The Stories

1. Dust

I’ve always loved this quote from Bertold Auerbach (the version I read was) “music is the rain the washes away the dust of everyday life.” Music has always rescued me from difficult or stressful times in life. I decided it would make a great story, and a great song. I came up with the chorus first; “this is the dust of everyday life…”, and it practically wrote itself from there. It explores how the "daily grind” - work, chores, and stress - can settle on us like dust, causing us to lose our true selves. The lyrics reflect that moment when reconnecting through music, nature, or love finally washes that “dust” away. I hope this song inspires you to find your own "rain" and reconnect with who you were always meant to be.

Lyrics and music – Brian Grandbouche
Acoustic guitars – Brian Grandbouche
Bass – Adam Perkowski
Drums – Joshua Grandbouche
Midi Clay Flute – Brian Grandbouche
Lead Vocal – Brian Grandbouche
Harmony Vocals – Brian Grandbouche and Paul Jensen

2. Fire's End

I wrote the main part of this song in my twenties. It’s about the healing power of nature and watching a beautiful sunset in Colorado after a hard day’s work. I played it for many years, but it always felt unfinished. I took a sabbatical from work in 2024, and rented a cabin in Sedona, Arizona for 3 weeks. Just myself, alone, with 2 guitars, a microphone and a tiny recording device. (a few bottles of wine may also have been involved…) The intro guitar lines, and the instrumental bridge just came to me one day… I wanted to take the listener away from the nice sweet major 7th chords, with some minor chords to add interest and drama, like a storm coming in, so I went with it, and the song felt complete. For the album track, I recruited my friend and virtuoso guitar player (that I hadn’t talked to in 40 years!), Guy Stephens. Best call I ever made. Guy’s beautifully tasteful guitar lines really helped the song come alive. The result is a great finished song – only took me 44 years! Enjoy this with a nice Rocky Mountain sunset around the campfire.

Lyrics and music – Brian Grandbouche
Acoustic guitars – Brian Grandbouche
Electric guitars – Guy Stephens
Bass – Corey Roberts
Drums – Joshua Grandbouche
Midi Strings – Brian Grandbouche
Lead Vocal – Brian Grandbouche
Harmony Vocals – Brian Grandbouche and Paul Jensen

3. Empty Rooms

I had a recurring dream, always in black and white…I was in this old mansion, trying to find someone or find a way out, and every time I opened a door, it was an empty room, and I remember thinking, “I keep finding empty rooms”. When I woke up, I wrote that down and went back to sleep, knowing I would do something with it… A few months later, inspired by lessons learned from others more experienced than me, the words came…it’s a song about going through life and trying to hang on to all your material things, not realizing until it’s too late that at the end of your life you are all alone with your “stuff” instead of having friends and family around you. I wrote a little blues riff that fit the melody around the words, and my son Josh laid down a nice beat. Guy smokes the guitar solo while Pete holds down the groove with his signature bass lines. This was a blast to record, as I had most of my “old band” back together! Pete Langford on bass, Guy Stephens on guitar, myself playing and singing, and my son Josh on drums. We jammed this tune out in the studio and talked about precious memories. Too much fun! May you never find empty rooms.

Lyrics and music – Brian Grandbouche
Acoustic guitars – Brian Grandbouche
Electric guitars – Guy Stephens
Bass – Pete Langford
Drums – Joshua Grandbouche
Midi strings – Brian Grandbouche
Vocals– Brian Grandbouche
Background Chatter – Brian Grandbouche, Guy Stephens, Pete Langford

4. Magic Bullet

I love stories. I found myself telling this story about Dad to my friend Paul, and he says “That’s a great story…you should write a song about it…” So, the next day, as I was messing around with an open “C” tuning on my Martin, I wrote the chorus, and the verses came quickly after, since I was basically re-telling the story in the form of poetry. For the recording, we did an acoustic version only with vocals. Sounded good to me! At the time I had no idea that Corin Nelsen, who helped engineer, mix, master and produce this track, was going to add Eugene Friesen (cello), Charlie Bisharat (violin) and Jeff Haynes (percussion) to my simple guitar and vocals! With Corin’s guidance and the genius of these amazing instrumentalists, the final tracks put this song into an entirely new category of great. How often do you have 3 Grammy® award winning artists and Grammy® award winning engineer Corin Nelsen playing and producing a song for you! I’m still pinching myself……Hope this song touches your heart like it does mine.

