Friends,

If you’ve been following me on social networks, you have seen your feed blown up with various pictures from my trip to Brazil thus far. Its an honor to be here, completely inspiring for me, and I feel a certain responsibility pass along inspiration to anyone willing to listen and be inspired themselves. Currently I’m still in Rio de Janeiro, enjoying a few hours off before we head to a local studio to do some necessary overdubs for last night’s recording. No better time to blog than now.

This is my 2nd time to Brazil, and my 2nd time working with Fernandinho. He is an incredible guy. Truly humble beginnings — he was homeless before his musical career took off. And because of these humble beginnings, he is a true man of the people. The people love Fernandinho. His billboards peppered the city advertising the show. And in fact, his show sold out — 18,000 people — which is the most tickets HSBC Arena has ever sold for a single event. More than Ozzy, Robert Plant, J-Lo, Beyonce, or any UFC event (which is HUGE here). As I said on Instagram, Fernandinho has set the record as he strives to make God known in Brazil.

The show production was top notch. The stage was in the center of the arena with 4 LED panels on each side, plus a circular LED screen in the center of the stage which would rise and fall depending on the moment in the set. There was also an elevator in the center of the stage, which was used at 2 different times for theatrical effect. The light show was full-on ridiculously huge. In fact, this show’s production could probably fit into an outdoor stadium. It was that big.

All of that said, I really didn’t get to watch the show. My recording room was tucked back into the caverns of the arena hallway, about 250′ from the stage itself. The gear I used was incredible, just like the stage production. A 56 channel Rupert Neve designed AMEK Recall Console, (2) Manley Voxbox Pre’s, (4) Avalon 737′s, (8) Amek 9098 Pre’s, TL Audio, and more. A total of 78 ProTools inputs going into 2 Pro Tools rigs (one for back-up in case the other goes down during capture). NS10′s and Genelec’s for monitoring. Also, the production company for the event called LOUDNESS were also top notch. I’ve worked with them on both projects for Fernandinho, and they make my life incredibly easy while here.

The recording of the show was extremely successful. The sounds of both the band of the crowd were very accurate to the event. It felt like I was in the arena watching the show, even though I was in the caverns with only a closed circuit feed of the show on a TV. I can’t wait for you all to experience what I did. It was a blast!

As great as this experience has been, the highlight of Rio de Janeiro has been reconnecting with Stu G. Many of you know who he is, but for those of you who don’t, he is the guitar mastermind of Delirious. Delirious were the biggest Christian band in the world at the time they retired in 2008. There were Christian bands selling more records in the US at the time, but to this day none of them made the global impact Delirious did.

Stu and I became friends in 2004 when the Rock n Roll Worship Circus (my band) toured with Delirious throughout the US/UK. Since that time, we’ve kept in touch here and there, but haven’t had the opportunity to hang out for longer than a meal or coffee. Stu was brought in by Fernandinho to play guitar, and what a treat it was to engineer the record with his guitar playing! But even more than that was the hang out time. It was so great to catch up with him! Deep, contemplative and spiritual conversations on raising daughters, our favorite wines, and as he puts it, “Living somewhere between the questions and the answers.” He’s a king among men. Some brilliant times here in Brazil.

All of these good times aside, I desperately miss my family. We’ve tried FaceTiming, but the hotel internet doesn’t support it very well. Fortunately my wife and I can send tons of pictures via iMessage through wifi, and we use the Voxer app on a regular basis to hear each other’s voices. To hear my 2 year old Bliss say “I want to hold Daddy” the other day made me cry. All of our daughters are incredible, and there’s no finer woman than my wife. I really miss her. Only 8 more days!

Well friends, off to do overdubs. If all goes well with overdubs I’ll have a day off in Rio, then head to Curitiba for a workshop on writing songs at Abba Church. Then its off to Sao Paulo for another workshop on songwriting. Its going to be a great time! If you’re near the areas of these two cities, please come by and say hello. I would love to meet you. The information is below.

