Ray LaMontagne is an American singer-songwriter from Nashua, New Hampshire, United States, closely associated with the music scenes of Lewiston, Maine, and later rural Massachusetts. Working in styles that span folk, rock, folk rock, soul and Americana, he is known for a husky, emotive vocal delivery and introspective songwriting.
After leaving a job in a shoe factory to pursue music, LaMontagne released his debut album "Trouble" in 2004, introducing songs such as "Trouble", "Jolene" and "Hold You in My Arms". He followed this with "Till the Sun Turns Black" and "Gossip in the Grain", the latter featuring the breakout single "You Are the Best Thing". His 2010 album "God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise", credited with the Pariah Dogs, won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, while the single "Beg Steal or Borrow" received a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year.
Subsequent albums including "Supernova", "Ouroboros", "Part of the Light", "Monovision" and "Long Way Home" have seen him explore psychedelic textures, stripped-back folk and classic soul influences, maintaining a reputation as a distinctive, quietly influential modern songwriter.