Lyrics and music – Brian Grandbouche
Acoustic guitars – Brian Grandbouche
Violin – featuring Charlie Bisharat*
Cello – featuring Eugene Friesen*
Percussion – featuring Jeffrey Haynes*
Vocals– Brian Grandbouche
Background Vocals – Brian Grandbouche

5. Canyon Wren

This song began with a rhythmic acoustic riff using harmonics. I was visiting my old friend Paul Jensen in Grand Junction, Colorado and I played it a few times for him - he really liked it. So, I had this cool riff, but nothing to pair it with, until…He drove me up to the Colorado National Monument. It was March, and the canyons were beautiful – the snow was melting, the stones were shimmering with spring just around the corner. We went into the museum at the top of the monument, and Paul called me over and said “Check this out – whenever I come here, I always push this button on the bird display, and it plays the song of a Canyon Wren. I’ve been pushing this button since I was a little kid…” Sure enough, it played the Canyon Wren’s birdcall. Thinking nothing of it, we then took a short hike out to a viewpoint with a little bench, overlooking the canyons, and that’s when it happened…we heard an actual Canyon Wren! Paul whistled the song back, and the bird answered him! This went on, back and forth a few times, before the bird stopped answering. It was kind of surreal…both of us, alone on this cliff, the air crisp and clear; the blue sky and the melting snow….and talking with birds! So I went back to my little Airbnb that night and played some bird sounds in the background to my guitar riff. It worked! I played it for Paul the next day and he went nuts! He loved it and then he said, “You son-of-a gun! I’ve been sitting on that cliff all my life waiting to write that song, and you came here and beat me to it! That’s my song!” 😊 I penned some words inspired by the moment on the cliff. Then, we recorded it and added the sweet violin of Charlie Bisharat for the icing on the cake! I put both versions on the album with vocals and without – try sitting on a quiet, remote canyon cliff to really enjoy it.

Lyrics and music – Brian Grandbouche
Acoustic guitars – Brian Grandbouche
Bass – Corey Roberts
Drums – Joshua Grandbouche
Bird Soundscape – Taylor Riley and Brian Grandbouche
Violin – featuring Charlie Bisharat*
Midi “Shimmer” Synthesizer – Jill Sissel
Vocals – Brian Grandbouche

6. Every Second

I keep a journal with all sorts of phrases that I hear or make up as I go through life. One day I wrote this: Every…second…of…your…life. I thought it was profound, like asking “what is the meaning of life” kind of thing. One day as I was going through my journal, I decided I needed to write a song with this as the theme. I had been playing around with this sweet little guitar part that went up and down the neck to a cool beat. So, I asked myself: What is this song about? (being a “glass-half-full” kind of person, I wrote out my answer:) It’s about being in awe at the world; the inspiration of nature…the majesty of the mountains…waking up and taking notice of every second…all of it. The sadness, the heartbreak, the absolute exhilaration of falling in love or accomplishing the significant – the energy of freedom and the immortal confidence that anything is possible – right in front of you – all you have to do is step into it. And it’s all moving at the speed of light, so it’s easy to miss. The moment is like crystal…clear, crisp, clean…you see it…you feel it…You will never pass this way again. Realize it. Drink it in, and go on, knowing it happened, and the moment cannot be taken away.

The words fit into the music after that, and we recorded a stripped-down version. Then as if that weren’t enough, we added this amazing percussion track, and topped it off with Eugene Friesen on cello, Charlie Bisharat on violin, and Premik Russell Tubbs on flute!!!!! I hope this track inspires you as much as it did me in writing it.

Lyrics and music – Brian Grandbouche
Acoustic guitars – Brian Grandbouche
Bass – Adam Perkowski
Drums – Joshua Grandbouche
Synthesizer – Brian Grandbouche
Violins – featuring Charlie Bisharat*
Cello – featuring Eugene Friesen*
Flute – featuring Premik Russel-Tubbs
Lead Vocal – Brian Grandbouche
Harmony Vocals – Brian Grandbouche and Paul Jensen

7. Why

I had this chorus and melody stuck in my head for a month or so, about broken promises and little lies that people tell. I liked it, but I needed verses. So, I started to write about life experiences of betrayal and disappointment by friends and lovers, starting from childhood, and reflecting from a more mature perspective, trying to make sense of everything. I just couldn’t come up with a good childhood story to start the song with, so I asked my wife if she ever had a time in her childhood when she felt betrayed. She very clearly remembered telling a friend a secret that they didn’t keep, so I had my opening verse! (“secrets shared that should not have been”), and the rest just fell into place. It’s about real-life experiences. I like the emotional vibe of this tune, and the way the bridge transitions to a happy ending to the story.

