:: ray laMontagne ::
meet Ray LaMontagne. this man is frightfully interesting to me. he grew up with a violent musician for a father and an unsettled mother. he left home around 17 and flitted around from town to town, working odd jobs. he stayed out of music in his youth, mainly because of its attachment to his father. one morning he woke up to a song by Stephen Stills, and claims that it singularly changed his life. after that, he began writing and singing, recording the first of his songs in 1999 on his own. long story short, someone heard his songs, fell in love with them, and offered him a record deal.
this man is no ordinary musician, however. he prefers keeping to himself, and lives in a rural town in Maine. as for his performances, there are some songs that he refuses to sing because “they’ve outstayed their welcome.” he’s a loner, and proudly so, saying, “My social interaction is very, very limited. I’m not a whole lot good at making friends or keeping them. I guess I’m just somebody who likes my own company.” so he gives few interviews, refuses to speak about his wife or children, and if he’s not feeling in the mood to perform, he’ll do whatever he can to distance himself from the audience.. sometimes going so far as to sing in utter darkness.
an interviewer asked him if he was happy, and here was his reply: “That,” he begins, “is a difficult question and not a particularly fair one.” He is silent for a full two minutes. Eventually, he speaks. “I don’t know how to answer that, but I guess it’s true to say that I have trouble achieving balance in my life.”
well hallelujah, at least someone’s being honest about it. so yeah, ray laMontagne is one of my favorite artists, because he’s introverted like me and has a terrificly addictive voice. listen to a few songs and tell me you don’t agree.
originally posted: 6 February 2010