Dup Crosson, Drummer
It’s become my de facto mission to give drummers a good name again.
My approach to the drums is through the lens of a songwriter. I feel that it’s the songs – not the gear we love so much, or the technique that we work tirelessly on – that audiences remember, and that lasting artists are defined by.
I love collaboration and ideating on a song’s landscape: arrangement, tones, layers, and finding its momentum. I’ve written hundreds of songs myself and performed on many, many more.
Genres/styles that I’ve performed include:
Pop
Soul/R&B
Singer/songwriter
Folk
Country
Rock
Bachata
Jazz
Blues
Indie
Musical theatre
Film scores
Top 40
Electronic/downtempo
Dance
Ambient
Hip hop
Live Performances
“I've worked with Dup for three years. Not only is he an amazing percussionist; he's also a talented multi-instrumentalist, writer, and composer, which adds a whole other level of expertise and variety to his musicianship and professionalism. His ideas, feedback, and skill has been invaluable to me as a singer-songwriter. The fact that he's also consistent, patient, well-organized, and a vibrantly creative and warm individual also makes working with him a complete delight.”
- Victoria Haggblöm, Vega Victoria
I’ve booked and toured the U.S. several times in solo, trio, and quartet versions of Saint Solitude and drumming for projects like Lady Lamb and Vega Victoria, humbly playing famed places like the Sundance Film Festival, NYC’s Webster Hall, Washington D.C.’s 9:30 Club, San Francisco’s The Chapel, and Chicago’s Metro along the way.
Additionally, I’ve drummed for local and regional gigs with Select, Decker, The Late Greats, Noise in Print, To All My Dear Friends, Absentia, To The Wedding, Warbler, The Bribes, SAICS, Tataetano, Dirty Cello, Mullerette, Pacific Standard, Angélica Ekeke, and many others.
I’ve also performed onstage in musicals like Town Hall Theatre’s Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Shotgun Players’ Vinegar Tom.
Recording
“One of the most important qualities I look for in a session drummer or a drummer in a band setting, is the ability to understand the arc of the song. Dup is a talented, creative, and a technically proficient drummer, but he’s also an outstanding musician and songwriter who absolutely understands the arc of a song - sees the entire composition from start to completion and knows how to distribute the right energy throughout. His ideas are interesting and his playing is incredibly tight. He’s also a great human - you’ll enjoy his company and feel inspired by his energy.”
-Andrew Schatzberg, Landslide Studio
I feel most comfortable in the studio, having worked at ones like Landslide Studio (Asheville, NC), Sonelab (Easthampton, MA), Hyde Street (San Francisco, CA), Tiny Telephone (San Francisco/Oakland, CA), Mobile Womb, Santo Studio (Oakland, CA) and Airship Laboratories (Richmond, CA).
My own digital studio, Stumble Abode, is fully capable of high-quality remote recording, like those I’ve done with the EDBL Music Collective.
“I gotta say, Dup knows how to record his drums.”
I’ve also written, recorded, and performed the majority of instruments on 7 Saint Solitude albums. Here are some of my favorite drum recordings from that catalog:
Let’s collaborate
In my 20+ years of playing, I’ve collaborated with dozens of projects, led and sat in on recordings across the country, and toured for weeks to months at a time. It should go without saying that I have the gear and reliability for many situations, though I acknowledge drummers don’t always have the best reputation. As the guy who often shows up first to a gig and who yes, actually does his homework, it’s become my de facto mission to give drummers a good name again.
I’m here to serve your project in whatever way is necessary. Being familiar with both sides of the freelance dynamic (project leader and session/touring musician) helps me be most effective for what is needed that day, that song, or that gig.