Lyrics and music – Brian Grandbouche
Acoustic & electric guitars – Brian Grandbouche
Electric guitars – Guy Stephens
Bass – Corey Roberts
Drums – Joshua Grandbouche & Taylor Riley
Lead Vocal – Brian Grandbouche
Harmony Vocals – Brian Grandbouche and Paul Jensen

8. You're Not the Weight

I wrote this song for the people in my life, and others, who are humble, and always think they are a burden, or different, or a problem to others, when in fact they are brilliant, creative and authentic. (you know who you are!) I am attracted to the creatives that don’t want or need to be the center of attention – they usually have something profound to say if you set aside your agenda and listen to them. I wanted this song to be upbeat, so I started with a 70s vibe. I threw in a modulation in the middle for fun, and I love the dynamics we created in the bridge to get you to lean in and listen. Guy Stephens again does all these tasty little guitar licks sandwiched between words, and verses and choruses. Pete Langford gives it a nice pocket with his bass line, and the drums by Taylor Riley anchor everything. The keyboards added by Eric Gross from Wild Flight really make this song complete. My anthem to the unheard and unseen!

Lyrics and music – Brian Grandbouche
Acoustic guitar – Brian Grandbouche
Electric guitars – Guy Stephens
Bass – Pete Langford
Drums – Taylor Riley
Keyboards– Eric Gross from “Wild Flight”
Vocals– Brian Grandbouche
Background Vocals – Brian Grandbouche and Paul Jensen

9. The Big Trade

Originally written for my father in the mid-eighties, this song remained unrecorded for decades as I struggled to find the right arrangement. To honor his memory, I finally stripped it back to just acoustic guitar and vocals. From there, the track blossomed: Taylor added a rhythmic foundation and vocal layers, Paul contributed smooth harmonies, and Charlie Bisharat provided stunning violin. What began as a simple melody is now a beautiful tribute to my father. I’m so glad I kept it—it’s the perfect way to remember him.

Lyrics and music – Brian Grandbouche
Acoustic guitars – Brian Grandbouche
Electric guitars – Guy Stephens
Bass – Taylor Riley
Drum programming – Taylor Riley
Violin – Charlie Bisharat*
Midi synth – Brian Grandbouche
Lead Vocal – Brian Grandbouche
Harmony Vocals – Brian Grandbouche and Paul Jensen

10. Stories

This one started with one of those little guitar riffs on my acoustic that I couldn’t stop playing. It was around the time that I reconnected with Paul, a musician friend of 45 years, who I recorded an album with in 1980 when we were just kids. We hadn’t spoken to or seen each other for a good while, but when we finally re-connected, it was like we’d never left. We started talking and filling in the gaps of our lives with story after story…and one day Paul said, “you know, we’re all just stories in the end”, and I knew that was the title for the song that I needed to write with this guitar part! I could not come up with any words that I liked, so I asked Paul if he would write the words. He did! I drove out to Colorado, and we spent 2-3 days putting together the words and music. Once in studio, I added Guy Stephens and he added some tasty acoustic lines on the track with his trusty Martin. The song came out great – it has this soothing, silky groove to it that bumps along with a nice bass line from Corey Roberts, and an excellent drum track from my son Josh, giving it energy and dynamics. This song represents the nostalgia of two old friends reuniting after years of great memories and lost time. After knowing each other for almost 50 years, we realized this was the first song we ever co-wrote! Enjoy it by the fire with a glass of wine, and an old friend.

Lyrics – Paul Jensen
Music – Brian Grandbouche
Acoustic guitars – Brian Grandbouche
Acoustic guitar rhythm & solo – Guy Stephens
Bass – Corey Roberts
Drums – Joshua Grandbouche
Drum Programming – Brian Grandbouche
Saxophone – featuring Premik Russel-Tubbs
Lead Vocal – Brian Grandbouche
Harmony Vocals – Brian Grandbouche and Paul Jensen

11. Canyon Wren (instrumental version)

This song began with a rhythmic acoustic riff using harmonics. During a visit to the Colorado National Monument, my friend Paul introduced me to the distinct call of the Canyon Wren. Later, while sitting on a cliff overlooking the canyons, we shared a surreal moment "whistling" back and forth with an actual wren. Inspired, I paired the bird’s song with my guitar riff. Featuring Charlie Bisharat’s violin, this track captures that moving, ethereal experience. Best enjoyed on a quiet canyon cliff.

Music – Brian Grandbouche
Acoustic guitars – Brian Grandbouche
Bass – Corey Roberts
Drums – Joshua Grandbouche
Bird Soundscape – Taylor Riley & Brian Grandbouche
Violin – featuring Charlie Bisharat*
Midi “Shimmer” Synthesizer – Jill Sissel