brothers), and remains tight with his family through all the chaos.

“They’re my support system,” he says. “They’re the ones I talk to when things get a little weird.”

His family perhaps also helped shape his winning attitude in life. When the results came at the end of the show, Casey chose to view the news in the most optimistic of lights, and that’s why he’s doing better than ever at the moment.

“I think the interesting thing about it, is it’s not who’s the most popular that wins,” Casey says. “It’s who’s right for INXS. INXS chose the singer for their band; it’s not about who’s better, who will perform better. It was just a personal preference from INXS. So I definitely don’t feel like I lost, I just feel like they didn’t think I was right for their particular band.”

“So, looking back, I think they made the right choice,” he continues. “I consider myself more of a creator than a re-creator. I think they were going for more the nostalgia trip than really trying to create something new, so I think they really succeeded.”

It wasn’t easy for Casey to re-enter the world after the show ended, although he still managed to do it with grace. His entire life had been flip-flopped; all of the sudden he was getting recognized on the streets.

“You go onto the show completely unknown,” he says, “and you come out of the show a stronger performer, and a stronger singer. You walk out of the mansion and everybody knows who you are. That’s really great in a lot of ways, but it’s also very strange and taxing on your head. A whole new life’s been created.”

And create he has, since the end of the show. Not only is he devoting himself to the Lovehammers and touring the country — Casey’s also found time to work on some independent music that he’s very excited about.

Casey is interested in going down his own road, much like John Frusciante did after the success of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, with a bunch of abstract ideas and the water-tight glue of active idealism.

“I’ve always had the Lovehammers,” he says, “but a lot of songs have passed through, that weren’t necessarily right for the band. A lot of the new stuff that I’ve written, some of it they’re just not keen to; it’s so different and out there. I’m really excited about it. It’s wild. It’s rooted in a whole different form of music. It’s just complete artistic freedom. It’s for the sake of making music as art more than music as a commercial engine for sales.”

Marty Casey & Lovehammers will remain touring for as long as possible. Casey’s enthusiastic about the upcoming summer of shows they are planning, because he loves delivering music personally to your ears.

“You gotta see me live,” Casey says. “You gotta see this show in person. You know, TV is one thing, but you really gotta see this show live.”

Casey is most at peace with himself while sitting in the studio, listening to a song that he’s just recorded for the first time. He says that he continues to write every day, and that he is throwing every ounce of himself into creating the destiny that he has always dreamed of.

“Being on the show definitely gave me a sure-fire shot,” Casey continues. “People know who I am. It’s like half the battle’s been done. Now it’s just about turning people on with music.”