Read the in-depth interview with Tim Montana on this post …
Tim Montana and the Shrednecks will perform with ZZ Top on April 13 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. For ticket info go to Tim Montana
www.youtube.com/user/officialtimmontana
Tim Montana and his band, the Shrednecks, have something in common with ZZ Top. He and his band are rockin’ beards and are on tour together with ZZ Top.
Tim Montana actually grew up in Montana where he was discovered by David Letterman in 2008. He and his band now live in Nashville. Together Tim and ZZ Top’s lead singer Billy F. Gibbons co-wrote “This Beard Came Here To Party,” which became the anthem for the Boston Red Sox during the 2013 World Series, according to a press release. That video was the most viewed on the Major League Baseball websites.
Tim Montana and the Shrednecks are on tour promoting their newly released self-titled album.
Tim is a father of three kiddos, one is only a few weeks old has a lot to celebrate and he elaborated about his success over a phone interview
When he was first discovered by David Letterman Tim Montana said it was pretty cool.
“I played at a rodeo in Montana and I heard that he had a ranch down there,” Tim Montana said. “Out of curiosity he just showed up to the concert.”
Letterman had his family with him at the time of the concert.
“I thought he was a cool guy and as he said goodbye to me, I said, ‘Maybe one day I’ll see you on your show,’ and he said, ‘I hope so.’”
A month later Tim got a call from Letterman’s musical director in New York.
“It was an awesome experience,” Tim said. “It was amazing being on the show. I was pacing in the hall-way because I had so much adrenaline.”
He said he was nervous, but it was a blast going out on stage and performing.
“I got to wave to my mom and my family and from there I became good friends with Paul Shaffer,” Tim said. “He worked with me on two records.”
Later on Tim met his band members the Shrednecks.
“I went to music school in Los Angeles and I met Brian Wolf down there,” Tim said.
Wolf was drumming for a metal band that got picked up by Capitol Records.
“I didn’t seem him for years and he looked me up on Facebook and I was living in Nashville,’ Tim said. “He asked me what I’m doing now. He was living in Chicago. I was wondering what’s the best drummer in the world doing living in Chicago? He moved down to Nashville.”
The Shrednecks were missing a bass player, which they met in a coffee shop, of all places.
“There was a guy with a big beard that looked like me and my drummer and we asked him if he played bass and if he wanted to gig with us,” Tim said. “He said yes.
Tim added, “We always get asked if we’re all brothers. Sometimes we wear the same shirts and sunglasses and we try and trick people. We’re a little beard army here.”
Tim met Billy F. Gibbons through his manager.
“I met him at a recording studio and we wrote the song together called, ‘This Beard Came Here to Party. He was in the studio with us and it was a great day.
“My mom called that day and she found out that she was breast cancer free. Then Billy walked in and what an amazing day.”
When the Red Sox picked up that song and it blew up all over the internet Tim said, “I was like wow – that worked out. We write songs together now and we put together a good songwriting team from a lot of great people in Nashville.”
Tim has been writing songs since he was a kid and he was living off the grid with his family.
“I was talking while we were playing in Florida about how I was always too lazy to learn the whole song, and it drove my mom crazy,” he said. “I always learned the first chorus to the song, but I never finished it, or had enough attention to learn all of the lyrics.”
It took nine years for Tim to be taken seriously in Nashville as a songwriter until he said he finally landed his first publishing deal with Spirit Music Group.
“I wrote a ton of songs, but the timing was right, and they set up co-writes and I’d write songs, demo it and pitch it. They’re a very good publisher and a good team.”
Now Tim said he loves performing live and engaging the crowd.
“Just now in Florida we were singing a new song and the crowd had never heard of us before, but by the end of it were singing along,” he said. “I was like — wow. Being able to tell story through the song, and I do a lot of talking in a concert and I talk about where the song came from.”
Billy F. Gibbons co-wrote four songs on Tim Montana and the Shredneck’s new album.
“He also played on the record,” Tim said.
‘Rust and Red’ is a new song on the album about Tim’s Chevy pickup that he did a lot of work on.
“I would fix barbed wire fences and I saved up all of this money for it,” Tim said. “But I had to go to music school and in order to be able to afford it and go to L.A. I sold it to a rancher up the road and it was a sad moment when I put the keys to the truck in his hand.”
But Tim actually got his truck back when a divorced woman sold it back to him.
“That truck was part of my childhood, so I called the song ‘Rust and Red,’” he said. “It’s a crowd favorite.”
Tim and his band were recently on a cruise with Kid Rock.
“It was awesome,” Tim said. “Thousands of his die-hard fans were there and they were also interested in the bands that he picked for the cruise. Kid Rock is very personable and we enjoyed hanging out with him. We got to go to Jamaica and see other bands and get crazy on the high seas.”
Tim’s family wasn’t on the cruise because his wife just had a baby. But his wife and family go on the road when they can.
“She also is on the road, too because she works for a candy company and travels,” he said. “So, we juggle the kids. She’ll be on a business trip and I’ll take the kids. Or, I’ll be home from tour. It’s a constant struggle. But, the good thing is if I keep her pregnant all of the time then she’ll always be on maternity leave,” he joked. “We just had number three. Two was one thing, three is different. I once thought two, three, four, what’s the difference. I learned that three is the reason why that I have two hands.”
Life is as Sweet as Cotton Candy 
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