See you soon friends,

Gabriel

3/21 – Curitiba, BRAZIL
Comunhao Crista Abba
Address – Rua Engenheiro
Niepce da Silva
139
Portao – Curitiba – Parana
8pm
For more info www.abba.org.br

3/22-23 – Sao Paulo, BRAZIL
IGREJA BITISTA DA LIBERDADE
R. SANTO AMARO 412 – BELA VISTA
for more info aculturadoreino.wordpress.com

I’m sitting at PappaDeaux at the Houston Airport awaiting my flight to Rio de Janeiro, so I thought I’d blog a bit. This past 2 weeks has been such a thrill. My daughters Amani and Bliss each had birthdays, turning 4 and 2. So much fun! And Without Words from Bethel Music released on March 5th, earning the #2 spot in Christian Music album charts in the UK, and the #1 spot on the Christian Music charts and #7 General Music charts on iTunes in the USA. What a great reception! I’m so pleased with how the entire project turned out. It was a Bethel Music team effort all the way.

Now my efforts are turning to the Southern Hemisphere, as I have the incredible opportunity to work with the great Fernandinho again. Fernandinho’s ministry is one of the strongest music ministries in Brazil. His last record “Teus Sonhos” (which I had the honor of engineering in May 2012) went platinum in its first month of sales. I’m currently on layover, waiting for my flight to Rio to engineer a new live DVD for him. Its going to be a rush! My old friend Stu G. will also be there playing guitar for Fernandinho. I can’t wait to reconnect with him. The last time I was able to hang with Stu for several consecutive days was in 2004 on Delirious’ World Service Tour. It is long overdue. Stu is a top-notch guitarist, and an incredible human being.

After the recording in Rio, I’ll be stopping into Curitiba and Sao Paulo to hold some workshops on songwriting. I have a HUGE passion for artists and writers in the local church. I love to help inspire them to move the Lord’s heart with songs, and to write about what God is doing in their local churches. If you’re from one of these two cities and would like to participate, the information is below. I would love to meet you!

I’ll do my best to blog once or twice while I’m in Brazil. And of course, I’ll be updating frequently through Instagram, Twitter, and FB.

See you soon, friends.

Gabriel

3/21 – Curitiba, BRAZIL
Comunhao Crista Abba
Address – Rua Engenheiro
Niepce da Silva
139
Portao – Curitiba – Parana
8pm
For more info www.abba.org.br

3/22-23 – Sao Paulo, BRAZIL
IGREJA BITISTA DA LIBERDADE
R. SANTO AMARO 412 – BELA VISTA
for info – aculturadoreino.wordpress.com

This week marked the beginning promotional blast for Bethel Music’s “Without Words”, a project unlike any other I have been a part of. I have had the honor of producing & co-producing many projects throughout the past 12 years, but none has impacted me quite like this one has.

As my co-production partner Garrett Viggers and I began to discuss the vision for the project with executive producers Brian Johnson and Joel Taylor, we found ourselves unpacking our distaste for current conventional instrumental albums (made of previously existing songs). In most cases, the song’s arrangement is done exactly as the previous recording…only with the lyric and the vocalist removed. By removing the lyric and vocal, you remove the listener’s emotional attachment to the song. For instance, if you take Chris Martin out of a Coldplay song and replace his vocal (melody and lyric) with a xylophone, it is hardly moving–In fact, its hokey and feels like elevator music. And elevator music versions of Bethel’s songs was NOT the goal.

Garrett and I began to work intensely on re-defining what “instrumental version” meant. We began to create–and recreate–the songs from the ground up by re-inventing textures, time-signatures, chord progressions, counterpoints, and even melody lines of the songs we were working on. As time went on, we began to discover the need for a new romance within each of the songs. Even though they were instrumental versions of existing songs, we found there were actually new moments — songs within the songs — that were being discovered.

