Perseverance: The Making of a Musician

Perseverance: The Making of a Musician isn't about music theory, studio gear, or industry drama. It's the story of what it took for one person to finally say "f*ck it" and pursue a lifelong dream from the ground up-with no experience, no connections, and nothing but the fallout from a year that nearly destroyed him.

This is the story behind the songs: the raw, true events that gave Steven Grey something real to write about.

The Perseverance album takes listeners through the most traumatic year of Steven's life, each track reflecting a pivotal moment, told in sequence. The book mirrors that same arc, with chapters that unpack the life experiences behind the music. Some of the tracks were so personal he paused before releasing or performing them, unsure if he was ready to let the world in on such unfiltered trauma-often expressed with little, if any, metaphor.

What emerges is a portrait of a man shaped by hardship: failed relationships, betrayal, financial collapse, and deep existential questioning. But through the wreckage, Steven finds his voice-and becomes the artist he was meant to be.

Steven Grey is a musician, writer, and artist hailing primarily from Chicago, where he lives with his very good dog, Koda. He graduated as a film major and has worked with noteworthy writers and directors throughout the industry. Steven is the lead singer, primary creative force, and sole lyricist behind the band Shards of Grey, which led to his becoming a producer for several other musical acts. Blending these two art forms, his first album with Shards of Grey and his first book are tandem concepts that tell the same story through the lens of different mediums.