Me and Cassity

Me and Cassity first surfaced in 1998 as the solo project of singer/songwriter Dirk Darmstaedter. Born in New Jersey but growing up in Hamburg, Germany after moving there with his family at age 12, Darmstaedter was a founding member of influential German alt-rock band the Jeremy Days. Around the time of the Jeremy Days' dissolution, Me and Cassity's self-titled debut appeared, casting Darmstaedter in a wandering folk-rock troubadour role that channeled Dylan's early on-the-road ambience. Me and Cassity proved to be a well-tailored vehicle for Darmstaedter's wide-eyed singer/songwriter musings. The artist would tour small clubs and acoustic venues all over Europe, eventually amassing a following. Starting with 2002's Hope, with a Pain Chaser, there would be a new album almost every year, alternating between the artists given name and the Me and Cassity moniker. These recordings included 2004's Between Wake and Sleep, 2005's Coming Up for Air, Our Favorite City in 2007, and Life Is No Movie in 2009. In 2010, the songsmith paid proper homage to one of his favorite artists with Dirk Sings Dylan. This year also saw a collaboration record with fellow German singer/songwriter Bernd Begemann in the form of So It Is Every Night. This would be the second time Darmstaedter would collaborate with Begemann, following work together on 2003's This Road Does Not Lead to My House Anymore. The new decade saw no signs of slowing down for the Me and Cassity project, with the release of full-length The Wrong Boy in 2011, followed by Appearances in 2012. ~ Fred Thomas