We tracked the album at Bethel Studio, Soundhouse, and my garage studio (nicknamed “The Parachute Room”–due to all of the parachutes hung to hide the sound diffusion). I engineered the majority of the tracks, and Chris Greely (my old production partner i.e. “The Glitter Twins) mixed the album. We used all analog sound sources, creating real loops from capture rather than midi. We also used many old-school synths, and almost no midi keys. Moogs, Juno synths, Multi-Vox keys and the like. And to throw a wrench into conventional rhythmic sounds, we used everything from HAM Radio and Typewriter to Rotary Phones and Morris Code to create rhythmic elements. We also used some old and unique stringed instruments which Garrett specializes in such as Dulcimer, Bandjammer, etc. We had a number of other creative and collaborative partners on the project including Dan Schaeffer, Daniel Mackenzie (producer of Loft Sessions), Graham Moore, and Jeremy Larson on strings (Eisley, Sucre) rounding out an incredible team. Not to mention the incredible Nathan Grubbs on art direction.

Making music is an honor, in any capacity. But moments like these are grand. The process was unbelievably inspiring. In fact, there we several moments in tracking the record where certain sense of destiny would overtake me. “This is what I was born to do”, my soul would say. We set out to make an instrumental album…. an album that would allow the breath of instruments to be the main voice. An album that we hoped would move the heart of God every time it is played…

From the textures, to the new melodies and counterpoints, to the unconventional instruments we used, Without Words is an album I am truly blessed to have been a part of. I owe many thanks to Garrett for giving me the opportunity to work with him. And I owe many thanks to Joel Taylor and Brian Johnson. Garret was was the visionary, the unconventionally stringed instrument genius… I was the mad scientist, the analog keys & synth lover who got to create the soundscape of my dreams. Together we made a great team, and Joel & Brian’s trust was more than valuable to us.

Without Words releases March 5th through Bethel Music/Integrity/Kingsway. Do take the time to check it out. I hope you’ll enjoy the musical journey as much as I enjoyed being a part of its creation. Check out the link to the video below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENShBHEwC7g

May the Lord’s heart be moved.

All the Best,
Gabriel

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” — ECCLESIASTES 4:12

Those are the words of King Solomon near the end of his life. And though he made his fair share of mistakes, history will always remember him among the wisest of men who ever lived. Perhaps this verse was written as he reflected on his mistakes, realizing how easily they could’ve been avoided if he would’ve not stood alone.

In my 38 trips around the sun, my greatest creative victories have come in collaboration with others. My greatest relational victories have come in community with others. For this reason, I’m starting a new tradition of blogging once every few blogs on this subject of “Collaboration > Narcissism”, highlighting some amazing co-collaborators I’m currently working with, as well as co-collaborators from the past. I’ll speak on the specific role each of us play(ed) in the collaborative efforts, and some lessons learned along the way.

This week’s blog is on my latest co-collaborator… Ladies and Gents, please meet my good friend and colleague, Mr. Daniel Mackenzie.

Dan is a transplant from Toronto, Canada, now living in Redding, CA. (a side note — This makes him the 4th Canadian Co-Collaborator I’ve worked with–Jobie from Whitfield, Toby from Run the Red Light, Canadian band Article One, among others–I love Canadian artists!. Some of my best work! But I digress..) Dan’s efforts to push the sonic frame of whatever he’s producing is unlike few I’ve met. His modular synth rig is completely inspiring, and he’s probably the best bass player I’ve ever seen. Ridiculous.

Daniel is currently one of the producers of the new album from Bethel Music, slated for a 3rd quarter release this year. Though we are both listed as producers, Dan brought me in on the project after he had already been given the producer role. He’s several years my younger, but he’s got killer instincts and great chops as a musician & producer. Couple this with his wisdom and ability beyond his years. He’s a force to be reckoned with. He’s at his best when focused on the sonic frame of an album. Some guys will get a half-way good tone and go with it thinking, “Ah…we’ll just fix it in the mix…” But not Dan. He pushes to find just the right tone, just the right line, and won’t give up until its EXACTLY right. So good!

