Ray LaMontagne

My voice sucks. I don't like the tone.

I want to be in control of my own destiny.

When I pick up the guitar, it's a melody, and that's what drives the lyrics. It's bits and pieces of truth, but it is storytelling.

I have a strong sense of self, but that's not a negative thing.

I am very self-critical, but that's a good thing because it keeps me growing as a human being and as a musician.

I feel calm when I'm on my own.

I'm a very emotional person.

I'm very uncomfortable in my own skin.

In order to get a note out, I have to dig deep, and I mean that on an emotional level. To physically sing, I have to get somewhere deep before I can do it.

Social situations, for me - it's very natural for me to be an observer. That's where I'm most comfortable. I observe things.

I don't really think of myself as a folk singer.

I want to write music that will outlive me.

It bugs me that people think my songs are personal because it means I have to explain myself all the time.

I was really lost for a while in my teens. I was angry. But when I found music - Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell - it was a new discovery. It was a door to this other world where I wanted to be.

The label doesn't do anything but put your record in the store, that's all they do. And tell you, you don't have a single... and tell you, it's not gonna sell... that's what the label does.

We all have that inner voice that is wise, even if we don't always follow it. It's that voice I'm trying to listen to.

You have to believe in yourself before anybody else believes in you.

I can't get excited by my own music. It's impossible.

I'd much rather be playing songs than talking to people.

There's a real sense of desperation when you grow up in poverty.

I probably wouldn't be a songwriter if I didn't grow up the way I did. It was difficult and it was at times very scary to grow up in a household so unsettled and at times very violent. But, it also, I guess it earned me a sort of wisdom at a young age that's served me well.

My backstory is so tedious.

I always felt, as a listener at a show, that when there was too much banter between the artist and the audience that it detracted from the show. I more enjoyed shows where the guys came out and they just played.

Well... you know, I love motorcycles. They're just beautiful, and there's a certain craftsmanship in older bikes, older Triumphs or BSAs or Norton. I'm just very attracted to it.

It's so easy to get caught up in your own experiences. They can seem so important. But there are billions and billions of other experiences going on.