Born in Florida to a Danish immigrant and a blue blooded American girl, his family moved to New England where his father worked as a fisherman. Kristian Montgomery lived with his grandparents and began singing in the church choir where his voice was recognized by his Reverend, a former professional tenor. Kristian Montgomery realized the impact his voice had upon people once he opened his eyes after singing the Lord’s Prayer and seeing the silent tears fall from faces he had never met.
Outside of church Kristian Montgomery l sang shanties, Celtic and Scandanavian songs at local bars and told stories of fisherman coming home from sea. Over time he progressed as a songwriter and ultimately developed a following, Kristian Montgomery l joined several rock bands through the years where he won awards for his voice. While a member of a metal band, Kristian Montgomery l was nominated for the Boston Music Awards for best male vocalist. Kristian Montgomery however, did not feel like this genre was a good fit for him. Kristian Montgomery l wanted adventure, so he traveled to Nicaragua to perform on television in Managua. While there, he was photographed sitting around a table relaxing in the capital with an AK-47 in his arms; as if this was war torn country was just another place to find stories for his songs.
This experience awoke something in Kristian Montgomery l, he found a freedom that only his ancestors had known. Kristian Montgomery l began taking his music back to his father’s homeland, where it was received like a son coming home to his family. Although his intentions were to bring music to the world; after starting a family in the US, it was at the dinner table where he truly found home. A divorce inevitably threw Kristian Montgomery back into performing. He was jailed after fighting for equal rights for fathers in Massachusetts. Having lost everything, he began to rebuild his life. Upon release from prison he began work on “The Gravel Church”. Kristian Montgomery l wrote about his experiences in prison, starting over and how he found hope.
“When your world is taken away” he says “it’s like watching a ship sail further and further away from you. You’re far apart, but if you put your feet in the water you’re still connected”
Prince of Poverty is now available! Purchase the album in our shop below or download on iTunes!