I’m at my best when focusing on the artists’ journey and their songs (melodies and lyrics). And even though we both have the ability to play multiple instruments and shape the sonics of any album we’re producing, managing the heart and headspace of the artists and songwriters is definitely where I’ve put the majority of my effort on this project. The journey of the artist is paramount. And on this album there are 7 artists… Yes, seven! On one album! To help each one of them navigate their own journey in the writing and recording process is an insane job. I wouldn’t be able to do it without a guy like Dan keeping a close watch on the sonic continuity of each arrangement, and the record as a whole.

Thus our current roles — Daniel : Sonic Frame, Gabriel : Artists Journey/Headspace. Granted, this is not a boundary that won’t be crossed by the other. Dan often speaks into the artist’s journey, and I often speak into the album’s arrangement and frame. But on this album, there is simply be too much for one producer to do. It is a HUGE team effort, and without the team, it would lack continuity and excellence. We both love our jobs, and working with each other is a sweet bonus. Our team is awesome.

As record producers, we are the leaders who shape the capture of the heart of every artist we are working with. We are helping to frame their story, their journey… Leading them, guiding them, looking out for their best interests. Sages, pastors, midwives so-to-speak as they give birth to their dream. Even if its not a co-produce on paper, its good to collaborate with your engineers, the musicians you’re producing, and even your interns… pushing and pulling each other towards the goal of making the best record possible.

This is one of the reasons Collaboration is greater than Narcissism–and one of the many reasons why Solomon wrote what he did. While it is often true that leadership means one person must be ultimately be in charge, it does not mean a leader must stand alone. Just like in album producer, a person who lives life in collaboration & community with others will ultimately succeed in stronger ways and have a much more successful life in every way — career, marriage, parenting, and more. If your life is not in collaboration & community with others, you find yourself only listening to your own opinion for advice and direction… And ultimately you never grow. In life, everything is either growing or dying. Collaboration keeps growth alive in all of us.

Its better than narcissism any day.

Cheers, friends!
Gabriel

Daniel Mackenzie and I on the new Bethel Music LP.

Daniel Mackenzie is a co-producer of Bethel Music’s “Loft Sessions” and producer of Hunter GK Thompson’s “Gabriel Kansas”, releasing February 23rd. If you would like to find out more about him, follow him on Instagram & Twitter @MackenzieDan.

DC30 and Veritas

Friends,

I thought I’d share a fun tidbit of techie-gear-wizardry-turned-nugget-of-wisdom for the producer blog…

Back in the day, I was a part of a production duo with one of my favorite colleagues and best friends, Chris Greely. For various reasons we were nicknamed “The Glitter Twins” by our friends Greg and Zac Sanders. As the Glitter Twins, we went on to produce well over a dozen albums together including one of my personal favorites “Drop Dead” from The Violet Burning — a MUST to check out if you’r fans of So. Cal atmospheric rock n roll. But I digress… Fast forward nearly 14 years later, and Chris Greely has moved to Redding. Though we’ve not reunited officially under the aforementioned production moniker, we are working together regularly (he as tracking & mix engineer, myself as producer) on various projects. This includes the latest studio LP from Bethel Music (which I’m co-producing with Daniel Mackenzie). Its been a blast!

When Chris moved to Redding this past September, he brought an old friend of ours… the Roland DC30 Chorus/Delay unit. I don’t know a lot of this delay’s inception. But it sounds INCREDIBLE. It was given to me by my birth father — Robert McGuire (of McGuire Side fame) as a gift in 1999. Chris used it throughout our touring years in the Rock n Roll Worship Circus & The Listening (1999-2007). It has now made it’s home at Soundhouse on the current Bethel Music album. It is INCREDIBLE on guitar tracks… Creamy, Buttery… noisy as all get out, too. Its awesome!

Thickening the plot, just this week Chris brought another friend (permanently?) to Redding with him… the genius guitar whiz from Colorado by way of Portland — Sir Bobby Strand. Not much is known of this new friend by the outer world–unless you’ve met him or seen him play. He’s a great player, tone and sense of melody are brilliant. But he’s also a GREAT guy.

