Cassie Bouchard Turns Doubt Into Determination on “Telescope”

Independent singer-songwriter Cassie Bouchard is stepping into a new chapter with her debut single, “Telescope,” an intimate indie-pop release that transforms uncertainty, ambition, and the fear of letting go into a reason to keep moving forward.

The inspiration behind “Telescope” arrived during a trip to Los Angeles, where Bouchard was considering making the move to pursue her dreams more seriously. Instead of being welcomed by California sunshine, it rained every day. The timing felt almost cruel, as though the universe itself was questioning whether the future she imagined was actually within reach.

From that experience came the image at the heart of the song: a young girl looking through a telescope at the moon, dreaming of becoming an astronaut. As expectations about who she is supposed to become begin to outweigh that dream, she eventually puts the telescope away in defeat.

For Bouchard, the telescope became something much more personal. It represented her guitar and the growing feeling that maybe it was time to put music away, too. That tension gives “Telescope” its emotional weight. Bouchard isn't writing from a place of having every answer. Instead, she captures what it feels like to question whether chasing something you deeply want is still worth the disappointment, uncertainty, and sacrifice that can come with it.

Ironically, writing “Telescope” helped provide the answer. Bouchard's love for the song became a catalyst to continue creating rather than walking away, eventually leading her toward completing her first full-length album.

With Smile As You Bleed arriving October 30, “Telescope” becomes more than Bouchard's debut single. It's the starting point of an artist choosing to keep reaching for something bigger, even when everything around her seems to suggest otherwise.