Interview: Tim Montana’s New Song, First Responders + More

“I’ve kind of been doing some deep diving into myself.”

After releasing his brand-new song, “Break Me Down,” Tim Montana joined Loudwire Nights to discuss it — and how therapeutic his music is these days.

“I’m very personal with my lyrics — you know, ‘Savage,’ you got that, but I’ll just say it, I started going to therapy recently to deal with some childhood trauma stuff,” Montana revealed to Loudwire Nights‘ Chuck Armstrong.

“I was surprised I got a PTSD diagnosis from some of the things I saw as a kid. I thought that was something that maybe only soldiers got.”

He admitted he’s happy to open up about this kind of thing because he sees so many mental health problems in his home state of Montana, which unfortunately has one of the higher teen suicide rates in the United States.

“Everyone’s like, what are you going to do about this,” Montana shared.

“I have issues just like anyone else, anxiety issues, a lot of rock musicians have it, but it stems from childhood trauma. So I thought I’d put the right foot forward and lead by example. And my wife and kids are like, ‘Thank God you’re going to talk to somebody.'”

Montana said he views the therapeutic nature of writing songs as a weapon — but he also said that means it can be a weapon of self-destruction.

“As much good as I can do in the world with this, as much work ethic and stuff that I have, it’s like, I can’t shut that off, the demons are there,” he said.

“So, I can write about it. I can talk about it. Recently, ol’ Timmy wrapped up his fifth or sixth therapy session. [There is] a lot of introspective self-healing happening. Some of these songs on this [new] record, I decided that’ll probably be the last time I talk about it that deep.”

That’s not to say Montana will completely leave his personal experiences out of future songs. He’ll always draw from his life — good and bad — but he feels like he’s accomplished some deep, meaningful work on his next album, Entire State of Montana out on July 17, which “Break Me Down” is the first taste of.

“The last song on the album, I cried writing it, I cried singing it,” he said.

“My daughter’s on it and everyone had goosebumps in the room. It was something I had to get out. My wife walked in when I was writing it and I was crying in the garage and she’s like, ‘Okay, a little self-help therapy session,’ and I’m like, ‘After this, I’m going to talk to somebody, put this to bed and put this song out.’ And the last song on the record, it will give you goosebumps. It’s the realest thing you’ve ever heard. It’s dark. It’s very dark, but I had to get it out. It’s in here, I need to get it out.”

Montana is grateful for the rock world embracing him and his music because he said he’s never been able to write songs like this when he was working in the country space.

“I can say real things that I never got away with writing for other people,” he said.

“Using music for healing, it’s therapeutic to me and I think therapeutic to others.”

Tim Montana, “Break Me Down” Music Video

What Else Did Tim Montana Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

His work with rural EMS and first responders: “People around the state, you know, reaching out from the capital Helena [saying], ‘Hey, you unfortunately fell into the trap that all of us healthcare workers and first responders and paramedics knew about — and you’re the only guy with the platform [that can] help us.’ I was like, alright, I’m not a doctor, I’m not a politician, I’m a guitar player, but I have a passion, right? And when I see something awful like that, I have to get involved.”
How he and actor Robert Patrick first got connected: “I don’t know if it was Sturgis. I’m trying to go back. It wasn’t in the movies because we knew each other, someone linked us. You know what? I think it was Jerrod Niemann actually, because Robert Patrick does so much veteran work. Those two had gone overseas and done USO tours together. Jerrod Niemann is a huge songwriter and artist out of Nashville, which we figured out blackout drunk duck hunting that we’re actually related … Jerrod made the connection because I do a lot of stuff for veterans. He’s like, ‘Hey dude, you need to meet this guy.’ And then we were in the same place at the same time, which I believe was Sturgis.”
The music video for “Break Me Down”: “We filmed in Montana. I’m always this massive ambassador for my home state and I wanted to use filmmakers, not so much music video guys. So I used Rihcard Gray that directed The Unholy Trinity, where Samuel L. Jackson slits my through. He’s done a lot. And I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m going to write these treatments, let’s figure this out. Let’s shoot it in the state of Montana’ … So we started, I had this thing and I’m like, let’s do it. Let’s have a female in there that’s torturing me — and it turned out really cool.”