Background
Casey Stratton was born in
Lansing, Michigan in 1976. He has lived in
Los Angeles, California,
Chicago, Illinois and
New York City, New York. Stratton currently resides in
Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Beginning violin lessons at the age of 8, Stratton followed quickly with cello lessons at 10, the piano at 11, and guitar at 16. It was through the piano that Stratton discovered a passion for writing and performing songs. After graduating from
Michigan's Interlochen Arts Academy, Stratton moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career. His first album release on a major label,
"Standing at the Edge"
for
Sony Music Entertainment received positive reviews in magazines like
People and
Billboard.
Casey Stratton's biggest influence is
Tori Amos. Other influences include
Sarah McLachlan,
Peter Gabriel,
Radiohead,
Björk,
Paula Cole and
Joni Mitchell. His musical inspirations are found in classical composers such as
Debussy,
Ravel,
Copland and
Barber. Moreover, his lyrics are inspired by the works of
T. S. Eliot and
Joseph Campbell.
Stratton interacts with fans on a regular basis at venues and through his online
blog.
Career
Casey began writing songs at the age of 11. He first performed his own songs live while attending
Interlochen Arts Academy at the age of 16. The response lead Casey to begin contemplating becoming a professional singer/songwriter. It was also during this time period that he began performing in Coffeehouses in Michigan.
After moving to Los Angeles in 1995, Casey quickly signed an independent recording contract with Magic Records. Work then began on the recordings that would eventually become his first full length release,
The Giver and the Grave Digger
, which was released in 1996. In late 1995 Magic Records released
Driving to the Moon EP
which garnered considerable critical acclaim and exposure in the Los Angeles music scene. This led to a string of live performances at the now defunct Luna Park venue.
In 1997, after deciding not to renew his contract with Magic Records, Casey began his first self-produced album,
Lily Sleeps
. This project marked an experimental phase for Casey. Over 90 tracks were written and recorded during this time. While the album was never released in CD format, it is now available in the DIGITAL MUSIC STORE at .
The songs from
Lily Sleeps
gained some industry attention and Casey signed a publishing contract with
Rondor Music Publishing in 1997. It was during this time that Casey began recording
Whirlwind Medusa
. This is also when the first recordings of future favorites
Hollow
and
House of Jupiter
were completed. In 1999 Casey was informed that his contract with
Rondor Music Publishing would not be renewed. This led to a dark period in the performer's life. In the summer of 2000 Stratton moved to Chicago where he began a nearly two year hiatus from the record industry. He immersed himself in writing and recorded an independent album called
The Winter Children
. Many of these tracks would be re-recorded later and included on his Sony release
Standing at the Edge
.
Casey returned to the recording industry in 2002. Shortly after moving to New York City, Stratton inked a deal with
Sony Music. in January 2003 he flew to Los Angeles to begin recording
Standing at the Edge
with legendary producer
Patrick Leonard. Originally intended for an August 2003 release,
Standing at the Edge
was initially delayed until October 2003. Eventually the album would be delayed yet again and ultimately released in on January 20, 2004.
After
Standing at the Edge
, Stratton gained further success when the
Junior Vasquez remix of
"House Of Jupiter"
went to #1 on the Billboard Dance chart and remained there for 20 weeks in 2005. This was followed by Vazquez's remix of "Blood". Casey left Sony Music in December of 2004. Stratton's 6th studio album,
"DIVIDE"
, was released in October of 2005 on Stratton's independent label,
Sleeping Pill Music (ASCAP). Casey also launched a comprehensive digital music store on his website that would include all of his early albums, various holiday recordings, EPs and live shows as well as his current release DIVIDE. In March of 2006 Casey recorded and released an album of traditional folk songs,
The Sun is Burning
, including 3 new songs where Casey set 3 W.B Yeats poems to music.
The DIVIDE tour started on March 18, 2006 in Chicago, IL and completed all the
East Coast dates with a performance in
Atlanta. The
West Coast portion of the tour began on April 27, 2006 in Los Angeles, California, ending in
Portland, Oregon on May 6th, 2006. A summer tour began on July 18, 2006 in Cleveland, OH and ended in Savannah, GA on July 28, 2006.
Stratton's album,
The Crossing
, was released in April 2007. A tour was being planned but was eventually scrapped due to financial concerns. Casey frequently discusses the strains of being an independent musician in these times and is in strong opposition to music piracy.
Casey's album,
Orbit
, was digitally released on February 5th, 2008. This was followed by
Signs of Life
which was digitally released in August 2008 and physically released on CD in November.
Messages Sending
digitally released in April 2009. No plans are in place for a CD release at this time.
Casey started a in May 2008 in which he discusses his career and life in addition to live performances.
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart