Biography

Contact Info:
Daniel Crabtree
info@DanielCrabtreeMusic.com

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STORMS ON THE OCEAN

Single Release Date: September 15, 2023 

Full Album Release Date: January 15, 2024
 
Daniel Crabtree's latest album release, "Storms on the Ocean," crafted by the talented songwriter and artist Daniel Crabtree, is a captivating and emotionally resonant musical journey that weaves a tapestry of stories, emotions, and human experiences. This collection of songs explores the complexities of life, from love and longing to adversity and resilience, all set against a backdrop of evocative melodies and poignant lyrics. 

"Storms on the Ocean" by Daniel Crabtree is a musical masterpiece that takes listeners on an emotional rollercoaster, inviting them to explore the complexities of the human condition. With its compelling stories, evocative melodies, and heartfelt lyrics, this album is a testament to the power of music to convey the profound and universal experiences that unite us all. Daniel Crabtree's songwriting and musical craftsmanship shine throughout the album, creating a collection of songs that will resonate with listeners and leave a lasting impact on their hearts and souls. "Storms on the Ocean" demonstrates how Daniel has evolved as a creator, recording artist, and songwriter. 

The album features talented producers, musicians, and background vocalists, including Cody Kilby, Scott Vestal, Donna Ulisse, and more. Daniel Crabtree's songwriting and musical craftsmanship will shine throughout the album, creating a collection of tracks that will leave a lasting impact on listeners everywhere. 

"Eye of the Hurricane" was the first featured single from Daniel Crabtree's next CD release, "Storms on the Ocean." It is a powerful song based on actual events. The lyrics are a moving and heartfelt tribute to the victims and survivors of Hurricane Ida. Still, it also serves as a broader reflection on the resilience and strength of those facing nature's forces head-on. This song captures the human capacity to find hope and unity amid tragedy through its evocative storytelling and poignant melody. 


STORMS ON THE OCEAN

Executive Producer: Daniel Crabtree 
Producers: Cody Kilby, Scott Vestal, Donna Ulisse 
Engineer: Scott Vestal 
Studio: Digital Underground Recording Studio 

Daniel Crabtree: Lead Vocal 
Scott Vestal: Banjo, Background Vocals
Don Rigsby: Background Vocals
Donna Ulisse: Background Vocals
Rick Stanley: Background Vocals
Aaron McCune: Background Vocals
Cody Kilby: Guitar, Tenor Guitar
Jason Carter: Fiddle,
Patrick McAvinue: Fiddle
Jesse Brock: Mandolin
Harry Clark: Mandolin 
Jeff Partin: Dobro
Gaven Largent: Dobro 
Mike Bub: Upright Bass
Evan Winsor: Upright Bass 
Patrick D'Arcy: Pennywhistle


SONG BY SONG IN THE ORDER ON THE CD

1. EYE OF THE HURRICANE (3:42)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree, Three Girls I Work For Publishing, ASCAP
 
ISRC: QM2PK1720958

I wrote the song Eye Of The Hurricane after reading media accounts of Hurricane Ida and the devastating damage of death and destruction it caused in September of 2021. The song focuses on what happened in the state of New York due to unexpected catastrophic flash flooding when people were caught Lower levels of buildings could not get out before rising levels of water overtook them. 

Hurricane Ida was a category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 MPH at least 107 fatalities and in excess of 75 billion dollars in damage done.


2. THE LOVELY GIRLS OF RIDDERKERK (3:55)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree, Three Girls I Work For Publishing, ASCAP
 
ISRC: QM2PK1720959

My daughter gave me a book for Christmas titled Letters of the Century. In the book are letters written to various people by their loved ones and others about all kinds of different subjects. As I read the book, one letter written by a young man to the people back in his country of origin stood out to me, and I wrote my take on what the letter said to me.

3. HARD TIME (3:21) (3:21)  

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree, Three Girls I Work For Publishing, ASCAP
 
ISRC: QM2PK17209561

Who knows where this song came from? Sometimes I just daydream about how times used to be and try to put myself in someone else's shoes. This ole boy was having a hard time with some of the decisions he had made in his life. I don’t think people today realize sometimes how hard some people have had it in this world just trying to get by.


4. THE VAGABOND (3:19)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree, Three Girls I Work For Publishing, ASCAP
 
ISRC: QM2PK1720960

My family and I were sitting one night watching TV, and there was a girl on there singing and my daughter said that she looked like a vagabond. So I gave the girl a story through this song. Some of it comes from different people I have known—I kind of meshed them all together to come up with this. I bet you might know someone like this too.


5. MOLLY WITH GREEN EYES (4:02)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree, Three Girls I Work For Publishing, ASCAP
 
ISRC: QM2PK1720962

I like to read, especially about history. I really don’t care too much about fictional things; I would rather focus more on things that are real. In this case, the song is about people who came to this country in times past. Molly is a made-up character from Ireland, and a young man sees the pretty Molly the minute she lands on the shores of the United States.


