Ray LaMontagne has finally hushed his inner critic, and he’s hearing his debut album, 2004’s Trouble, like never before.
“If someone gave [the album] to me today and said, ‘This is a new artist. This guy’s just getting started,’ honestly — and I’m not patting myself on the back — but I would say, ‘Holy shit, that’s really, really, good,’” the soft-spoken LaMontagne, 51, says during a recent Zoom call from home in western Massachusetts. “‘That guy’s singing his ass off, and these songs are so … cool. They’re not traditionally shaped tunes.’ … It really holds up, and I’m really proud of that younger self.”
The Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter is marking 20 years of Trouble with a remastered vinyl edition, out June 13 via his own Liula Records. LaMontagne will also launch a U.S. tour in August, performing the album in its entirety for the first time since its release. The celebration will carry well into 2026 with shows in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
“It’s important that you really take these milestone things and take a minute to honor that, whether it’s celebrating when you met your wife or when your first child was born,” LaMontagne says.
