Stories Begin
Long Before
They're Shared.

Notes, observations, stories, and songs from songwriter Russell Lieneman.

FROM THE NOTEBOOK

A Blank Page

We crack the leather binding of a journal clean and wide Sitting at the wooden table with you by my side Not a single word is printed, not a smudge of faded ink Staring at the white expanse and pausing just to think

READ THE FULL STORY

“Every good song starts with a question.”

— RUSSELL LIENEMAN

THE PHILOSOPHY

The Stories Behind The Songs

Great songs are more than lyrics and melody. They preserve moments, lessons, memories, and emotions that might otherwise fade with time.

"Songs are memories set to music and should reflect emotion."

Every story begins long before it reaches a notebook page. Sometimes it comes from a conversation, a lesson learned the hard way, or a quiet drive down a Tennessee back road. The goal isn't simply to write songs. It's to capture something honest enough that someone else recognizes a piece of their own life in it.

THE JOURNEY

What Life's Paths Have Taught Me

Every road traveled, every challenge overcome, and every unexpected turn has carried a lesson worth remembering. Those experiences shape the stories I tell and the songs I write.

I've learned that grace often appears where it's least expected. That family matters. That hard work still counts. And that some of life's greatest lessons arrive disguised as ordinary moments.

Those moments continue to find their way onto pages, into songs, and eventually into stories shared here.

A scenic view of the Tennessee countryside

QUICK FACTS

Behind The Writing

Home

Clarksville, Tennessee

Focus

Songwriting, Storytelling & Reflection

Inspiration

Family, Faith, Life Experience & The Open Road

Mission

Create authentic stories worth remembering.

FAITH

Questions. Grace. Perspective.

FAMILY

The people who keep us grounded.

MEMORIES

Lessons that last a lifetime.

HARD WORK

Building a life one day at a time.

A journal on a table overlooking the Tennessee hills

FEATURED SONG

Ghost in the Machine

LIFE CHANGE HOME

Woke up this morning, nothing's where it used to be
The code is scrambling itself right in front of me
An invisible hand is pulling every string
Tinkering with the dials, a shadow in the screen.

A song about the haunting boundary between human consciousness and digital existence, and how our loved ones can break the digital barriers to lead us back home.

Songs are memories set to music, preserving moments, emotions, and stories that deserve to be remembered.

LISTEN READ THE STORY

WHAT'S NEW

From Around the Porch

The latest song, notebook entry, and reflection.

FROM THE SONGBOOK

Dust on the Dashboard

A song about old roads, changing seasons, and the people who leave their mark on us.

Listen & Read →