Brian Colburn, an acoustic rock musician and a former Plainsboro resident is performing at It’s A Grind on Saturday, January 21. A singer songwriter, his music features melodies and stories to give his music a cross-genre appeal.
Born and raised in Bergen County, he lived in Plainsboro from 2003 to 2006. “I loved the proximity Plainsboro had to everything this area has to offer,” he says. “I could be in New York City or sitting on a beach within an hour drive.” He and his wife, Katie, have a daughter, Allison. “As much as we loved living in Plainsboro, we decided to move north to be closer to our families,” says Colburn.
Some of the songs from his first CD, “Literal Fiction,” were written during his time in Plainsboro. Other releases of his original music include “Time Marches On” in 2008, “Life Happens” in 2009, and “Better Days – EP” in 2011. Colburn can also be heard on the Versailles Record’s release of “Wicked Garden: A Millennium Tribute to Stone Temple Pilots,” where he and DC Slater contributed an acoustic-reworking of the band’s classic track “Unglued.”
“My musical ideas come directly from my surroundings and my personal experiences,” says Colburn. The song “Once Upon A Time” was written about the night his daughter was born. “She is three now, and that happens to be one of her favorites,” he says.
Colburn has appeared as an opening act for Blues Traveler and Toad the Wet Sprocket. His influences include Sister Hazel, Barenaked Ladies, Jack Johnson, Eric Hutchinson, Jason Mraz, Virginia Coalition, John Hiatt, Billy Joel, and Tom Petty. “Throughout my CDs you’ll hear a mix of singer, songwriter, classic rock, blues, jam rock, country, and pop rock,” he says. “I am a fan of all of those types of music, so when I write, I tend to explore the different styles that I enjoy and see where it takes me.”
Colburn began his musical career on the bass guitar — and he still considers that his primary instrument. He has been a singer songwriter since he was 14. He started playing guitar at 16, but continued to serve as a bassist in all of his projects until 2007. He recently began learning how to play a mandolin and has sat in as a drummer on a few occasions.
“Outside of music I work in broadcasting, something that I also extremely passionate about,” says Colburn. “Being able to have a full time job and an outlet such as music is something I am extremely thankful for.” He is currently working on a pair of singles that will be released in the coming months.
“I write about the little things in life that we sometimes tend to overlook: something as simple as a walk outside in the sunshine or sitting down to talk with an old friend,” says Colburn. “So many people get so caught up in the day to day grind of life that they forget what’s really important, and I try to focus on those things in my music.”
Brian Colburn, It’s a Grind Coffee House, 7 Schalks Crossing Road, Plainsboro. Saturday, January 21, 8 p.m. Acoustic pop. 609-275-2919. www.itsagrind.com.
