Mike Montgomery of Nervous Verbs Photo: instagram.com/nervousverbs

Cincinnati artist, producer and musician Mike Montgomery will release his debut LP, Pony Coughing, under the moniker Nervous Verbs on Feb. 28.

Montgomery began his musical career in the 1990s with the formation of a trio called thistle. The trio released four LPs and two EPs between 1992 and 2013, complete with numerous shows performed across the continent.

Montgomery also released four albums with his second musical trio, Ampline, in the early 2000s, ultimately culminating in 2018’s Passion Relapse, which earned national attention and praise.

The release of his debut solo album signals a change from the multi-talented musician, who normally collaborates with other musicians on musical projects. Montgomery, who also owns and operates the Candyland Recording Studio in Dayton, Ky., opted to capture a rough authenticity and emotional dissonance in this LP — something that the sparkling polish of a recording studio just wouldn’t suit. Drawing a parallel between fatherhood and childhood while recording, Montgomery stated in a press release that he found himself “singing very hushed because my baby was asleep; when I was little, I’d have to be quiet because my dad was there.”

Several tracks on the LP were recorded in one take, with the goal of documenting melodies (and even entire performances) at the moment they came to him. Montgomery said that “there was something about the idea of noticing I had captured something of myself that I couldn’t recreate on subsequent attempts.”

Montgomery also had help on the tracks from friends Kelley Deal of The Breeders, Lori Goldston, Devin Ocampo, Joe Suer, Kate Wakefield, Rick McCarty, Adam Nurre, Matt Hart, Dan Dorff Jr., and Alexis Marsh.

The LP opens with the track “Repeating Lines,” distinct for its nostalgic sounds of birds chirping in the morning. Montgomery’s voice is so thin it sounds as if it could break any minute, but it doesn’t. It holds its tune and words to a sharp stature while remaining emotionally true.

Standout track, “Cyclops Shore,” immediately draws your attention with the opening lines, “When your mother died, you thought of suicide, but you couldn’t do anything alone.” It’s a melancholic, entrancing tune with violins and piano harmonizing throughout. Although the song’s lyrics are dark, the composition is light and airy.

In stark contrast, the following track, “Chasing Strings,” opens with a guitar riff that sounds about as 2000s as you can get. The tune is reminiscent of The Breeders early hits. It’s an instant classic filled with features from Deal and Laura King, as Montogmery attempts “to make sense out of a situation.”

Montgomery’s labor of love has been decades in the making. In the process of making and releasing the album, Montgomery stated in a press release that he was “physically alone but more connected creatively than ever before.”

Pony Coughing will be released through Don Giovanni Records and available to stream everywhere on Feb. 28.

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This article appears in Feb 19 – Mar 4, 2025.

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