Biography

As a child growing up in the deserts of West Texas, Crispin Schroeder stumbled into being a musician when a relative gave his family an antique upright piano. Since his family lived in the country and he was an only child, he would spend hours messing around on the piano for lack of much else to do. By age 12 Crispin had discovered the pentatonic scale, the foundation of blues music, which forever would alter the direction of his life. At age 14 Crispin recorded his first blues song in a studio in Denver and from that point on would be hooked on writing songs and recording. During his teenage years he played keyboards for various blues bands in the dive bars around the Midland/Odessa Texas area before moving to Southeast Louisiana at age 21, a move that would deeply impact him as a musician and songwriter. In the 20+ years Crispin has resided in Southeast Louisiana he has recorded 9 albums both as a solo artists and with bands he has led, his most recent release being Following Branches Down to the Roots (April 2016). In addition to leading his own band he also plays keyboards and accordion in New Orleans based Americana band Cactus Thief, and is a frequent member of Big Daddy O’s band. In January 2016 Crispin became one of the first musicians to help launch Songs for Kids at Children’s Hospital, New Orleans. Each Tuesday afternoon Crispin and local singer Mykia Jovan (Smoke n Bones) perform songs for patients and their families at Children’s Hospital.

In addition to being a singer/songwriter Crispin is also the pastor of Northshore Vineyard Church in Covington Louisiana. Though faith is central to everything Crispin does he is just as at home singing in a club on Saturday night as he is singing gospel songs in church on a Sunday morning.

His latest release Following Branches is a collection of songs that are musically very much rooted in the blues, folk, gospel, and zydeco sounds of South Louisiana with lyrics that explore longing, joy, doubt, faith and spirituality.