Ray LaMontagne

BIOGRAPHY

Birthday

JUNE 17, 1973

Birthplace

Nashua, New Hampshire

Growing Up

• Went to high school in Morgan, Utah• Was a high school drop out

Post High School Life

• Moved to Lewiston, Maine• Took a job at a shoe factory

The Experience That Changed His Life

• Heard the song, “Tree Top Flyer”, by Stephen Sills

• This song inspired him to become a musician

Voice Lessons-From Himself

• After this experience Ray quit his job and spent the next few weeks listening to music greats like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Ray Charles and Otis Redding.

• He mimicked what he heard and taught himself to sing

Ray Becomes a Performer• In 1999, Ray began performing for live

audiences at small theaters and coffee shops around Maine. He soon began performing in Boston, where his career really began to take off.

Ray Releases His First Album

• On September 14, 2004, Ray signed with RCA records and released his first album entitled “Trouble”.

Other Albums

• Till the Sun Turns Black (August 29, 2006)

• Gossip in the Grain (October 14, 2008)

• God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise (August 16, 2010)

Awards

• Esky Music Award

• XM Nation Award

• Boston Music Award (3 Time Winner)

Composition History

Popular Songs

God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t RiseNew York City’s Killing MeThis Love is OverMeg White

God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise

• Recorded at Ray’s house in Maine• Song influenced by Neil Young. Sounds much

like Neil Young in his younger years.

New York City’s Killing Me

• Ray considers this song to be the high point of his latest album entitled, “God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise”

• Recorded at Ray’s house in Maine• Song influenced by Joni Mitchell

This Love is Over

• Recorded at Ray’s house in Maine• Stylistically this song sounds similar to one of

Ray’s contemporaries, Amos Lee

Meg White

• Recorded on September 30, 2009• Song is about the drummer for the band called

the White Stripes• Influenced by the band Jefferson Airplane

Listening Guide

God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise

• Song starts softly with guitar playing a simple chord.

• There are two verses and the chorus is repeated three times.

• Steel guitar is used which gives a nice effect.

New York City’s Killing Me

• Short introduction. Guitar plays one major chord.

• Begins at piano dynamic and crescendos to a mezzo forte at the climax of the song. The dynamic then decrescendos back to piano, where the song ends.

• There are four verses and the chorus is sung 4 times.

This Love is Over

• The song opens with guitar and drums playing very lightly.

• Steel guitar is used to transition from the verses into the chorus.

• String quartet plays for second half of song which adds more feeling to the song.

Meg White

• Song begins with one person whistling. • Electric guitars, Electric bass, and a keyboard

begin playing at a mezzo forte dynamic.• There are five verses. A small choir joins in

each time the chorus is sung.

Bibliography

• Emma Booth. (2006). Ray Lamontagne-Trouble. Music OMH. Retrieved 2010 from http://www.musicomh.com.

• Lucie Davies. (2004). Trouble Review. BBC. Retrieved 2010 from http://www.bbc.co.uk Pete Paphides. (2008).

• The Trouble With Ray Lamontagnes Success. Times online. Retrieved 2010 from http://www.timesonline.co.uk.

• Ray Lamontagne. Bonnaroo. Retrieved 2010 from http://www.bonnaroo.com Ray Lamontagne. Stereogum. Retrieved 2010 from http://www.stereogum.com