The Grand Cru – I Was There (2024)
Suppose you were to create the perfect sonic cocktail. In that case, you’d need one part American singer-songwriter, three parts Welsh musician, a splash of natural talent, a dash of heart (the warm emotional type not a literal heart) and an orange slice for some zest…shake it about. You have the ideal cocktail, The Grand Cru.
Alright, it’s not a real drink, but the singer-songwriters’ penchant for powerful songwriting and moving melodies is as intoxicating. Combining the natural talent of Bonnie Skop, Steve Balsamo, Darren Parry, and Lee Gilbert, The Grand Cru is an international foursome celebrating life in all its grit and grandeur. Now, I can go on and on and on about the veteran artists’ musical careers spanning an average of 20 years but today it’s all about The Grand Cru and their single ‘I Was There’.
Taken from their upcoming album Music To Heal Your Soul, ‘I Was There’ is one of eight songs supporting the Enlisted Association Of The National Guard of The United States (EANGUS) – a non-profit organisation promoting the welfare and professionalism of enlisted members of the National Guard, their families and over 350,000 veterans.
Produced by a Welsh team including Dai Griffiths, Andrew Griffiths and Al Steele, Music To Heal Your Soul has that mystical element of Wales (the land of song) woven through the songs. Specifically delving into the effects of 9/11, ‘I Was There’ captures the haunting tenderness of acoustic instrumentation binding violins, piano, horns and percussion in a symphonic melody. Powerful but subdued, the melody is soothing while still breaking your heart. For me, it is the vocals that draw out the tragedy and triumph of the track. Rich, bold and weighty, but simultaneously fragile, vulnerable and tragic.
When speaking of the song, Steve Balsamo explains: “’I Was There’ is a very emotional song about the morning of 9/11 in New York. The song focuses on three different characters… one female character is going to work in New York that morning, another character is a guy taking a flight from New Jersey to San Francisco…” Lee Gilbert continues: “…the third character is a child who fortunately sleeps late so he’s not on time for school…”
Spine-chilling, gut-wrenching, soul-stirring and breath-taking, ‘I Was There’ is a mesmerising rollercoaster of sound and emotion. I’ll admit, it left me a little teary-eyed. Now, I remember where I was when the Twin Towers came tumbling down and I’m certain I’ll remember where I was when I first heard this song. I believe you will too.
The album Music To Heal Your Soul, including ‘I Was There’, can be found on the Toast To Humanity website for download. The single will be released, along with a music video, on September 11th.
Find out more about The Grand Cru on their Instagram.
Listen to more songs we suggest you hear on our The Other Side Recommends playlist:
