By Robert Duguay

As he prepares for Strangecreek, Ryan Montbleau reflects on introspective songwriting, longtime ties to the festival, and music as a form of truth-telling.

Memorial Day weekend may be billed as the unofficial start of summer—marked by cookouts, fireworks, and long-awaited days off—but for live music fans, it also signals the return of festival season. In western Massachusetts, that includes the Strangecreek Campout, set for May 22–25 at Camp Kee-wanee in Greenfield, where a wide-ranging lineup will unfold over four days. Among this year’s performers is Peabody native Ryan Montbleau, who brings his easy blend of folk, soul, blues, and funk to the Main Stage on May 24 at 3:45 p.m.

Ahead of his set, Montbleau spoke about his latest single, his history with Strangecreek, and a new record slated for release later this year.

Musician Ryan Montbleau. Photo: Willow Knight

The Arts Fuse: Last month, you released your latest single titled “What’s Inside.” It is an unusually introspective track. You and your band worked on the single with James Bridges at Q Division Studios in Cambridge. What was the songwriting and recording process for you?

Ryan Montbleau: It took a long time. I had been working on that track for a couple years and we had to redo it a few times. We originally started recording in Maine, but it wasn’t working. We did it again at Q Division where we stripped everything down to its essentials. The original was recorded with me singing along a cappella with a huge kick drum turned on its side, and then we built out everything else from there. There was a lot of editing; I tweaked the words and worked on the track to the point it didn’t sound as if it took a lot of work. (laughs) I am proud of that track.

The writing came from a very real place. I drew on an ancient batik chanting technique that my teacher taught me. I was at what she calls a “vocal transformation retreat,” so there was some pretty deep work involved.

AF: Your single’s music video uses low-resolution archival footage. Did you source the material yourself—from personal archives or places like a library—or did you hire someone to create the video in that style?

Montbleau: There’s a great director named Dorian Weinzimmer with whom I’ve worked on various projects with Yes Darling, and I feel they are among the best videos I’ve been a part of. He had the footage and put all of it together, including some footage that came from me. He did a great job of capturing the essence of the song.

AF: You’ve been very outspoken about what’s going on in today’s society on both a political and cultural level. You’ve written songs about these issues and posted about them on social media. You obviously feel that you have a responsibility as an artist to critique what is going on.

Montbleau: These are strange days, though at the same time I can’t remember a time when I didn’t say that. (laughs) My responsibility as an artist is to make the best art I can, and by my definition and by many people’s definition that work should reflect the truth, or my truth anyway. If what’s going on doesn’t make its way into the work, then I am not really telling the truth. I don’t think it’s my calling to speak out for one side and damn another. I do some of that for sure — but all I’m really trying to do is tell the truth.

In the song “Break The Silence,” I mention Trump, I mention Palestine, and I mention Israel. If you listen to it, you will hear I’m just trying to bring the issue to light. What I’m exploring in the song is my own reluctance to talk about those things and the fear I have. I’m not trying to cop out: I’m just trying to tell my own truth and I hope it connects with others. If you’re not speaking to any of this stuff, then maybe you are copping out. A lot of it is awful, unspeakable. I am trying to figure out who I’m speaking to and who I’m making this music for. It’s for the people who are living in this same crazy world as I am, so I’m going to speak to that in my music.

AF: Western Massachusetts has a different performance vibe than Boston, where you started as a musician. What are your thoughts heading out to perform at the Strangecreek Campout in Greenfield?

Montbleau: I think this is my 23rd year, so I’ve been going up there forever and I love it. I love western Massachusetts in general. I thought about moving out there at one point. I almost did, but I ended up in Vermont. Still, I thought about moving out to western Massachusetts to the “Happy Valley.” I used to live in Lawrence for nine years in the Merrimack Valley — I would refer to that more as the “Angry Valley.” But I love my Boston people, that’s home. Strangecreek and Wormtown are the same festival, really. They are beautiful hippie festivals with 2,000 people or so camped out in the woods.

I’ve seen these events steadily improve. Things have been cleaned up; it can get pretty wild in those woods at night. I feel so loved at Strangecreek; I’ve been playing it for so long that people have grown to appreciate me and my art. It’s a blessing that I get to perform in the area twice a year, at both Strangecreek and Wormtown. Sometimes it’s with the band and sometimes it’s solo, but this time I’m just bringing my bass player Marc Friedman. We’re going to be performing as a duo. He’s brilliant, so it’s going to be a different way to perform, with a different feel.

AF: The single “What’s Inside” has been released. Do you plan on following that up with some more singles or perhaps even an EP or a full-length?

Montbleau: That single is part of an album that’s been completed. Four other singles have come out and they will be on the release as well. Other tracks are finished and are ready to go. I just had a shake-up with my management, so I’m trying to square away my team and give the album a proper release. The plan is to put out the rest of the record this fall — it will be called Fine Lines.

Rob Duguay is an arts & entertainment journalist based in Providence who is originally from Shelton, CT. Outside of The Arts Fuse, he has also written for DigBoston, Aquarian Weekly, Providence Journal, Newport Daily News, Worcester Magazine, New Noise Magazine, Manchester Ink Link, and numerous other publications. While covering mostly music, he has also written about film, TV, comedy, theater, visual art, food, drink, sports, and cannabis.