Stratton goes solo

Thursday, January 19, 2006
By John Sinkevics
The Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS -- Casey Stratton makes the declaration with real resolve in his voice: "I'm finally exactly where I want to be."
He got there by breaking ranks with a major record label, moving back to Grand Rapids and releasing a lush, new, independently produced album that brilliantly displays the singer and multi-instrumentalist's creativity.

"When I was young, I wanted to be famous. Now, I want to be a musician," the 29-year-old singer-songwriter said in an interview last week.

"My whole career, I'd always wanted to put out my own record. After the Sony thing, I decided that a major label wasn't right for me. ... I had to decide if I wanted to worry about money and fame or worry about the kind of music I wanted to make."

In choosing the latter, the former Jenison High School student has charted an ambitious but exhilarating path for 2006, arranging a concert tour and promotional campaign for a new CD, "Divide," starting with Saturday's solo show at The Intersection, 133 Grandville Ave. SW.

"The Intersection is my favorite place to play. It's my hometown, and my family's always there," said Stratton, who "officially" settled back in West Michigan late last summer after splitting time between New York and Grand Rapids. "People bring their friends, and I've gotten more exposure here than I have in other areas. I just feel such a warm reception here."

Warmer than the one he eventually got from his old record label after Sony merged with BMG a couple of years ago, resulting in an upheaval in personnel. Though his debut album on Sony Music's Odyssey, "Standing on the Edge," earned critical kudos, he became frustrated with the major label bureaucracy.

"By the end of 2004, there was only one person left at the label that I even knew," he said. "I had my lawyer go to Sony and ask to get out of the contract early, because nothing was getting accomplished. To me, it was very stifling."

By comparison, working on his latest studio recording has been liberating. Stratton has done everything himself -- writing, singing, playing all the instruments, arranging, recording and producing the tracks, even helping with art direction. It was recorded entirely in his home studio (which was financed partly with advances from his debut Sony CD), starting in New York and wrapping up in Grand Rapids.

"I wanted people to see more of what I did, and I like to have more of a role and be more hands-on," said Stratton, who's learned the recording and engineering process in 10 years of making and producing his own demos. "I feel like I'm a little more creative when I'm by myself.

"If it were a Sony CD, they were going to want it all stripped down. They wanted it toned down. I can put it out exactly the way I want it."

That means a beautifully layered, full-sounding pop-rock album -- in the tradition of influences such as Peter Gabriel and Sarah McLachlan -- centered around Stratton's ethereal vocals.

Stratton, who graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy, plans to mount a 15-date East Coast tour in March, followed by a swing to the West Coast. Although "Divide" was released online late last year and CDs will be sold at Saturday's concert and on tour, an official release date isn't set.

"I'm doing it in tiers," said Stratton, who offers a limited edition, two-CD version of the album through caseystratton.com and cdbaby.com. "An official release might be later down the road."

Stratton continues to retain a manager and publicist in New York.

"It's not like I'm completely cut off from everything," he said.

"It just that in Grand Rapids, I find it easier to function emotionally and financially."