Spotlight on Folk Artist Ray Lamontagne

Joining the ranks of soulful bearded singer-songwriters, Ray Lamontagne has suddenly stormed on scene as this generation's Van Morrison. In fact, it seems as if he sprung out of nowhere with the soul of a weary man who's been through the unforgiving grind of the music business for years. But that's not the case. Lamontagne is a fairly new face in the music world.

His story is one that you couldn't write. It's a perfect explanation as to how he came to be and how his sound remains as one that has caused bidding wars over major labels. Lamontagne was born in New Hampshire, and was one of six children from various fathers. Soon after his birth his father, a musician, split from the scene and left his mother to raise him. They traveled wherever provided a roof for their heads, from living on a cinderblock shell on a Tennessee horse ranch to cars and tents. Needless to say, he was always the new kid in school and soon became an extreme introvert.

After graduation, he left his family and started work as, no not a musician, but a worker in a shoe factory in Lewiston, Maine. The hours were long and the job put a check in his pocket. Four years later, one normal morning would prove to be the turning point in both his life and career. One morning his clock radio, which was always set for 4 AM, came to life with a song that immediately made him sit up and take notice. It was Stephen Stills, and the song was "Tree Top Flyer." Something about the song just hit him, and after buying the album Lamontagne knew that music is what he should be doing for a living.

In the summer of 1999, Ray recorded his first demo, a collection of ten songs. The demo would pass through the town's mayor, who was so taken by Lamontagne's songs that he invited him to go to a Willie Nelson concert with him. He would soon sign with Chrysalis Music Publishing and within a couple of weeks he recorded "Trouble." He worked with Ethan Johns, a talented producer/player who has worked with the likes of Kings of Leon, the Jayhawks, and Ryan Adams. Even Nickel Creek's Sarah Watkins contributed to the album on "Hannah" and "All the Wild Horses." Soon after production he signed to a little known label called RCA Records, where "Trouble" was released on September 14th, 2004. The album was an immediate success, selling over 250,000 copies, and Lamontagne followed it up with "Till the Sun Turns Black."

The style of Lamontagne's music is a labyrinth of loss, learning, and love, set to a haunting guitar and raspy voice. Most would label him as a mixture of Americana, folk, country, and mountain soul. Mountain soul, to me, would be the most accurate depiction of his music being that I could envision him sitting on the dusty porch of his log cabin on the Appalachian trails, cranking out these heart wrenching tracks that are nearly impossible not to love. Lamontagne is bent on leaving you tapping your toes, bringing tears to your eyes, and picking up the phone to call a loved one to tell them how you feel about them. He has taken everything that made him miserable, bottled it up, and turned into something beautiful. His lyrics alone are enough to bring in win an audience over, but his voice and the music behind him, guitar, piano, harmonica and bass are all he needs. "You will shelter me, my love. And I, I will shelter you, oh, I will shelter you," he sings from Shelter.

I think the beauty of his music is underlined in his voice, which sounds worn and tired yet as beautiful as any mountain hilltop. In fact, the first time I heard the title track "Trouble" I thought it was a cover of a Van Morrison song, because it had that old, vintage sound. His voice is raspy beyond repair, as if he smoked a carton of cigarettes and drank three cups of black copy before he hit the record button. If you're in the market for a great CD, all killer and no filler tracks, then I definitely recommend picking up either "Trouble" or "Til the Sun Turns Black." You can also catch Ray Lamontagne on tour this season with Tristan Prettyman, another artist I have written about. Eager for a listen? Check out the website below:

www.myspace.com/raylamontagne