Lydia Kaseta is celebrating a big win. The songwriter is one of two winners for American Songwriter’s Songs That Sync Promotion for her track “Black Powder Smoke,” which she co-wrote with Nate Sander and Dylan Owen.
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“Black Powder Smoke” “came out of nowhere” for Kaseta. It was borne out of a writing session with Owen, who came in with the title for the track.
“Something about that just lit us up. Our minds immediately went to this Western world and all the imagery around it,” she said. “The song became this story of two people who create chaos within a relationship—something passionate and explosive, but never built to last.”
“There was definitely truth in it, mixed with storytelling, and it felt like a fresh way of writing for me,” Kaseta added. “By the time we finished, we all just kind of looked at each other like, ‘OK, this one is special.’”
When Kaseta found out she won, it “felt like confirmation of something I’d already believed: that this music could live really well in the sync and licensing world.”
“It’s always been a dream of mine to have my songs synced in film and TV, and lately the music I’ve been writing leans heavily into this Western, cinematic world. I feel like with the right show or movie, these new songs could live so beautifully,” she said. “… The win just reaffirmed that the sound and emotion behind the song translate in a way that fits perfectly in that space.”
Read on to learn more about Kaseta.
Lydia Kaseta Q&A
WHAT GOT YOU INTO MUSIC IN THE FIRST PLACE?
I actually grew up on a farm in Michigan and was homeschooled by my mom, who’s very artistic, so music was always woven into our lives.
I fell in love with singing early. I’d be out in the barn feeding the animals in the morning, singing to them, or just belting around the house trying to figure out my voice.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SONGWRITING?
I’ve been songwriting seriously for about ten years now—it’s been quite a journey. I moved out to L.A. when I was around 22, and it took time to really find my voice and shape my sound as an artist.
I was obsessed with musical theatre when I was little, and by high school I started writing my own songs. That’s when I realized how much I loved creating—not just singing other people’s music, but telling my own stories.
That love kept growing through high school and college until it finally felt undeniable—that’s when I decided to move to L.A. and really take it seriously.
HAVE YOU HAD SYNC OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE? WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THAT IF SO?
Yes, I have! I actually had sync placements on the first two songs I released under Lydia Kaseta. Both were on MTV’s Teen Mom, which was really cool to see so early in my career. My song ‘Reckless’ had an especially amazing feature—it played through the entire closing scene of an episode. That moment felt really special and definitely opened my eyes to how powerful and emotional the right sync can be.
WHAT SONGWRITERS DO YOU COUNT AS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATIONS? WHY?
My inspirations are always changing, but a few have really shaped me. Growing up, my mom was a huge Carole King fan, so her songwriting was kind of the soundtrack of my childhood. That definitely planted something in me early on.
And honestly, an album that completely changed my life was Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves. The writing on that record is so effortless and perfect. It showed me how powerful simplicity and emotional clarity can be.
Right now, a songwriter who really inspires me is Joshua Sloan. I love how much feeling he puts into his songs. There’s so much emotion in the way he writes, and it makes everything he does hit a little deeper.
WHAT SONGWRITERS WOULD YOU LOVE TO CO-WRITE WITH?
Right now, I would definitely love to write with Joshua Sloan—I think that would be such a cool collaboration. I’ve also been listening to a lot of Gregory Alan Isakov lately, and his songwriting has really inspired me. I would absolutely love the chance to co-write with him someday.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PLANS IN 2026. NEW MUSIC RELEASES? NEW CO-WRITES? SOMETHING ELSE?
Right now, my plan for 2026 is honestly just to keep writing a lot of music and releasing as much as I can. My focus is on creating the best songs I can—music that feels honest, exciting, and true to me. When I really believe in a song, that’s what matters most.
I’m also excited to keep exploring new co-writes and creative collaborations, but my biggest goal is to stay in that flow of making work I’m proud of and sharing it consistently.
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL OTHER ARTISTS WHO ARE CONSIDERING ENTERING THE CONTEST?
I think if you really believe in a song you’ve written—if you listen to it and get that warm, fuzzy feeling inside—then absolutely enter the contest. Put that song out there any way you can. Believe in it and give it the chance to live in the world, because you never know what can happen. You might be surprised by the possibilities that open up when you trust your work.
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