6. MY NAME IS AHAB (4:59)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree, Three Girls I Work For Publishing, ASCAP
 
ISRC: QM2PK1720963

This song is about Captain Ahab and his chase for the mighty white whale Moby Dick. I had the pleasure of seeing the old movie with Gregory Peck as Ahab one day and decided to write this song about his character's experience.


7. THE FLOOD OF 1927 (2:56)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree, Three Girls I Work For Publishing, ASCAP
 
ISRC: QM2PK1720964

I read about the Great Mississippi flood of 1927, and I feel that occurrences such as these need to be remembered. These kinds of things used to happen all the time and still do.


8. Cornelia Marie (4:34)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree, Three Girls I Work For Publishing, ASCAP
 
ISRC: QM2PK1720965 

You may have heard of this name before if you are familiar with the TV show Deadliest Catch. The Cornelia Marie is one of the fishing vessels on the show. I wrote this song after sharing in some of their adventures through the TV screen.


9. LITTLE GIRL FROM OHIO (2:50)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree, Three Girls I Work For Publishing, ASCAP
 
ISRC: QM2PK1720966  

I have always had somewhat of a fascination with river boats, so I decided to write from the perspective of someone who took a job on a riverboat, saved some money and went back to get his girl once the timing was right.


10. THE SCANDIES ROSE (4:27)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree, Three Girls I Work For Publishing, ASCAP
 
ISRC: QM2PK1720967  

The Scandies Rose is a true story I read about a fishing vessel that met her demise in wintry conditions on the Bering Sea. These are the words I penned after reading about the tragedy from news accounts.


11. STORMS ON THE OCEAN (3:07)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree, Three Girls I Work For Publishing, ASCAP
 
ISRC: QM2PK1720968  

Storms on the Ocean is the title track for my latest project. There will be storms in this life that we must try to overcome. I would like to express through the words of this song that we can overcome these storms with the help of Our Almighty God, who in our times of need reaches down His loving hand to rescue us from the storm.

DANIEL CRABTREE BIOGRAPHY

Daniel Crabtree is an award-winning bluegrass and gospel singer-songwriter from Tennessee revered for his storytelling talent.

As a songwriter, Crabtree is always searching for the perfect singer to pair with his material. He has been privileged to have his songs recorded by famous bluegrass artists such as Larry Sparks and Valerie Smith. Sparks’ rendition of “The Scarlet Red Lines” won Gospel Recording of the Year at the 2023 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, while Sparks’ versions of “Don’t Take Your Eyes Off of Jesus” and “All Over Me” reached No. 1 on the Bluegrass Today chart.

Bluegrass Unlimited calls Crabtree a “gifted and divinely inspired songwriter with an engaging roughhewn vocal style.” Crabtree previously received recognition by the Independent Music Awards, which named his single “Piedmont Train” as the Best Bluegrass Song of 2019. He also earned a nomination for Best Bluegrass Song (“Sally Sunday”) at the International Acoustic Music Awards.

To date Crabtree has penned and released six albums, starting with his debut, 2016’s The Gospel Road. He has since released five additional albums, 2017’s In the Shadow of His Wings, 2019’s The Storyteller in Me, 2021’s The Way I See It and 2022’s Closer Than I’ve Ever Been, with his projects consisting of a mixture of gospel and bluegrass music. Crabtree’s sixth album, Storms on the Ocean, featuring 12 new self-written songs and an all-star bluegrass band, is being released in January 2024. He recorded the project at Scott Vestal’s Digital Underground Recording Studio.

Crabtree initially became interested in music at age 15 when winter weather left him trapped inside and bored, but his affinity for the art form would have surfaced sooner or later, regardless of the circumstances. “Daddy always had an old guitar sitting around the house that he played,” he recalls. “We had an ice storm that came through that winter and we had no electricity for about nine days. There wasn’t very much to do, so that is when I first remember taking the time to pick up that old guitar and learn how to play it.”

As a teen, Crabtree honed his picking skills by practicing square dance songs that a friend’s dad taught him. His hobby turned into a calling when he and his friends formed a bluegrass gospel group called the Lights Chapel Boys at their local church in Crabtree’s hometown in Tennessee. The band played covers of famous gospel songs for decades before Crabtree decided to take a stab at songwriting, and when he brought his first song to church, his friends — some of whom had years of experience in the music industry — responded positively. “They told me they thought it was pretty good,” he says, “so that gave me the encouragement to try to write some more.”

With an eye toward the future, Crabtree says, “As I have tried to sharpen my skills as a songwriter, I have found it to be one of the most rewarding things that I have ever done. I look forward to continuing to find the inspiration to write about things in our past that need to be remembered, things in the present that are the most significant, and things that give us hope for the future.”