On May 16, singer-songwriter Casey Stratton will release a new studio album, The Calling Of The Crows. The Grand Rapids, Michigan resident is previewing the set via first single, “When The Fates Came,” which has been expanded to a 6-track EP.

I was immediately swept up by the emotional “When The Fates Came,” which has a grand and gorgeous multi-layered sound. Featuring an epic hook, the song amazingly bridges late ’80s pop balladry and the halcyon days of ’90s adult-alternative music, with Stratton’s vocals recalling one of his musical heroes, Tori Amos.

It’s worth noting that “When The Fates Came” is all Stratton’s handiwork (instrumentation, recording, mixing), done in his home studio. It’s such a well-polished production, I can’t help but assume he picked up some tricks while working with legendary producer Patrick Leonard (Madonna, Jewel) on his 2004 major-label effort, Standing At The Edge.

On the occasion of the release of “When The Fates Came,” Stratton graciously agreed to answer a few questions. The song, it turns out, was borne from a tremendous loss he suffered last summer, the death of his cat, Henry, who’d lived with Stratton for 16 years.

POPSERVATIONS: What was the inspiration for “When The Fates Came”?

CASEY STRATTON: The song is about the aftermath of a death, but of course I hope people can apply it to any kind of loss they have experienced whether it be a breakup or what have you. For me personally, and it may seem odd to some, “When The Fates Came” is about my cat of 16 years that I lost last summer. Henry had been with me since I was 18 and found him on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. We had basically been through everything together — moving around the country, my career ups and downs. He had been my right-hand man for my entire adult life.

So when I lost him, I took it a lot harder than I thought I would. I felt very alone in my day-to-day life and activities. I knew for a few months that the end was coming, and like any terminal illness with someone you love, that is an excruciating time. So the song touches on how I knew a difficult time was coming and I just had to let it wash over me and go through it. Like they say the only way out of a storm is through. Underneath all the grieving I was also facing things in my life that made me unhappy and the rage I felt at the world that so many of us feel when faced with something very difficult. It’s intense!

POPSERVATIONS: Why did you pick “When The Fates Came” to preview The Calling Of The Crows?

CS: It felt like the kind of song that might grab people and get their attention. Obviously the days of traditional “singles” are kind of over for indie singer-songwriters, but I still try to pick a track that has that single-friendly quality to it. It’s upbeat and I enjoy the hook of it, so my hope is that others will as well!

A lot of this album was inspired by the goth-rock/alternative-pop music from the early 90s that I loved. There is a nostalgia in the sound of the track that I think people are picking up on, at least from the feedback I’ve gotten so far. I had a few tracks in mind for the first preview, but this one just kept coming up as number one for me.

POPSERVATIONS: Besides the piano version of “When The Fates Came” on the EP, you’ve included four other songs. Tell me about these additional bonus tracks.

CS: All the other tracks are non-LP B-sides. Another way to harken back to the 90s. How I loved getting a great CD5 from an artist I loved. I could barely wait to get out of the record store and hear the extra tracks.

Two are improvs (“All I Am” and “Claws On Wood”) and two more (“Broken Circle” and “A Long Time”) are tracks I wrote and pitched to the director of the film Everybody’s Fine in 2008, but were not ultimately used in the film. I had not released them yet as they never really seemed to fit anywhere, but they fit the narrative of The Calling Of The Crows quite well so I thought they would be a good addition to a single EP.

POPSERVATIONS: Thanks for the peek behind the scenes, Casey! Looking forward to hearing the full album.

Purchase Casey Stratton – When The Fates Came EP via Bandcamp.