Singer and songwriter Andy Gridley isn't on American Idol, but he'll be performing songs from his new CD, titled More Than Words, at his concert on March 7, 7 p.m., at Calvary Church, 16330 Los Gatos Blvd.

At age 24, Gridley, a longtime Los Gatan, is climbing his way up the music industry ladder. In fact, he's been on a roll since the release of his first CD, titled Green, which sold more than 1,000 copies locally and can be seen at Tower Records and Apple iTunes. Crossing his fingers, he is trying to establish deals with local radio stations to have his songs played on the air.

Inspired by some well-known musicians such as Sting, John Mayer, Radio Head, Dave Matthews and James Taylor, the 12-track CD has a little bit of everything for various audiences; there are songs relating to romance and patriotism, a guitar solo and a piece sung entirely in Spanish. In contrast to Green, which targets Christian listeners, this CD has only two faith-based songs, which blend in with the pop and alternative culture.

"I don't really like the standard Christian music," Gridley says. "I always try to push the envelope a bit and be fresh with my approach to music."

What makes his songs fresh and unique is that they come from his heart.

"I write songs based on what I feel and what I experience," Gridley says. "Each song has its own special meaning."

As the romantic person he is, Gridley dedicated the first song—named after the CD—to his wife, Lynsie, whom he's known since his teenage years at Los Gatos High School. They were physically separated from one another during their college years, with Gridley in Washington and Lynsie in Southern California, but the two remained friends and visited one another during school breaks.

Although in a bit of a disagreement about what the status of their relationship was when the song was composed, both agree that it helped push the relationship to a new level.

"It was so funny when I first had Lynsie listen to the song," Gridley recalls. "I didn't know what her reaction would be, so I had to downplay it a little and not make it so obvious. I told her not to freak out at the part where I say 'I love you' and made an excuse that all singers say it in their songs to make it more interesting. I was a little nervous."

Lynsie, who is now Gridley's personal cheerleader, financial planner and public relations agent among other things, says she was shocked when she first heard it.

"I felt like someone punched me in the stomach," she says. "But it's nice to know that he incorporates me in his love for music."

When he is singing for smaller audiences at coffee shops, Gridley says this song is by far the most fun to perform, but the one song that has the most meaning to him is "Grace." He says that with this song, he was able to "flush out" some of his emotions during the tough times in his life, such as the death of his father, who also had a musical ear. He says that through this song, he was able to find light at the end of the tunnel.

When he's not producing music for his CD, Gridley is busy directing music and counseling at a church in San Jose.

Gridley's musical career began at a young age, with the piano. He recalls times when he'd be surrounded by people while he was playing songs on the piano at his grandmother's house. He also remembers another incident in kindergarten where he shocked his peers and his teacher.

"For show and tell, while all the other students brought in bunnies and stuffed animals, I brought in a weird CD and tap danced on the teacher's desk to a song called 'I Like Bananas Cause They Don't Have No Bones.' Everybody was speechless. That was hilarious."

Rather than being embarrassed, this fueled Gridley's passion for music even more. He began experimenting with the violin in high school, then the keyboard and later moved on to the guitar and drums.