Sir Bobby Strand brought with him the Veritas “Portlander” guitar. I have to say, this guitar is really special. Its honestly a bit too pristine for me — I’m kinda scared I’ll break it if I hit it too hard (and I hit guitars REALLY hard.) Its black and gold (because only the best guitars are black and gold, right?), sounds awesome, plays effortlessly… and is quite an amazing experience tonally.

One old friend… the Roland DC 30. One new friend… the Veritas Portlander.

Michael Pope (friend, colleague, and guitarist for Bethel Music) and I decided to do some tracking with both the Veritas and the DC30 today on a new song from Steffany Frizzell-Gretzinger. The tone was as smooth as silk. Veritas, DC30, AC30 guitar amp. Brilliant chain, and Mike was the perfect musician for the job. I can’t wait for you to hear it!

Creating great art with the goal of moving the Lord’s heart is my life’s mission. And to have old friends like Chris Greely and new friends like Bobby Strand joining along the way makes the mission all the better. Relationships are really the only things that matter in this world. If you don’t have relationships, I reckon you don’t have anything–even if you own a Portlander and a DC30. Its the friendships which make life the sweetest it can be.

If you happen to get your hands on a Veritas Portlander, check it out. I don’t think you’ll be sorry, especially if you like your guitars to play easily. And if you happen to find a DC30 on eBay or at a garage sale, grab it! If you hate it, I know a few guys that will gladly take it off your hands

All the best,

Gabriel

So sorry it has been so long since I’ve blogged on this site.  My friends often make jokes about “Artist Gabriel” vs. “Producer Gabriel”.  “Artist Gabriel” is friendly, quite social, always making time for conversation, blogging, etc… On the contrary, “Producer Gabriel” is a hermit.  Never social, often too busy making interesting sounds & buried in the journey of his client’s recording process to make time for social interaction…  Since the release of The McGuire Side in September, I have been in full-on “Producer Gabriel” mode.  Literally, I’ve been buried… in the very best way!

I’m going to do my best to allow the two worlds of production and artistry to finally mesh on this website.  We’ll be doing some overhauling to the site to make record production (which is my primary vocation) the top coverage priority.  I find there are very few online resources for production that have inspired me.  Often you read about sounds, tone, etc… But what about the journey of the artist?  In my world, production hinges on the journey of the artist.  Even though I’m one of the biggest gear sluts I’ve ever known, the journey of the artist has become my highest priority — over gear, tones, etc.  If the artist’s journey is navigated correctly & honestly, their songs will reflect their journey.  If their songs reflect their journey, the songs become compelling.  And once the songs are compelling, it makes the technical side of recording the easiest part.

Though I’m not the most experienced guy out there by any means, I hope to begin to share some of the studio experiences of my past, present, and future with you in real time in hopes to pay-it-forward and inspire you as songwriters, artists, producers, and even fans of great music. I figure its the least I can do, as I’ve been inspired by these same experiences and draw from them continually in album production.  But give me some time to navigate exactly how to do this, okay?  After all, this is “Producer Gabriel” talking.  And I’ve got some bad habits of non-communication to undo…

Looking forward to this, friends.

All the best,

Gabriel

A few nights ago I had the good fortune of seeing a Wilco show right here in the small town of Redding, CA.  Population 90,138 people.  I deliberated on going to the show — all the way up to the day of the show itself.  If you could see my project board right now, you would understand why.  Between being swamped with work and having a 3 daughters ages 3 and under, it was difficult to give up an evening for even Wilco.  Elisa (most amazing wife among all the earth’s amazing married women) finally convinced me to go.  Even though she is an even bigger Wilco fan than I am, she felt I should go and be inspired while she stayed home with the kiddos.

She rules.

And she was right.  Inspired doesn’t even describe it.

