Casey Stratton

Casey Stratton has packed a lot of music into a relatively young life. With a father who played in a popular Michigan band, the singer, songwriter and musician remembers begging to sing as a child during the band’s rehearsals. Violin lessons began at the age of 8, followed quickly by the cello at 10, the piano at 11, and the guitar at 16. The training was rigorous and disciplined, laying the foundation for a career in classical music. It was through the piano that Stratton discovered a passion writing songs and singing them.

After graduating from Michigan’s Interlochen Arts Academy, with training in voice and composition, the budding artist left Michigan for Los Angeles. His Sony release Standing at the Edge along with Independent efforts and performances have already resulted in a cult following, and he has received glowing reviews in magazines like People and Billboard to name a few.

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.

After moving to Los Angeles in 1995, Casey quickly inked 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 lead to a string of memorable 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 www.caseystratton.com.

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 his 3rd full album, Whirlwind Medusa. Most fans agree that this is when Casey really hit his stride as a recording artist and developed the style he still retains today. 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 on the chart for 20 weeks in 2005. 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. 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.

On April 10, 2007 Casey’s latest effort, The Crossing, was released. This was followed by a string of performances, although a full tour did not happen that year due to many outside circumstances. Casey re-recorded and released The Winter Children in August of 2007, followed by a December holiday released entitled Icicles. His latest effort, Orbit has been released digitally and will be available on CD in April of 2008.

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