story street
TM
new single
A SONG FOR ASHIRA available now
With great pride and much emotion, Story Street is releasing its latest song, A Song for Ashira. "As a songwriter and recording artist, this is by far the most personal record I have ever released. This song was written in the aftermath of a family tragedy. Last December, my 20-year old niece Ashira passed away after attending a music festival in Miami. I knew her as a vibrant, fun-loving young and independent minded woman but I did not know her exceptionally well. It was unfortunately in the aftermath of her passing that I got to truly learn about how special she was. The calls and words that came to my sister from near and far telling her stories she did not know. The many anecdotes told by her lifelong friends and newer college friends that spoke of her inspiring spirit and generous nature. As I absorbed these anecdotes, processed my own shock and tried to think of how to help my sister and our family in grief, I started typing words up in a note on my IPhone. These became the words I babbled out at her gravesite on what would have been her 21st birthday. The music came slightly later. Though I am a songwriter, I do not view this as my song. It belongs to the person whom it was written about and those who knew her best and that inspired its words. In Hebrew, the name Ashira means, "I Will Sing". And so we do. Please give this song a listen and honor my niece's memory by joining in with the song's chorus, "Ashira you are the light you are the song. Your memory fills our hearts with song, your light shines on and on and on and on..." Most importantly, tell your friends you love them!" - Greg Derby
story street
revolution day
Revolution Day is a rock anthem inspired by the 1 million plus people in the US and around the world that participated in the Women's March in January 2017.
this old town (ep)
This Old Town was Story Street's debut EP released in 2013. This Old Town demonstrates the breadth of Greg Derby's songwriting with song styles ranging from hard southern rock to Americana with a piano ballad thrown in for good measure. To purchase any of the songs on This Old Town, hit the Buy Here link below.
about
One morning while on vacation in the Summer of 2008, Greg Derby woke up with a song in his head that sounded familiar but undoubtedly new. Was it a Bruce Springsteen song that escaped his memory or the rare occurrence when a dream can be remembered well-enough to write down in a notebook? Turns out it was the birth of a new song that had a lot in common with a Bruce Springsteen anthem, a fiery rock and roll sound, topical lyrics spoken from the heart of the common man and a sing along chorus set in the context of the nation’s financial crisis. For Greg Derby, a Washington, DC-area songwriter, singer and guitarist, writing a song like "All You Need" was a repeat of a process that has occurred over a hundred times since he began writing songs as a teenager in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Drawing from a multitude of musical influences, including the original rock n’ roll of the Fifties, classic rock of 60’s & 70’s, new wave/alternative/grunge rock of the 80’s & 90’s, to the rebirth of folk-based rock in the current era, Greg’s music spans a variety of styles and tempos but always gives the listener a story with real characters to relate to.
Since that pivotal summer morning, Greg has expanded his ambitions and launched a new expression of his recorded music called Story Street. Working in close collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Carl Pfanstiehl and other talented musicians, artists, producers and engineers, Greg’s music is being shown in a new light, expanding the power and passion of well crafted musical stories. With full musical arrangements, Story Street, the band, takes the songs to a whole new level, whether a rock anthem, pop song or ballad. Story Street released their debut EP, This Old Town, in 2013. With a sound and style similar to classic American recording artists like the Counting Crows, Tom Petty, John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen, Story Street feels like a warm summer night ... and the evening is just getting started!