In the words of my best friend Jason Miller, Wilco are the Radiohead of Americana, Folk, even of America itself.   Its a little sad that I have lived exclusively within the church music world long that I forgot what its like to see a truly great “real band”… I’m grateful for Wilco and their beautiful but glaring reminder. Tweedy, Cline, and the gurus of their genre played flawlessly.  That didn’t necessarily surprise me though… I know Wilco is a killer band, and am a huge fan.  What surprised me is the way they executed their craft, and the fact that I had forgotten some simple truths of great musical chemistry.  Here’s some take-aways, folks.

No Click?  That’s right… no metronome dictating the tempo.  In today’s delay driven, shiny pop version of Euro-Ameri Rock, the click is king.  No click folks… the tempo was in flux the whole night, and it was a beautiful thing.  They didn’t play to the click.  They played to the drummer.  Not even that… they played together.  Speeding up, slowing down, rushing transitions… and oh my Lord, it was gorgeous.  It made me ask the question… “If the good Lord exists and lives in a realm not dicated by time, why shouldn’t we?”.

No In-Ears?  Nope.  Only wedges.  Good old-fashioned wedges.  Remember back when you could actually hear and FEEL the stage volume of the musicians playing around you?  Praise the Lord.  And because of that, their synergy was flawless.  Their dynamics were spectacular.  They could actually feel each other playing… In Wilco’s world of sound, isolation isn’t the goal, chemistry is.  Which brings me to my next take-away…

No drum-shield.  Enough said.

Amps facing forward.  Enough said.

No wait… not enough said.  

I’m pretty sure the majority of the artists and bands that use drum-shields and rear-fire/side-fire their amplifiers are Christian artists and Christian bands.  I might be wrong…but I don’t think I am.  When I see a drum shield on a stage, its usually a church stage.  When I don’t see amps on stage, its usually a church stage.  Maybe it matters to the Lord, maybe it doesn’t.  But I think its one of the reasons why Christian bands, artists, and worship teams don’t sound like real bands.  They don’t play with the same synergy as their general market counter-parts.  Isolation is usually the goal in the church audio world — not chemistry.

In seeing Wilco last night, and in thinking about the other “real bands” I’ve seen live throughout the course of my 30+ trips around the sun, none of them (from the Stones, to Tom Petty, to Radiohead, even click/delay driven bands like U2, Coldplay, Killers, Keane, etc etc) rely on isolation to achieve their collective sound.  Chemistry is the goal.  To play together well, you not only need to hear the music, you have to FEEL the music.  You may be able to hear each other, but you can’t feel anything when isolation of the musical elements is the method of attaining your sound.

But I digress… back to Wilco.

Their songs rule.  Wilco and Tweedy are incredible song-writers.  Their melodies, lyrics… just incredible.

Nels Cline?  He might just be the greatest guitarist of our day.  He is certainly the youngest 59 year old in Rock n Roll.  Jiminy Christmas.  He’s ridiculous.

I could go on and on… They were amazing.

I should get back to my day job of making records folks.  Deadlines are approaching on a few of these projects I’m in the midst of, and blogging about Wilco isn’t helping those deadlines be met.  But I’ll be listening to music all day with a different frame of mind.  In today’s world of pitch-corrected, perfectly quantized modern record making methodology, it was a breath of fresh air to see Wilco play & vividly color outside of those lines.  Much thanks to Wilco, and to Jeff Darling of the Cascade Theater for bringing them in to inspire our small town.  It was a beautiful evening.

Thanks friends,

Gabriel

I’m up this morning bright and early… have been up since 5:15am when my daughter Bliss woke up briefly.  I came back to bed, and held my wife closely and began praying for her, our daughters, and our family in general.  And then… thankfulness.  So much thankfulness in fact, that I knew I might as well wake up and make some coffee.  My heart is overflowing, and so is my French Press.

Yesterday saw the release of The McGuire Side, my first ever solo full-length endeavor.  Its a record so personal, I flirted three distinct times with the notion of not ever putting it out.  In the end, The McGuire Side beckoned to be released.  And I’m thankful…

Thankful for the warm reception from close fans, friends, and new fans and friends.

