| Birth Date: | 11 July 1990 |
| Years Active: | 2009–present |
| Galen Crew | |
Galen Michael Crew (born July 11, 1990) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and music producer. In 2015, Crew's songs went viral throughout China, and has since reached hundreds of millions of streams on Chinese music platforms such as NetEase and Xiami.[1] [2] In response to the new following in China, Crew has toured the country multiple times, beginning in 2016 and most recently completed in January 2024.[3] [4] [5] His music video for the single "Fragrance" was filmed in Shanghai, China and contains footage from other cities while on tour.[6] The single "Princess" from his solo album Better than a Fairy Tale has been featured on the ABC show Good Morning America.[7] In 2020, Crew made a guest appearance in the music video for the Newsboys single "Love One Another."[8] Crew has written and toured with notable Nashville-based musicians such as Phil Joel, Roger Cook, and Kelsea Ballerini. Crew's latest, fourth studio LP, Troubadour, was released November 22, 2023.
Crew's high school rock band was Seraph, which was composed of Crew on electric guitar, Josh Caste as lead vocals, Nicky Hackett on bass, and Jordan Thompson on drums.[9] He was also part of the rock-pop group Vinyl Relay while attending college.[10] Crew became a solo artist in 2011 and began writing songs with Roger Cook in the same year.
In 2013, Crew toured with Roger Cook in the United Kingdom.[11] In 2014, Crew toured with Phil Joel across the United States.[12] [13] As of 2024, Crew's total streaming song listens have reached the hundreds of millions on Chinese sites, such as NetEase Cloud Music.[14] [15] Crew was sponsored by the Chinese company XiaoKang and toured the China for the first time in May 2016. Crew has since toured in Shanghai,[16] Guangzhou, Beijing, and Hong Kong. Crew returned to China for a second tour in the fall of 2016, touring in 13 cities, including Zibo.[17] [18] In 2019, Crew completed a third tour of China in November and December, hosting concerts in seven cities, including Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Chongqing, and Chengdu.[19] [20] Crew returned for his fourth Chinese tour in early 2024.[21]
Most of Crew's catalogue has been co-written with legendary British songwriter Roger Cook. Crew's music often features whimsical themes and otherworldly elements drawn from fairy tales and fantasy to form modern parables in the form of song.[22] Crew has drawn great inspiration from the troubadours of medieval Europe who were often both knights and poets.[23] Crew's style is described as "a blend of pop and alternative with some electronic and folky elements."[20] Crew's musical influences include "the Beatles, Coldplay and John Mayer," and songwriting inspiration has been taken from mythical works and well-known fantasy authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Hermann Hesse.[20] As a tribute to his success in China, Crew prominently featured the erhu, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument, in the single "Fragrance."[19] [20] The music video for the single also contains shots of Shanghai, Chinese scenery, and everyday life in China. In 2022, Crew released a song written in Mandarin Chinese entitled I Know Your Name.[24]
Crew has released several singles, eight EPs, and four LPs: