Salem In The Blood – Kristian Montgomery

Salem in the blood – Kristian Montgomery.

Halloween has long been the inspiration for Artists who have struggled to fit in. Those of us on the periphery who have a need more than a want to make art. The Ghost of the past, The things that haunt us until we have to face what scares us are present in our lives 365 days a year. Halloween gives us the opportunity to share our thoughts with a larger audience, The darkness has always been familiar to me and to my Family. Sometimes The Instinct to create is in the blood and my blood runs deep into History. My Father is From a long line of Fishermen from Copenhagen Denmark but My Mother hails From The Heart of New England and inherited all of its Ghosts. Rebecca Nurse and Susannah Martin were hanged for Witchcraft in 1692 and they’re both my 12th Generation Grandmothers. I have other famous relatives who made significant contributions to history but these 2 women always seemed to be at the forefront of dinner table conversation. The persecution they endured for being slightly odd was an event that history has still not reconciled with. Years later we realized the reason behind it all. It was a land grab and a way to eliminate competition. Resources were scarce and like a hermit crab kicking a competitor out of its shell so it could move right in, the women lost not just their lives but their descendants’ inheritance. I Understand growing up with nothing and being forced to start from zero like the kin of these two women.

The differences between people these days has been exaggerated to such a degree that the subtle nuances of life seem to have been forgotten. My New album “Lower county Outlaw” explores these small insignificant things that often get overlooked. Who we are is so much more than the grandiose; it’s  the often overlooked parts of who we are that seems to shine when we are needed most. The Witches and ghosts and demons that have followed me my whole life are wrapped up in this album but you’ll have to really listen. This is art not pop nonsense. If you believe in ghosts or are haunted by a past that follows you October 28th at Nashville of Saratoga exorcize your demons with me . Making art has always been my way of dealing with a past that was full of trauma but it’s also been an amazing way to celebrate that I survived it.

350 years later I’d like to think Rebecca Nurse and Susannah Martin survived too. Although they met their death at the end of a rope they have lived on in New England folklore. So Many years separate these 2 women from myself, I’m sure the DNA we share  has been watered down to just a trace of them in my blood. But every October I  believe it rises from its hiding place and comes to the surface. The cover of my new album may suggest to you a connection I  share with them but it’s in fact just the logo of my goat farm. October 28th join my tribe as we Rock Nashville of Saratoga..bring all your ancestors and we will celebrate the day of the Dead.

Kristian Montgomery

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