Music Feature
By: John Boggess
For the past few years, Tri-State locals may have enjoyed live music from local musician Christopher Strathman, who goes by the stage name Stratty, while out visiting restaurants and bars.
On November 14, fans will officially be able to stream music written by Stratty on their favorite streaming platform when he releases his debut single, Baptist (Devil In Her Eye).
While Stratty has performed original music in addition to cover songs at live venues including Jerk Riley’s, Bar None and Frank’s Place, Stratty felt a personal connection to Baptist (Devil In Her Eye). Stratty said he feels good about the song and its story.
“Everything I played for you, I feel good about. But I think I’m more personally attached to this story in this song,” Stratty said. “I don’t know if a more recent experience and journey that I’m going through, and it just makes me feel better when I play it and when I hear it.”
Stratty said he loves honoring the musicians that have paved the way for artists like him, but it was time to release something for himself. Overall, Stratty said the song is meant to be uplifting for a situation where everything feels wrong; really, everything can be right.
“Heartache can affect a lot of people in a lot of different ways. Sometimes when things aren’t going as we expect, we assume the worst in our minds. But sometimes, I think it’s okay to assume the best. Even it it’s not meant to be,” Stratty said.
Stratty has had some acoustic performances of his songs recorded and streamed on WMUL-FM 88.1. He was also featured in the “Classroom Concerts” series.
(place this link over “Classroom Concerts” series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gcHxf3qM6E&list=PLe9DU46x8MhMCVH6pCIrXEDk7gzUfImAw&index=19)
Overall, Stratty’s debut single features a wide variety of instruments in addition to his traditional acoustic performances.
Others involved in the creation of the song include instrumentals from David Copley on dobro, Seth Barker on piano, and Shelby Lore on bass and drums.
Stratty praised those who helped them, calling them “talented” and “the right choice.”
“I feel like if I’m not surrounding myself with someone better than me, I’m not doing it right,” Stratty said. “I also really enjoy playing music with those guys, which is always a plus.”
Stratty will be celebrating the release of Baptist (Devil In Her Eye) on November 14 at Koerber Brewery in Barboursville at 8 p.m. He will be joined by Copley to perform live music at the release party.
While Stratty tends to label himself as being from the Tri-State, he was born in Richmond, Kentucky. When asked why he chose to celebrate the release in Barboursville instead of his home state, Stratty said Barboursville was a place he enjoyed and often performs at.
“A lot of my gigs over the last several years have been in Barboursville. I always have a great time in Barboursville and really like the brewery up there and the environment, and just the kind of people that come around.”
Stratty is an alumnus of WMUL-FM 88.1. He was a DJ around 2009 and recently was a frequent co-host of the “Rocking the Herd” program that aired this past year.
Overall, Stratty is grateful for all who have supported him over the years.
“Big shoutout to everyone who’s kind of helped me along my journey,” Stratty said. “Everyone knows who they are, and this definitely isn’t something you could do alone.”
While Baptist (Devil In Her Eye) doesn’t release on streaming until November 14, you can get an early listen on WMUL-FM 88.1 on November 10 at 5:30 p.m. and November 12 at 12:00 p.m. The song will be played at the end of the “Artist Spotlight” program with Stratty, which interviews artists about their newest music. For more information on Stratty and his music, visit www.strattymusic.com