Gabriel Wilson

Friends,

Thanks for your patience as we all wait for pre-orders to go live. We had an issue with our handling company which threw us back a few days. Pre-Orders will go live on August 21st, and will be available through my website and also on iTunes. So excited

This past week, I had the fun of taking a trip down to Folsom, CA to give some close friends and fans a sneak peak of The McGuire Side. It was a blast. Some friends from Redding joined me (www.theroosterparty.org) and we set up in a friend’s back-yard & pool area — albeit a big back yard — with a PA system, screen and projector, a full band set up, and an old vinyl player. Aaron Wardel and Amy Miller kicked it off, and then I had the honor of sharing The McGuire Side publicly and in-person for the first time. I performed a song or two, we debuted the short film about the record and a music video for one of the songs, and listened to some songs as I shared the story behind each one.

For me the whole experience was a bit of a raw one. These aren’t just songs — these are my stories, my experiences, and you might even say my testimony. There’s still a part of me that gets pretty nervous and comes undone when singing songs off this record and sharing the story of how it came to pass. But… the response was awesome, and the feedback overwhelming. It wasn’t pats on the back or compliments that moved me so much– though those are always welcome and appreciated! It was the many people who took my story to heart, who have been through what I’ve been through or something very similar, and were touched and inspired by it. It was the kid who never met his birth father — and doesn’t even know if he’s alive. It was the woman going through a divorce who wanted to know how to point her sons to Jesus like my mom did for me. It was the teenage girl with her parents who are divorcing who simply hugged me and said, ‘Thank you’, and walked away with tears in her eyes…

All of the coming undone, or the nerves, or the uncomfortability of sharing a story like this with the world is pale in comparison to the satisfaction of seeing someone else touched by this record. If listeners can find healing in my story, then maybe they’ll be willing to share their stories and extend that healing to others. I can’t quite think of anything better at the moment.

It was good to catch up with my friends in Folsom, and good to make some new ones. I’m looking forward to doing more catching up with all of you as the year moves on… God Bless you, friends.

Gabriel