Kristian Montgomery is a Danish-American country musician who has performed all kinds of music through the years from sea shanties to traditional Celtic and Scandinavian music to heavy metal. His mission is to make honest, working class music that people can relate to. He’s also travelled around the world and has a very interesting life story. Coming out on 5 March is a new album, Prince of Poverty. We’re lucky to have Kristian here with us on the blog to tell his story. If you want to learn about him and his music, keep on reading!
Angie Moon: How would you describe your music to a new listener?
Kristian Montgomery: A Familiar yet new dark country with poetic lyrics and ambient guitar work. Its emotionally open but tense in its presentation.
Angie: What brought your family from Denmark to the US?
Kristian: My Grandfather saw opportunities here and was a trouble maker back home. He saw it as a fresh start and new waters to explore.
Angie: How did your half Danish background influence your music?
Kristian: Very Much, the tribal elements of my homeland are deep. The connection of 1000s of people who look just like me moving in tandem to music is a spiritual thing. When you have to survive cold harsh winters music becomes extremely important to refresh the soul and is a reminder that better days are coming.
Angie: How did you get into country music?
Kristian: My Aunt Tricia brought me to see the Gatlin Brothers when I was a boy. The harmonies were amazing and music so inspiring for a wee lad of 10 years old. My grandfather was a big country fan too and I was surrounded by music.
Angie: What classic rock bands do you like the most?
Kristian: Led Zeppelin is a favourite of mine. Robert Plant’s bluesy style of vocals and [John Paul] Jones’ bass grooves lock you into their music.
Angie: Is there much of a following for country music in Denmark, and where you’re based – in New England?
Kristian: Not so much but I feel its growing. New England has a lot of very wealthy artists and those of us just getting by often get overlooked. Denmark has a underground scene that is growing.
Angie: What was writing and recording Prince of Poverty like?
Kristian: Easy..I wrote fast and try to get as much material out as possible. It’s raw and dirty and it is how it’s supposed to be. Rock ‘n’ roll isn’t supposed to be super polished.
Angie: You’ve performed a lot of different types of music, are there any differences between performing different styles of music?
Kristian: The styles reflect the places I’ve been and artists I’ve worked with. I travelled the world and slept on a lot of couches. I’ve picked up a lot of things on my way and they’ve ended up in library of influences.
Angie: What kept you motivated while in prison?
Kristian: My kids, I wanted to do something when I got out that they’d be proud of. Something they could say “that’s my dad.” I wanted to show them that no matter how dark your life gets, there is always light. I want to be their light.
Angie: What brought you to Nicaragua to perform music?
Kristian: My bass player at the time was from Managua and he and I became close like brothers. His name is Roberto Telleria and one of the most talented artists I know. He was very loved by my family so I went to his country to meet him. We flew out of Logan both wearing leather pants in full rock star mode. Played a show on the country’s version of MTV and then hit the beaches to perform and eat and drink under the volcanoes.
Angie: What’s your proudest accomplishment as a musician?
Kristian: My proudest accomplished are always the next record. It’s expensive and emotionally draining to make art. If you’re not a child of privilege you have to compete one hundred times harder to get a seat at the table with people far less talented.
Angie: Any words for your fans?
Kristian: Thank you for always picking me up when I’m down and encouraging me to continue to make music. We will see each other soon and its gonna be a rocket launch of a party.
You can follow Kristian on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and his website.
Shoutout to my friend Patrick for supporting the blog!
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