Thankful for the feedback I’m getting from people all over the world!

Thankful for it crashing through the top 40 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter Charts (no. 26?? On New Release Tuesday? Who knew??)

but even more….

Thankful for the McGuire side of my family.  They are wonderful.

Thankful for the Wilsons, and my step-dad who raised me and cared for me like I was his own flesh and blood.

Thankful for my mom, for consistently pointing me to Jesus, and for always listening.  Mom’s give the best advice, don’t they?

Thankful for the Tussings, my mom’s side of the family.  They are an inspiration. Men and women who truly live out their convictions and never hesitate to be a blessing to the world around them, including me.

Thankful for my wife and kids.  They are incredible!  Breathtaking. I married the most beautiful woman on the earth since Eve herself, and we have been blessed by God with daughters more beautiful than my mind’s eye could have ever imagined.

Thankful for my church, for this amazing community at Bethel Redding who have welcomed my family and I so warmly, and cared for us as if we’ve been here for a decade.

Thankful to Jesus Christ, my savior, Father, and friend.  For…..everything.

There’s a lot more than that… but it feels great to even share and express this thankfulness in blog form.  I feel like the richest man on earth.  My life is a treasure.  May it be a blessing to the Lord, to my family and friends, and to the world around all of us.

As you all continue to spread the word about The McGuire Side LP, know that I’m eternally grateful.  I really believe this album has the power to bring healing to those who hear it.  I so appreciate you all going on this journey with me.  You are truly the best.

Thankful,
Gabriel

The Vinyls are here.  The Discs are here.  iTunes has made it available.  The McGuire Side is finally here!

My home has been buzzing for quite awhile in anticipation — not only of this album, but more importantly the birth of Mazzy, our 3rd child (blog coming soon!).  Wow, so much is happening so quickly.  Incredible.

And now… The McGuire Side is finally here!

We kicked it off tonight with a great invitation only release party in Redding thrown by our good friends Jason and Amy Miller.  What a blast.  A good turnout of friends and family, a great spread of food, and a lot of good wishes for us as we launch this endeavor.  Much thanks for my friends, the Millers.  They not only threw the party, but they were also very involved in The McGuire Side’s making.  Jason played a fair amount of guitar on the record and he took the incredibly classic looking photos throughout the packaging.  His wife Amy did the art layout (and the website, i might add).  Without them, this project would feel incredibly different.

My family and I came home from the party to find a card on our doorstep from some good friends in Redding.  The card congratulated me on the release of the record, and was one of the kindest cards I’ve ever received.  And as I read it, I kept looking at my wife and our new baby Mazzy as they looked up at me and watched me read the card.  Wow… They are so beautiful to me!  My family is where my heart is.  My wife, my 3 little daughters… they’re everything to me.  And I guess that’s why this record feels different.  Because this record is about my family.  The family who came before me.  The family who contributed to who I am.  The family which made it possible for me to have a family of my own.  Family… family is everything.  God Bless the McGuire side.

The McGuire Side is finally here!  You can grab your copy from the webstore, or download from iTunes here.

All the best,
Gabriel

What a whirlwind it has been since pre-orders have gone live.  Wow… Thank you for all of your support.  It really does mean the world to me.

Back in March, some friends of mine at Haywire Creative set out to make a short film about the story behind The McGuire Side.  The folks at Haywire are dedicated to creative missions and making an impact in the world around us through the telling of stories, media arts, cinema, and online marketing.  Whether its the Malaria Cube saving thousands of lives, or the engagement story which will forever capture the couple’s fall into love and matrimony, or the story of a man discovering the musical heritage he had been walking out without ever having known it — Haywire Creative are among the best of the best.  You might have already seen this short film, or you might be hearing about it for the first time.  Either way, I wanted to give credit where credit is due.  Here is the short film/EPK telling the story of The McGuire Side.  Hats off to Nolan and Josiah from Haywire Creative.  I couldn’t have been more pleased with how this turned out.

Enjoy,

Gabriel

The McGuire Side EPK