ARTIST: Kevin Stratton
HAILING FROM: Scottsdale, Ariz.
CURRENTLY VIBING ON: New studio work
WHY YOU’LL LIKE HIM: The guy is diverse. He has spent his life creating his own tunes, but now helps fresh musicians with their own.
Walking through the unmarked doorway of Crush Recording Studios is like stepping into an alternate reality.
The cookie-cutter facade of the uppity Scottsdale business area melts into darkened walls, covered over by music-related photos and posters.
In the small entrance, five men crowded around the desk — all experienced professionals, all having worked with household names like Bob Dylan, Van Halen or Brad Paisley, to name a few.
At the far end of the gathering is Kevin Stratton — a musician, sound designer, three-time Grammy winner and owner of Crush.
“Did I ever think I’d come this far?” he said. “It’s been a cascade of events, and no, I didn’t think I would come this far.”
He broke his train of thought laughing to himself.
Stratton took over Crush about a year ago from a friend of his who had been a head engineer for EMI Records, the man who had built the studio.
Crush now takes in bands and artists from all across the southwest and has produced work for film, television and, of course, albums.
For Stratton, the road to an established career has been a long and unpredictable one.
Before all of his success, Stratton was a student in small-town Illinois.
His senior year, he received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music.
“I guess that was the first time I realized music would be going somewhere in my life,” he said.
His experience was that of a typical college career, at least up until Yamaha digital musical instruments held an open stage night, he said.
“A couple of my friends said, ‘You should go and get up on stage, and just do your own thing,’” Stratton said. “So I did.”
The folks from Yamaha approached Stratton after his performance, where they offered him a job in California.
The change in pace brought all new inspiration for Stratton. While he worked as a product specialist for Yamaha, he also devoted time to developing sonic tones for keyboards and synthesizers.
Yamaha’s artist relations program was responsible for hooking Stratton up with Toto — a rock band that debuted in the 70s —and his first Grammy.
“I found my voice, so to speak, in being able to put together unique sounds for bands,” he said.
From Toto’s success in the 80s, Stratton pushed forward to work with names like Stevie Wonder, Chicago and The Jacksons, but he refused to limit himself in his work.
“I have never wanted to just be an artist on stage,” he said. “I found a way in which I could be creative and use what I was good at to help a lot of different people do what they do in music.”
Stratton has been able to use his lessons and success to help the bands and artists that come to Crush.
“I’ve seen very talented people that will probably go less distance than others that are more interested in being more balanced,” he said.
According to Stratton, it’s important for emerging artists to remember three key things:
1. Have an understanding, even if it is brief, of the business side of music
2. Work in good, catchy lyrics and have good hook lines in melodies when writing songs
3. Don’t ever limit yourself as an artist
“You should open up your horizons,” he said.
Stratton admits he would never be where he is without keeping an open mind to work with television or film as well.
“Have I ever been a rock star?” Stratton said. “No, but have I been the guy behind the scenes, whether it’s writing music or producing music or creating the sounds? Yes.”
Got a band you want me to check out? Fill me in: ldisanti@asu.edu
