Ray LaMontagne reflects on the making of 'Part of the Light' and the unhealthy culture that spawned it

Ed Masley | The Republic | azcentral.com

On the title track of his seventh release, singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne begins by wondering "Why so many people always runnin' 'round / Looking for a happiness that can't be found?" before concluding "I choose to be part of the light."

It's a noble calling. And most songs on "Part of the Light" feel like LaMontagne striving to do just that – become part of the light in response to the darkness he sees in the world around him.

There's a soothing, almost meditative quality to the overall tone of the album – the way those first George Harrison solo albums were soothing – at a time when most of us could really use a little peace on earth.

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The singer called to talk about the making of the album and the tour that makes its way to Phoenix for a show with Neko Case, who as LaMontagne says, is a "wonderful, truly great artist."

Here's what else he had to say.

Ray LaMontagne interview

Question: Did you have any goals as to what kind of record you wanted to make?

Answer: I guess you always go into it just wanting to get the most out of the material. There’s never really an intention. It’s more reacting to the material and trying to let it tell you what it wants and what it needs.

Q: How did you decide to self-produce this album, which you last did on “God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise?”

A: I didn’t really think about it. I just wanted to do it here, at the studio I have on the farm. There wasn’t any agonizing over that. The material was shaping up and revealing itself. I felt like I had a good handle on how to get what I wanted sonically, who to pull in as far as the musicians go to really achieve that. And if you know that, you might as well just do it.

Q: Do you feel like recording at the home studio had any impact on how things turned out?

A: I don’t think so, because when you’re working, you’re just thinking about the work. I could be in L.A. or New York or anywhere and I’d still just be thinking about the work, not where I’m at. I’d be thinking about the songs and all the hundreds of decisions you have to make to try to hopefully get it.

'Part of the Light'

Q: Do you feel like the tone of this album is a reaction on some level to the chaos going on around us as you were working on the record?

A: It’s a direct reaction to that. And just trying to remind myself on one hand of what is really important and precious and beautiful about life and on the other hand trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

How did the pendulum swing so far to this spot? How did this happen? As everyone knows if you have any empathy at all, our culture is in a very unhealthy place and has been getting more so over the past decade for sure. I don’t have any answers. I just hope that it’s going to swing back in the other direction sometime soon.

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It seems like people just feel so alone and social media was created to bring people together and make everyone feel connected. But no one’s connected. Everyone’s alone. And It makes them feel more isolated. You can be so cruel to people when you don’t have to look at them in the eyes and see that you’re really hurting them. It’s just this platform for meanness and ugliness. And it’s really sad.

So it’s not the world I live in. I keep it at arms’ length. I don’t listen to the news. I don’t watch the news. I try to stay in touch but I don’t want it in my life. I don’t want that thrown in my face. I just want to be present, I guess, is what I’m saying, so that I can see and feel how lucky I am and we are just to be alive, just to exist in the universe at all. I mean, you look at the stars and it’s all chaos forever and ever and ever. And somehow here we are.

It’s really a gift. It’s just a crazy gift. And I’m sure that’s where all the songs come from, in just trying to remind myself of how lucky we are just to be here and be able to feel.

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Art as talking to yourself

Q: There's a soothing quality to a lot of the music. Is that something you were going for?

A: It must be, because there it is, you know? So much of all the arts, really, is you’re talking to yourself. It’s some unconscious part of yourself talking to the conscious part. You might not even know that you need it, that you need to feel this way.

But if you pay attention, that is how art is created. It reveals itself. You can’t make anything happen.

It has to be some kind of subconscious reaction to that, just trying to obviously remind myself of what’s important, what’s real, what’s beautiful, and realize that you can’t change the world. All you can do is change yourself or the way you relate to the world.

Q: Did the creative process put you in a better place at all?

A: Maybe. I guess it doesn’t hurt to remind yourself what a gift it is to be able to sit with your friends and just have a real conversation and enjoy their company. Everything we need within us to be content in this life, I think, from conception, it’s there -- all the tools you need to be content with your existence. But unfortunately, there are all these things that pull you away from that. So it’s good to remind yourself of that every day.

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Inside the writing process

Q: You’ve talked about making yourself available to receive inspiration for songs.

I never sit down to write unless something is clawing at me. I can go six, seven months without picking up a guitar. But if I feel that pull and some melody starts to pull at me out of nowhere while I’m doing something else, I make time for it. I put down what I’m doing and whatever little piece of it is making itself known, I give it my attention. And that’s really it.

Then at a certain point, again, I feel that pull. And then I’ll end up spending days and days where I do nothing but pace in my study and play guitar and sort of observe these little pieces of melody and see what they want to be. But I never force myself to do it or even worry about it if I’m not doing it.

Q: Once you do get the creative spark, do you get to a place where the other stuff comes more easily?

A: It just feels like it’s time. That’s all. It just usually feels like it’s time. The melodies start to reveal themselves and the puzzles pieces start to fit together really easily and naturally. And before you know it, there’s a song. And here’s another one that’s getting close. Here’s another one that’s coming together. And you know you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing with your day.

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What to expect from the concert

Q: Does the feel of the new album have an impact on the way you fill out the setlist for your tour?

A: The new record is always the core. You want to get these songs out there. But there’s so many different things. I spent a lot of time working with this fellow, Jeremy Roth, on the lighting design. It’s an analog set. It’s beautiful. Very warm and brilliant. So we spent a lot of time on that. And then the guys in the band, that kind of shapes the muse as well. But I think it’s going to be a beautiful show to look at as well as listen to.

Q: Is it the people who played on the record?

A: For the most part, with the exception of Bo Koster. He’s out with Roger Waters. He was gonna come out with us but I guess one of Roger’s keyboard players had an accident, so Roger called Bo and got him involved in the tour. So he’s gonna be on that tour for who knows how long. Forever. John Stirratt of Wilco couldn’t make it, either. But the rest of the guys, they all played on the record.

Ray LaMontagne

When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 5.

Where: Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix.

Admission: $39.50-$292.50

Details: 800-745-3000, livenation.com.

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