If you had walked into any of Toronto’s music clubs or coffee houses 25 years ago – places like the Horseshoe, Sneaky Dee’s, Free Times Cafe or Lee’s Palace – chances are you may have seen David Storey on the stage. Back then, music was his life. And it was a good life, bringing him critical raves, radio airplay, award nominations and comparisons to singer-songwriters like John Prine and Steve Earle.

But it’s funny how a life can take a different turn. Storey left the singing and songwriting life 20 years ago to raise a family. His new life was good, too – a career in music, video and television productions that allowed him to stay closer to hearth and home. He directed award-winning videos for Tom Cochrane (“Life Is a Highway”), Stompin’ Tom Connors (“Margo’s Got the Cargo”) and TV specials for artists such as Anne Murray and Corey Hart. He also developed and produced the hit television comedy series “Corner Gas.”

But now, with the gas station in his rearview mirror, David Storey’s life is turning again. He’s coming back home to his first love: music. You never forget your first love, do you? Some things never leave you.

In many ways, that’s what underpins the songs and stories on his debut full-length album, Coming Home. Recorded with co-producer Darryl Neurdorf (Blue Rodeo, Neko Case) and featuring A-list helpers such as bassist Basil Donovan (Blue Rodeo) and violinist Anne Lindsay (Blue Rodeo, The Skydiggers), there’s a strong current flowing through these songs; a sense of those things that abide, that endure, that remain an indelible part of who we are. As Ian Tyson sang, “All those things that don’t change come what may.”

Through these songs, we see reflections of our better selves:

The steadfastness and quiet courage of time-tested hearts.

The defiant stance of a crusty survivor.

The stubborn, lingering soul that won’t depart until the last leaf falls.

The abiding comfort you hope to find when you need it most.

The enduring flame of a life-long friendship that lights a candle when facing an all-too-common diagnosis.

Storey’s wit and charm infuse these songs with a special kind of connection to the spirit. The kind that comes from the land and sea and sky. The connection we feel not just to a life beyond the day-to-day, but to a life worth living – and lived well – here and now, on your own terms and in your own way.

These are stories of all those things that never leave us, even if we dwell elsewhere for a while. The places, the people, the hearts, the lives.

David Storey has come home to the place he never really left.