Singer, songwriter and bandleader Ryan Montbleau released his new live album, Woodstock Sessions, on October 26th. Recorded in December 2017 at Applehead Recording in Woodstock, New York as a part of Woodstock Sessions’ ongoing live-in-studio releases, the album features selections with special guests Tall Heights and is the best showcase yet of the New England-based musician’s mastery of acoustic songwriting and performance developed over a successful fifteen-year career.
‘Woodstock Sessions’ includes several of Montbleau’s most well known songs from over six different previous releases, in addition to three previously unreleased tracks: “Looking Glass,” “The Country and the Town” and “Help Me," and marks the beginning of a new era of Montbleau’s career, which both continues to grow while coming full-circle; Montbleau having recorded some of his earliest records at this very same studio in upstate New York. Here, Ryan answers his Essential 8 where he speaks about Martin Sexton, songwriting, loneliness, shares a special gift from a fan, and much more. Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? Martin Sexton. When I was first starting out I got completely taken by his music and then when I started looking into him I got swept up in how he built his career and who he was. He's done it on the road, one room at a time. That, combined with the brilliance of his music and his talent has made him a beacon for me. Years later when I first got to tour with him, his preparation and focus on how to make each night great... that blew me away. And he's out there killing it now, sounding better than ever. When/where do you do your best writing? Maybe it's because I spend so much time driving, but I tend to get some good writing done in the car. I remember reading Bob Dylan say something about writing best while moving? Maybe it has to do with that too. But I'll pull up one of the zillion unfinished ideas in my head or on my phone and I'll chip away at a line here, a line there. For me songs tend to come slowly over time. And I'm ok with that. I tend to keep working constantly, little by little, not putting too much pressure on it but still doing the work. Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination? Generally a combination of all of those things, although it would depend on the song. If some detail works from my life, I use it, but ultimately I'm trying to find the truth in the song. I can embellish, make up a story or a character, anything can work. But it's interesting, sometimes the best way to tell the truth is to tell a story. My job is not to tell everyone what's going on with my life. My job is to paint a musical picture that the listener can walk into and come to their own insights. That's the plan anyway!
What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician?
We did some shows with New Riders of the Purple Sage several years ago and Michael Falzarano looked us all dead in the eye and said, "It doesn't get any easier." That was quite a sobering moment! But it was great advice, because here was this old warrior, been through it all and back, and he was still out there doing it, playing his guitar that night on another stage in another town. And OK, maybe it won't get easier, but if I know that then maybe I can deal with it better as it comes and still enjoy the hell out of the ride. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? It's a long road. To each their own if you want to try this out or play as much as you're comfortable with. But if you're really serious about making a living at making music, you have to look at it for the long haul. My career has been like watching the grass grow, which is an expression I lifted from Martin Sexton, a man who I look up to as a master. "It doesn't get any easier." It's hard. But it's such a beautiful and rewarding road and I do believe you get back out of it what you put in and then some. Sometimes a million-fold. Start planting those seeds of goodness with your music and there's no telling what they can yield. It just takes time. In my case it has always seemed to take much more time than I would have anticipated, but it's still growing. Do you have any touring tips? Eat as healthily as you can, when you can, because you don't know when you'll get stuck with the alternative. What has been your biggest struggle so far? Loneliness. Losing my sense of home and of community. You spend so many years trying to get gigs that when you start getting them, you take them. And you keep taking them. It's such a blessing. Then ten years go by and you wonder where the hell everybody went! Careers are great. Music is the best. But life comes first. Music supports life, not the other way around. If you forget that, and I have at times, you can really lose your way. Do you have a favorite gift from a fan? I have a mandala that a fan painted for me on a small round stone and sent to me in the mail. It was a gift of gratitude in memory of her sister, who had passed away and used to come to my shows in Wisconsin. The whole family came out one night after she passed and it was the first time they got to experience a joyful night together since she had died. A gift like that... is just so incredibly humbling and empowering at the same time. You make music and put it out there and you don't know how it's going to affect people. But when something like that comes back to you, it's a reminder of the responsibility you have as an artist. Even if what you're doing reaches one person or one family, it can have a great effect. Ryan Montbleau tour dates: Nov. 5 – Rochester, NY – Honest Folk: The Arbor Loft Nov. 6 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Café Nov. 7 – Ferndale, MI – Otus Supply Nov. 8 – Evanston, IL – SPACE Nov. 9 – Elkhart Lake, WI – Paddock Club Nov. 10 – Minneapolis, MN – Aster Cafe Nov. 12 – Des Moines, IA – Flying Mango Nov. 15 – Carbondale, CO – Steve’s Guitars Nov. 16 – Boulder, CO – eTown Hall Nov. 17 – Fort Collins, CO – Downtown Artery Nov. 18 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater Nov. 28 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern Nov. 29 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios Nov. 30 – San Francisco, CA – Amnesia Dec. 1 – Los Angeles, CA – Hotel Café *full-band performance Ryan Montbleau: Website: www.ryanmontbleau.com Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2tGiri8 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RyanMontbleau Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Montbleau/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryanmontbleau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanmontbleau/ Woodstock Sessions: Website: http://woodstocksessions.com/
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