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."
For more information on Marty Casey and his band, be sure to visit the Lovehammers' official site — www.lovehammers.com
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