Ray LaMontagne
Ray LaMontagne is an American singer-songwriter known for his unique blend of folk and rock music, characterized by his raspy vocals and introspective lyrics. Born on June 18, 1973, in Nashua, New Hampshire, he faced significant challenges in his early life, including the absence of his father and a turbulent family environment. Despite a rocky start in school and a lack of initial interest in music, LaMontagne rediscovered his passion while working in a factory job in Maine, inspired by a song he heard on the radio.
He gained recognition in the mid-1990s by performing at local events and eventually released his debut album, *Trouble*, in 2004, which was well-received and showcased his songwriting talent. His subsequent albums, including *Till the Sun Turns Black* and *Gossip in the Grain*, solidified his status in the music industry, though they did not reach the same level of commercial success as his debut. LaMontagne's 2010 album, *God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise*, marked a significant milestone, winning a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
Over the years, LaMontagne has continued to evolve musically, with later works like *Supernova* and *Ouroboros* reflecting a broader range of influences. He is recognized for his ability to maintain artistic integrity while appealing to mainstream audiences, drawing comparisons to legendary artists such as Neil Young. LaMontagne resides in western Massachusetts with his family and remains an influential figure in contemporary folk music.
Subject Terms
Ray LaMontagne
Singer-songwriter
- Born: June 18, 1973
- Birthplace: Nashua, New Hampshire
Contribution: American singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne earned critical and commercial success with music drawing on a variety of roots music and rock styles. His 2010 album, God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise, won a Grammy Award for best contemporary folk album.
Background
Raymond Charles Jack LaMontagne was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, on June 18, 1973. His father, a musician, left the family when LaMontagne was five years old. The family subsequently moved several times throughout New England and the United States as LaMontagne's mother sought employment that would provide for her and her six children.
LaMontagne was drawn to instruments—particularly drums and piano—as early as age ten, though his interest was not strong enough to pursue the hobby seriously. His ambivalence to music was strongly influenced by the fact that his father had been physically and emotionally abusive to his mother and siblings.
He attended Morgan High School in Morgan, Utah, but was a largely disinterested student, frequently clashing with other students and skipping class to write in journals. Despite his struggles, LaMontagne managed to graduate from Morgan in 1991. After graduation, he decided to move back east, eventually landing a job as a factory worker in Lewiston, Maine.
It was during this time that LaMontagne's interest in making music was rekindled, most notably by an instance of hearing a Stephen Stills song on his radio before an early morning shift.
Career
By the mid-1990s, LaMontagne had begun writing songs for acoustic guitar and playing a variety of private parties and small gatherings in and around Maine, supporting himself with a job as a carpenter.
He independently recorded a compilation of ten demo tracks for submission to live-music venues in and around Maine. It was positively received by management at the Oddfellow Theater, a small entertainment venue in Buckfield, Maine, which offered LaMontagne a spate of opening slots for notable folk musicians. The string of performances helped build word of mouth of the young singer-songwriter's talents. LaMontagne's demo ultimately found its way to a music publishing company, which brought the compilation to RCA Records, where the singer was signed for his debut record.
Trouble was released in September 2004 and was an instant hit among adult album contemporary audiences. LaMontagne's trademark raspy vocals drew numerous comparisons to songwriting legends such as Van Morrison and Tim Buckley. The release received widespread exposure after tracks from it were prominently featured in a bevy of cable television programs and feature films. The track "All the Wild Horses" was one of five tracks from the album featured prominently in the cable series Rescue Me.
In 2006, LaMontagne released his second studio album, Till the Sun Turns Black. His sophomore effort was positively received by critics and audiences; it sold twenty-eight thousand copies during its first week and went on to peak at number twenty-eight on the Billboard 200 chart. Till the Sun Turns Black utilized string and horn instruments alongside LaMontagne's trademark vocals and guitar. His next album, Gossip in the Grain (2008), was critically acclaimed as well, becoming known for its popular tracks "You Are the Best Thing" and "Let It Be Me." Both of these records helped solidify the singer-songwriter as one of America's premier folk-rock artists. However, they failed to produce the same string of notable singles as did his debut.
LaMontagne's first foray into a full-band dynamic, 2010's God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise, became the most critically praised and commercially successful album of his fledgling career. The record is credited to the group Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs. It also marked LaMontagne's first foray into the role of producer.
The album's tales of travel, toil, and heartache is a throwback to a quintessentially Americana sound, featuring instrumentation such as muted percussion and lap-steels as well as LaMontagne's acoustic guitar and melancholy vocal tracks. The track "Beg, Steal or Borrow" was nominated for song of the year at the Grammy Awards in 2010, and the album itself won that year's Grammy for best contemporary folk album.
Despite this success, it was another four years before LaMontagne released another studio album. Supernova (2014) went all the way to the top position on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart, ranked at number three on the Billboard 200, and landed in the number-two spot on the iTunes digital music platform within just hours of its release. Rather uncharacteristically, he put out his sixth album only two years later. The effort, titled Ouroboros, was considered by some critics to be more noncommercial and is reminiscent of the psychedelic sounds of bands such as Pink Floyd. Produced by the frontman of the band My Morning Jacket, Jim James, the album peaked at number thirteen on the Billboard 200.
LaMontagne's next effort was Part of the Light, released in 2018 and accompanied by a tour. For this album he took on full production duties himself, and the lead single was "Such a Simple Thing." The record received mostly positive reviews, but peaked at just forty on the Billboard 200.
Impact
LaMontagne established himself as one of the most successful male American singer-songwriters to capture the attention and acclaim of mass audiences during the first decades of the twenty-first century, crossing over to mainstream success while maintaining the artistry of his folk and indie rock roots. His trademark melancholy, retro sound has drawn frequent comparisons to acclaimed artists like Neil Young and Nick Drake.
Personal Life
LaMontagne married the poet Sarah Sousa, and they had two sons, Tobias and Sebastian. In 2009 he purchased a large farm in western Massachusetts and moved there with his family.
Principal Works
Trouble, 2004
Till the Sun Turns Black, 2006
Gossip in the Grain, 2008
God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise, 2010
Supernova, 2014
Ouroboros, 2016
Part of the Light, 2018
Bibliography
Charness, Dan. "The Curious Case of Ray LaMontagne." The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2011, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/01/the-curious-case-of-ray-lamontagne/69770/. Accessed 3 Sept. 2013.
Duerden, Nick. "Ray LaMontagne Interview: From Tortured Soul to Ray of Sunshine." Independent, 10 May 2014, www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/ray-lamontagne-interview-from-tortured-soul-to-ray-of-sunshine-9344438.html. Accessed 4 Aug. 2017.
Harrington, Richard. "Ray LaMontagne, Finding His Place." The Washington Post, 8 Dec. 2006, www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/07/AR2006120700576‗2.html. Accessed 3 Sept. 2013.
Hayes, J. "Ray LaMontagne Gets Better." No Depression, 16 Aug. 2006, nodepression.com/interview/ray-lamontagne-gets-better-interview-j-hayes. Accessed 3 Sept. 2013.
Howard, Ashley B. "Ray LaMontagne Finds Beauty in Music." Los Angeles Confidential, 18 Aug. 2010, la-confidential-magazine.com/ray-of-light. Accessed 11 Aug. 2013.
McLennan, Scott. "Ray LaMontagne Mesmerizes at Orpheum." Boston Globe, 26 Nov. 2012, www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2012/11/26/ray-lamontagne-mesmerizes-orpheum/QpxhJ6PrQ3WcNEOS7tJ2gP/story.html. Accessed 3 Sept. 2013.