Sound Advice: Ray LaMontagne Returns to Cincinnati

On Oct. 4, renowned American singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne will appear at the Andrew J Brady Music Center. In 2004, LaMontagne released his debut album, Trouble, and since then has released a string of critically acclaimed and commercially successful records. The 51-year-old New England native, with a seemingly unending wealth of soulful and accessible songs, has spent the last few decades writing his name in the annals of singer-songwriter history and continues to fill its pages with new material.

Growing up in Nashua, the picturesque “getaway town” in southern New Hampshire, LaMontagne had little interest in school, spending most of his time pursuing various artistic activities, and once he graduated from high school, decided to move to Maine where he began working in a shoe factory.

Just before the dawn of the new century, LaMontagne awoke one morning to the sounds of Stephen Stills emanating from his alarm clock. And it was this moment of enlightenment that made him decide to quit his job and pursue a career in music.

For the next few years, with guitar in hand, and with his signature velvet voice, LaMontagne honed his craft by playing in local venues like the Oddfellow Theatre in Maine and writing his own material. Then, in the early 2000s, LaMontagne appeared at a music festival in Maine and there caught the attention of a business executive named Ron Clayton, who introduced LaMontagne to the publishing company Chrysalis Music. In 2004, after recording the songs for his first album, Trouble, the record was sold to RCA, which then launched LaMontagne into a career that would make him a Grammy-winning international star.

Cincinnati has played host to countless singer-songwriters over the years. From local headliners like Over the Rhine to megastars like Bob Dylan, the Queen City has been a magnet for the introspective and melancholic solo artist. But rarely has an iconic musical heavyweight made Cincinnati their international tour kickoff city like LaMontagne did in 2016, performing at Riverbend’s PNC Pavilion.

The local LaMontagne fanbase, which has only grown since that 2016 performance, will be treated to an unforgettable fall evening that celebrates LaMontagne’s new album, Long Way Home, and his long-awaited return to Cincinnati.