MONTAIGNE AND DAVID BYRNE SING AS KINDRED SPIRITS ON “ALWAYS BE YOU”

Montaigne is one of the most ambitious and unique art pop musicians to grace a performance venue today. David Byrne, of Talking Heads fame, is a living alternative legend whose extensive career knows no bounds. So, it was only a matter of time before these behemoths of the music world would team up on something truly extraordinary.

“Always Be You” is simplistic in its message of love, but its pop-leaning roots run far deeper underground. In its lyrics, Montaigne and David Byrne address the usual fears of a new or long-term relationship, yet there’s something incredibly revealing about the way they go about it, with its near-anxiety covered in a sheen of poppy glitter and a synthy major key. At its core, the track is a conversation between two authentic musicians who question the basis for relationships in their own lives, noting how “When we first decided to be together / It felt like you felt like you’d made a mistake” and “If I get it wrong, will I be left alone?”

The sentiment is a through line of much of Montaigne other infectious music, and is certainly familiar to Byrne, whose own songs with The Talking Heads always held a tinge of unease despite their polished sound. And as Byrne himself commented when asked about his collaborative songwriting with Montaigne:

“I know that feeling, when you’re not sure if everything’s working. It was very easy to put myself in that head and identify with that … For me it seemed very universal.”

Yet in spite of its trepidations, “Always Be You” is ultimately a hopeful, uplifting song produced by two of the most intriguing artists working in the industry today. It shows Montaigne’s ability to bend popular taste to fit her musical needs, and Byrne’s knack for making his timeless sound sound fresh and new. Montaigne has a new, untitled album coming out sometime this year, and David Byrne continues to perform in his show American Utopia on Broadway. Their awesome collaboration is available to stream below!