AMY MONTGOMERY Releases Her Latest Single ' INTANGIBLE' We Talk Music and Lyrics
One of the first things you notice about Amy apart from her outlandish bohemian looks is her raw and beautiful voice. The track itself is a shimmering work of Nineties-influence from he likes of Alanis to PJ Harvey. It’s also a very personal track and centres around the theme of mental health, which is a potent theme across the upcoming EP as a result of her mother sadly struggling with depression and losing her life to suicide.
The songs on her forthcoming debut EP represent an artist who won’t shy away from her feelings, but also one who doesn’t attempt to oversimplify experiences that are deeply complex, or profound. “These songs still have a lot of pain,” she says, “but they’re lighter. I actually feel like I’ve let go of a lot of things in the past year, and that’s had a big influence on my writing.” One thing you notice when you speak to Amy though is her incredible lust for life and positivity.
As well as her powerful new EP, Montgomery was a mesmerising hit on the festival circuit last summer after a number of stunning debut performances at eighteen UK & European summer festivals including Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk, Electric Picnic and Black Deer.
Your music and music videos include several spiritual and ritualistic elements. How did you develop an interest in this?
I’ve been what you could call a ‘deep thinker’ from quite a young age. Growing up I was inspired by my sister who definitely had a spiritual influence on me. But the pinnacle moment that especially changed my perspective was when I lost my mum to suicide in 2016. The depth of my curiosity for the world around me became more. Exploring topics that once seemed so taboo like the nature of life and death, and understanding the mechanisms of my responses, now felt like necessary reflections to have in order to give everything I do meaning and purpose. I started to feel a yearning to empathise with others in their experiences too, as well as starting to express a rawer, more truthful side of myself (in personality and in music). Vulnerably showing how I feel through performance and art is something that I treasure, and if I can help anybody along the way by doing so, then it becomes a gift within a gift.
How do you feel after writing and performing such a personal piece? You appear to be channelling your emotions in ‘Intangible’.
With ‘Intangible’, the writing process was very natural, as if I was only the vessel for which the song came through. I wrote it for myself, as a means to process my thoughts and feelings. Inevitably then, all sorts of emotions were present during and afterwards writing. If you can imagine that every emotion had its own body/person, and they all got together in a room...I felt comfortable standing amongst them. Unafraid to look at them, examine them, be with them. Catharsis is a beautiful word to describe the feeling. The same applies to performing the song too, but with the added element of being able to connect with an audience who indefinitely have felt pain sometime in their lives too. This brings a feeling of collective vulnerability, which is really amazing.
Some of your music explores ideas relating to mental health. Do you think music can help people deal with mental health issues?
I think that music can be the catalyst for the rise of buried emotions. To actually feel the emotion for all that it is, in your heart and in your body is so important. Music encourages us to nurture our sensitivity, to embrace it, to grow from it. It’s a very humble and healing language. I find myself mentioning the word vulnerability again and again...but in my experience, if I feel angry for instance, and let myself feel and sit with the anger, I can feel the transformation from it to sadness, then from sadness to pure vulnerability, and it’s from this place then that I feel acceptance can come from. Though the best coping mechanisms can be different for every person I think.
In your song ‘Intangible’, you sing "you wanted to stay here, but you couldn’t keep those invaders away". What do you mean by this?
The invaders are intrusive thoughts. For anybody who has been affected by suicide, I think it’s important to remember that the person did love you and care for you and had it not been for those intrusive thoughts, would have wanted to stay here with you.
Your lyrics come from a personal place. Could you tell us what your writing process looks like?
It isn’t always the same, but I am usually alone when an idea for a new song comes. Seclusion when writing gives me a bigger canvas and more colours to paint with. Knowing that nobody is around fills me with confidence to express myself freely (and as loudly as I like!). So sometimes I bring my idea to Michael Mormecha, then we finish it together. Or vice versa, he comes with some instrumentation and we write the rest together. Most songs of mine have been co-written with Michael.
In what way has your Irish upbringing influenced your music?
I remember being surrounded by music my whole childhood. When it was still alright to bring your kids along to the pub(ha!), there would always be a live band which I think definitely inspired me musically even if I didn’t realise it. My mum and dad loved bringing us to see live music...or perhaps they just enjoyed going for themselves...ha ha! I think music is woven into the Irish tapestry. It’s a part of us. I do often wish though, that I possessed more Irish rooted skills and knowledge. As I grew up in the North, I think that a lot of the Irish/Celtic culture was diluted. But all the more reason to explore it as I grow. I’d also like to say that I think a lot of our influences are a mystery, which is beautiful. Every moment is an influence!
On your website, we discover you began writing songs at the age of fifteen. Do you remember what your first songs were about? How have you developed as an artist since then?
Yes, I remember most of them. The stories of my songs were from my imagination, whereas now I write more from my personal experience. One of my first songs was a swing-like song called ‘Boogie Woogie’, and was written from the perspective of a man meeting a lady in a bar and asking her to dance...Cringe!! Haha! Another was about a banshee. There was a blues song called ‘Jukebox’ about wanting to live on the road, always travelling to different places with a jukebox in my head as my companion. As I started to mature, I started to take inspiration from my own life and experiences. When I was 15 or 16 I wrote a song called ‘Escape from Reality’, this was heavy with emotion and where my songwriting really began I think. I sang it at a talent competition just one week after my mum’s passing… I still to this day have no idea where I found the courage to do that. You can check it out online and see the beginning of what would become ‘Amy Montgomery’ the artist.
What does the black painted line across your face represent? In the music video for your track ‘Intangible’, we notice the line is then white, what is the significance of this change?
Before I perform, it’s my ritual to put my warpaint on. It reminds me that no matter what I’ve been through or what I will face in the future I’ll always stay a peaceful warrior. It is wearing the courage even when I feel afraid. I also hope that when others see it, it reminds them of the warrior within them too. Well spotted in the Intangible video! The white line symbolises the purity that my true/inner self holds. Whereas the black line is the way that I present myself externally. When the two Amy’s encounter each other and the white striped one disappears, it’s a way of saying that she still remains within me even when I dress in black. I wanted to wear white warpaint for the video as it marks a change in my perspective and shows a new acceptance of what I’ve been through in life. It seemed natural to want to mirror the intimacy with a colour that represents purity and honesty.
Many of your songs and music videos include elements of nature. What is the role of nature in your artistic practice?
Nature is the most powerful thing there is. It is often the only thing that grounds me when I feel askew, it brings me back when I feel distanced. So for that, I have to honour it completely...in person and in art. What music have you been listening to recently? Zero 7, Sharon Van Etten, Florence + The Machine, Anoushka Shankar, Jain, Aurora, Kalandra, Alicia Keys, Fever Ray, William Crighton, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Talking Heads, Alanis Morissette, Feist + more...Thanks Spotify! What advice would you give to up and coming musicians from your experience? Ask yourself, what is important to me? What do I want to say through my art? What do I feel people need more of? Put your heart and soul into every inch of what you do. Aim to inspire, to change the world. Always think big and outside the box. Remember that receiving criticism is a blessing in disguise. It makes for a stronger and more resilient person and artist. I would also say to be yourself, but maintain a professional attitude throughout. And don’t forget to have fun!
Interview by Adam Mur