Ray LaMontagne, Back with 'Sun Turns Black'

By Scott Simon

Published August 26, 2006 at 2:00 PM EDT

Ray LaMontagne performs on stage at the "From the Big Apple to the Big Easy" New York City's Benefit Concert for the Gulf Coast at Radio City Music Hall in September 2005.

Ray LaMontagne's musical career came without much training and certainly without much promotion. He once lived in a cabin in Maine that he built for himself. (He's since upgraded to a cabin that was built for him.)

But his 2004 CD Trouble -- fueled by the title song -- caught fire through word of mouth, turning into an official underground hit.

In a recent visit to NPR's Washington studios, LaMontagne performed songs from his latest CD -- Till the Sun Turns Black. He's building a bit on his previous description of his musical foundation:

"I got primary colors. Red, yellow, blue. That's it."

And now we can add Black.

Scott Simon

Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.

See stories by Scott Simon

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