The Montvales play stripped-down, banjo-and-harmony-driven songs that stick with you. Their shows will take you to places both raucous and reverent, equal parts honky-tonk mischief and earnest meditation on friendship, heartbreak, and place.
In our interview, the queer country duo talk about the importance of representation and joy in the Americana world.
Who are some of your musical influences?
Gillian Welch, Shovels and Rope, the Felice Brothers, and John Prine are some of the artists whose work has influenced us the most. We also grew up going to square dances and playing old time music around Knoxville, as well as obsessing over folk punk bands like Defiance Ohio and Mischief Brew. The Everybodyfields, also, were a local band who had a huge impact on us.
Name a perfect song and tell us why you feel that way.
“Independence Day” by Gretchen Peters, performed by Martina McBride.
“I ain’t saying it’s right or it’s wrong, but maybe it’s the only way/talk about your revolution, it’s Independence Day” gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. But every line is so punchy and clever and heartbreaking and it’s the perfect mix of tough and humble/empathetic. A brilliantly crafted underdog story with details that make it feel so real and also just the right amount of mystery. AND, when it disturbingly got co-opted by Sarah Palin’s presidential campaign, Gretchen Peters started donating all of the royalties to Planned Parenthood. A friend of ours who works for Planned Parenthood told me that after we butchered it at karaoke one night and it sealed the deal on our devotion to the song.
What 5 albums are you going to make your kid listen to and why?
By the Way, I Forgive You by Brandi Carlile
…because this whole album radiates the kind of unconditional unconditional love that kids should be raised on, with a healthy dose of grit and a flare for the dramatic.
Made the Harbor by Mountain Man
…to start them learning about harmony early! Maximize the family band potential!
O Be Joyful by Shovels and Rope
…My kids would have to listen to it because I’m still so consistently listening to it! It’s utterly original and a perfect album. Their use of imagery is so consistently brilliant.
Small Town Heroes by Hurray for the Riff Raff
…and honestly Alynda Segarra’s entire discography. So much love for both her scrappy roots and the poppy, experimental stuff she’s into now. And her work is also full of anti-capitalist and anti-colonialism messages that I’d want to raise kids on.
Fly by The Chicks
…a holdover from my own childhood, a lot of which was spent singing along to this tape with my mom in her car. Also because Natalie Maines is a badass.
Where are some places you’ve found joy within the country/Americana world?
I am consistently so grateful for the ways in which the female/queer Americana world makes me feel seen. When I was a young teenager, I got to see Amy Ray open for Brandi Carlile at the Bijou Theater in Knoxville. It was a weird time in our lives because there had just been a shooting at the Unitarian Universalist church that Sally and I grew up in, largely motivated by far-right politics and homophobia (as detailed in a manifesto left by the attacker). It was totally devastating and I just had to go back to my ultra conservative high school afterwards, where I heard similar rhetoric repeated constantly. Amy Ray made a point that night to talk about the shooting on stage and offer her condolences to Knoxville, and then of course her and Brandi Carlile played an incredible show. It was such a gift to see these astoundingly talented and powerful women up there reflecting my reality, acknowledging my pain, and sort of saying look: there’s a place for you in this world. It buoyed me in a way I can’t describe. And now there are all these other amazing LGBT Americana artists coming up (Jaime Wyatt, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Adeem the Artist) who I know are creating these same moments of clarity and power for people, just by visibly bringing their whole selves to what they do. That brings both of us a lot of joy.
Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off?
So, we recorded our first album literally right before the pandemic started and haven’t gotten to go on an honest-to-god tour yet. At this point we’re really just dying to finally get out there and play these songs for people! Booking shows and navigating the ongoing COVID situation as a very small band has been pretty challenging, but we’re really looking forward to eventually hitting the road. Alternative answer: have one of our albums produced by Michael Trent of Shovels and Rope. Him working with Lilly Hiatt on Trinity Lane was such a dream collaboration and it turned out amazing.