Purple is the color of grandeur, dignity and nobility. It is also the name of Scott Gorsuch’s new album. The Columbus native has finally found his place in the local music scene with his new solo career, and has possibly even earned himself the title of Columbus music royalty with his stunning debut release.

“I’ve been around this town for a long time and I’ve played in a ton of different bands,” Gorsuch said. “It wasn’t until I decided to do my own music that I had a great response or such an overwhelming sense that this is right where I need to be.”

A child of the ’60s, Gorsuch was the youngest of five children, all with their own musical tastes that constantly lent themselves to their youngest brother’s ears.

“My sister, Anne, listened to The Beatles a lot and my older brother, Allen, played bass in a band while in high school, so music was around most of my childhood,” he said.

He recalls evenings in his elementary school years when Allen would let the future guitarist watch his band practice in the basement. Gorsuch said he would press his head against the banister poles of the basement staircase, sit in awe, absorbing every note and movement.

“Allen’s band wasn’t great, but they were like gods to me,” Gorsuch said.

Watching the guitarist of Allen’s band, then later picking up the guitar himself, Gorsuch said playing the guitar was his first obsession. Early in Gorsuch’s own high school years, he was practicing regularly and playing with friends in a variety of bands.

Gorsuch is best remembered by playing with the band, Lollipop Factory. The band formed around 1990 and he joined later, after an invite from David Tweed (guitarist/vocalist) to come jam with the band. Gorsuch said, for him, the time right before he joined Lollipop Factory was a dark period.

“I was trying to lead the normal life as dad and husband with a 9-to-5 job as a cabinet maker, and it just wasn’t working out. I wasn’t happy,” Gorsuch said. “Well, actually, I loved being a dad but my marriage was unfortunately falling apart and there was just a lot of other things going on in my life then.”

Gorsuch attributes his plunge back into music to Tweed and playing in Lollipop Factory. He said that he began practicing fervently again, he began writing songs and just felt happier after re-evaluating certain aspects of his life. Gorsuch amiably broke from Lollipop Factory about a year ago when he decided to “get the song writing germs out” and see where his own music might take him.

The soulful musician said writing songs is similar to a venting process for him and that if he wrote in a journal what can be found in his songs, that no one would ever get to read it.

“Writing the type of lyrics that I do goes against every grain of myself, but for some reason, when I’m singing, it’s all OK,” Gorsuch said.

“I don’t keep a diary, my music is it,” he said.

With influences ranging from Jeff Buckley and Jellyfish to Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, “Purple” is filled with underlying tributes to the musicians and those in his life that have inspired him. “St. Ashes” is a tribute to Stache’s, the legendary Columbus club (now called Little Brother’s) at which he frequently played while a member of Lollipop Factory. “Mimosa” and “The Girl Downstairs” honor imaginary (or real?) romantic interests. “Popular” is a sing-along beauty about attention versus affection and it is currently in heavy rotation and is frequently requested on the radio station, WWCD FM, CD 101.

The wonderful thing about “Purple” is that Gorsuch sang, played and recorded 98 percent of the music in his own home.

“I play all of the instruments on the album except a few of the bass parts,” he said. “I recorded the organs and drum tracks at Bunn-Minnick Company Pipe Organs, where I currently work.”

Future plans for Gorsuch include recording a second album, (It is already half-written) and possibly touring with his new band mates; Phil Maneri on bass, Andy Harrison on guitar and Matt Mees on drums.

“Don’t worry, they’ll all get to play on the next album,” Gorsuch said.

Scott Gorsuch and company will celebrate “Purple” with a CD release party starting around 10 p.m. tonight at Little Brother’s with Joe Oestreich from Watershed. Nude will finish out the evening.