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10 Questions with ... Ryan Montbleau
January 28, 2019
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Everything seems to take much longer than you think it will when you start out. I believed early on that there were no shortcuts. But even with that being said, you have to really live into this long timeline of a career. At least, that's been my experience. It hasn't been a rocket ship; it has been more like watching the grass grow. And I do have a nice lawn nowadays. (A metaphoric lawn, I don't have an actual lawn)
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1. What was one goal that you have had for 2018 and did you reach it?
2018 has been great to me. We made and put out a record with my duo, Yes Darling, and I put out a solo record as well. I also signed on with new management, so it has been an eventful year. My bigger goals have revolved around my sense of home, though. I moved to Vermont and rent a place there that I love to come back to, so that has been a big step for me personally.
2. Growing up, how important was music to you? Can you recall the moment when you decided that you wanted to be a musician?
Music was huge, for sure, but more for listening and feeling it than playing it. My two favorite groups as a young kid were New Edition and AC/DC, so I guess my tastes have always had a range! Not until I was graduating college did I realize that I wanted to be a musician. Guitar, poetry and suddenly singing all came together -- and I was sure that I wanted/needed to do it. I was 21.
3. What has been the biggest surprise so far about making music your career?
Everything seems to take much longer than you think it will when you start out. I believed early on that there were no shortcuts. But even with that being said, you have to really live into this long timeline of a career. At least, that's been my experience. It hasn't been a rocket ship; it has been more like watching the grass grow. And I do have a nice lawn nowadays. (A metaphoric lawn, I don't have an actual lawn.)
The biggest challenges are in my personal life: loneliness, isolation, lack of connection to a community. That has been a byproduct of being on the road for years. But it's all getting better.
4. How do you think you and your music have been influenced by your hometown and where you live today?
That's a good question, and I'm not really sure of the answer. I wasn't taught into any real tradition. I get the sense that R&B and blues had some strong roots near Boston where I'm from. And folk, of course, but I wasn't necessarily exposed to that until much later. I was probably more affected by the radio, MTV, and my brother and I buying tapes at the mall. I live in Burlington, VT now and am inspired by a ton of my musician friends there. And I like that Vermont has jam-band roots. I've found a home in that world over the years.
5. What did it feel like recently releasing your new live album, Woodstock Sessions?
The Woodstock Sessions is a series done by Applehead Recording studio in Woodstock, NY. It's a beautiful place and I did my first band records there in 2006-7. Mike from Applehead asked me to do a show for this series and having my friends Tall Heights involved is really what made it special and made it all click. They just so happened to do their last record there and I had already made music with them, so it all just fell into place. I wasn't planning on making a live record right now, but once I heard the mixes from Applehead, I was sure glad I did! It's a pretty special thing: a live show recorded in front of a live audience inside a beautiful studio.
6. While it's difficult, can you pick out a few of your favorite tracks on this album? What was the inspiration for them?
"Looking Glass" was the most powerful track for me going into it. It's a new song and it was still buzzing out of me when we made the record. The writing initially came out of a faltering relationship and picks up themes about modern communication, staring at our phones, etc. "Ships in the Night" deals with some similar issues. It feels like we're all just missing each other these days. I'm still really feeling those songs in my gut.
7. Since the beginning of music, people have turned to it for support and as an escape from their realities. How do you want your music received and appreciated?
Well, I would hope that my music is a source of truth and strength for people. I want to promote peace. I would think my music is more about facing truth than it is a form of escape, but then it's not really up to me how people receive it. I just want to make the best tunes I can. The ultimate goal is to draw in people's heartstrings and minds with lyrics, while at the same time moving their bodies viscerally with the music. That, to me, is the ultimate. But if it helps people in any way, I'm doing my job.
8. What do you think of social media? What has been your experience so far using it to promote your music and interact with fans?
I'm on it too much! But as a tool, I do love interacting with fans that way. I love the directness of it. With friends, too, it can be helpful. But, in general, it's a bit of a mind warp and we don't really understand what it's doing to us. Everyone is putting up these digital billboards of their lives, myself included. If you look at that for too long in regards to other people, your sense of your own life can get pretty distorted. At a certain point, social media is not good.
9. Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you love to work with in the future?
Martin Sexton has always been a big inspiration. Deb Talan (now of The Weepies) will always be a favorite. Paul Simon still operates at a masterful level. That Andy Shauf record The Party still blows my mind. I sat in with The Wood Brothers once and would love to do anything with those guys again. Derek Trucks is in the dream somewhere.
10. At the end of the day, what do you hope your fans take away from your music?
I hope the music helps. I hope it elevates you and lets you know that you're not alone. I have poured my entire adult life into this and I still feel I have so much more to create. Knowing that you listen and that the music makes a difference for you means the world to me.
Bonus Questions
If you were going to be stranded on a deserted island forever, what musical item would you take with you and why?
An acoustic guitar with an endless supply of food and water in it.
Interview by Leah Brungardt
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