Familiar Strangers by Guy-Michael Grande

A singer-songwriter whose contemporary acoustic folk/pop evokes comparisons to artists ranging from Jackson Browne to del Amitri, Neil Finn and David Wilcox, Grande's original songs reveal a keen ear for his craft, wry takes on the everyday and deep sensitivity toward matters of the heart and human condition.

Grande's six-string musical sensitivities were awakened during childhood days spent in a hometown not far from New York City.

"Guitar has been a major part of my identity since I was seven years old," he recalls. Despite this history, it took a six-year hiatus in the early 90s to make the young musician realize the vital role his instrument played. "When I picked it up again, the songs just started coming, and I haven't looked back since."

Familiar Strangers is in many ways a glimpse of Grande's own life.

"If you listen closely, there's a common theme running through these songs," he reveals. "It's a record about changes -- people coming together and coming apart." The record features 10 radio-ready tracks, ranging from the opening salvos of 'Here & Now' to the closing whisper of 'Ever After.'

Produced by Jim Chapdelaine at Be-BANG! Studios (West Hartford, CT) -- who has worked with artists ranging from Paula Cole to Feathermerchants -- FS also features his impressive fretwork on an array of stringed instruments, most audibly "all the big dog guitars."

"Working with Jim is extremely gratifying because he's an amazingly gifted musician with an uncanny knack for serving every song," Grande enthuses.

While the chemistry between artist and producer fuels FS with sparkle and substance, Grande is a songwriter who's passionate about the creative process, balancing his need for expression with his desire to have people relate to what he's saying musically.

"I grew up during the mid-70s to mid-80s, so I'm a pop baby," he confesses. That pop ethic he cites is reflected in his work: tightly crafted three-minute songs that instantly hook even the most jaded listeners and resonate long after the music ends.

While Grande's songwriting has already earned him the admiration of music fans and respect of musical peers, he admits it's humbling.

"It's just what I do," he says. "I write, play and sing because that's what I love doing."

That his emotive voice and deceptively simple guitar playing evoke comparisons to a handful of prominent singer-songwriters before him is fine by this self-admitted contemporary acoustic pop singer.

"All I've ever wanted to do is make music," Grande admits. "I didn't set out to be a singer, but that's what I've become. Through the guitar, I feel like I've finally found my voice."

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