Meet Maree Montagnini | Singer Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maree Montagnini and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maree, what’s the most important thing you’ve done for your children?

As I was reading the questions for this interview, I had the option to choose which questions to answer. As a songwriter, musician, and band manager, I’ve spoken much about the experience of getting into the music industry, creating music, etc. However, that is one whole part of my identity, my life at this time. The other part of me is a mother. It often feels like I am two completely different people, living two completely separate lives. There’s the me that walks around all morning unshowered, looking like two days worth of leftovers as I remind my 9 year old to clean her room, console the 7 year old who’s lego helicopter was demolished by the 2 year old, freak out because said 2 year old is missing a diaper…. There’s the me that loves my 14 year old through her first heartache, There’s me who throws down and insists that no, showering every three days is not acceptable for a preteen boy! That’s a slice of my one life. And then there’s the self that is always on social media, planning content, promoting my band, thinking of what to do next to “make it.” Organizing gigs. Contacting venues. Locked in my room to finish a song. Dressing up in a tiny bathroom before I go on stage, after hauling in sound gear. There’s me scrounging sales racks at thrift stores for a dress I haven’t worn yet. There’s me singing my heart out to a room of strangers. Driving home in the wee hours of the morning…. Waking up in last night’s finery and the remnants of yesterday’s makeup. So I can start a new day, teach multiplication, clean house, take the kids to karate, and do it all over again.
I’m sure it’s like this for any performer, any business owner with a family. But one question you ask yourself along the way is, is this good for my family? Is being away hurting them? Should I give it all up, be a stay at home mom? Why I am doing this?
I’ve had plenty of time to consider this, fielded plenty of concerned, probing, and dismissive comments from friends and family as to my fitness as a good mother and a musician.
The short answer is time will tell. As with anything. All you know in life is that you decide what’s the right thing to do for as many people involved, including yourself and especially those you love, and give it your best.

Yet when I let the omnipresent voices of my naysayers quiet in my head, I think of how my being a musician has impacted my children, and it makes me smile.
I’m raising 5 children in a world that is not encouraging of initiative, hard work, or honesty. My kids constantly tell me how proud they are of me because, “you just went for something you wanted… and got it!” “You look so confident and happy on stage” (when they know I’m terrified), “you made something all by yourself.”

What I realize they are seeing and experiencing is that dreams do come true…. But you have to work your *ss off, never give up, keep getting up from every setback, that it’s 2% glamor and 98% anxiety, exhaustion, stress, and caffeine. I want my children to be successful in life, in whatever they chose to do. And success does not come from you waiting for it. You work. You think, you plan, you do, and you don’t slack off. They are seeing what it looks like behind the scenes. They are seeing what it takes. And one day, they’ll see the results. In the meantime, I’m grateful for the chance to be both their mother and a working musician.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a writer first and foremost. I remember reading the unabridged version of Treasure Island when I was 8 years old, and I’ve never not had a book to read since then. In college and grad school, I focused on literature and had the opportunity to read all the books that influenced everything that’s beautiful in writing. Songs are first and foremost writing. They are poetry. They are a form of communication. They are stories. My strength as a musician is my lyrics. I’ve lived long enough to have a wealth of feelings and experiences to pull from, and because of my saturation in the world of literature, I can pull from old tropes, well known themes, vintage forms of expression that are as relevant today as ever, and weave them into a song that is both part of me and part universal.
I love the process of creation, of expression, of saying what is in your heart and mind in a way that others can relate to. Of telling old stories on a way that today’s listeners can relate to.

It excites me to blend together old and new… pair familiar sounds with phrases you heard last from your grandparents. Take a common saying and pair it with an oxymoron. Invite listeners to think about dichotomies and opposites and incongruities…. and all under the guise of a simple song.

I especially love revisiting old, traditional songs amd retelling them in a way that considers perspectives that were not vocalize at a time when women lacked the platform to tell their stories. The song I just finished recording is a good example of this. Everyone knows about Abraham Lincoln. So many people accept the common narrative about famous figures. Yet so much less is said of Mary Todd Lincoln, his wife. Who was she? What did she feel? What was her perspective? “Don’t Cry Mrs Lincoln,” available on all music streaming services in May of 2023, is an example of looking back over history and bringing those whose voices were never spoken back to the conversation

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As with any up and coming band, you start somewhere and then you go places. Tucson Arizona is mybands’s home town and we are so grateful to all the venues that gave a new band a stage, a place to be heard. Jackrabbit Lounge, Rockabilly Grill, FireTruck Brewing, Corbett Brewing, Sky Bar, to name a few. These are venues that give back to their local community by supporting local live music. If you want to support creators and artists, support those businesses that allow music to thrive. In the past season, we’ve spent a lot of time in Bisbee, Arizona, and have been so welcomed by that creative community. Places like The Social Club, Bisbee Grand Hotel, the Hitching Post, the Bisbee Saturday Market are places I recommend to anyone who wants to support local initiative.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many folks I could thank, so in the interests of brevity, I dedicate this shout out to my husband, Josh Montagnini. We’ve known each other for 19 years, and we’ve been each other’s partners on so many adventures… law school, several cross-country moves, remodeling houses, five home births, in sickness and health, you name it! He’s the one who’s heard my music evolve and grow over the years, he’s the one who always told me I was good when everyone else ignored me, he’s the first one who heard the songs I write, he’s the main reason why I can do anything I’m doing. He’s a good man, a kind man, and my best friend. I’m grateful to him.

Website: Www.uncommoncrossroads.com

Instagram: Uncommon Crossroads

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mareetheband?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@uncommoncrossroads4513

Image Credits
Phil Kelly Ameira Al-Rudan Montigue Eaton