Memories of Ray LaMontagne | Trouble with Will Rew Smith

How does running a 42,000-follower fan community for Nick Cave, hunting down rare Prince 12-inch picture discs on eBay, and pursuing a creative writing degree shape a life celebrant? In this episode of The Friday Vinyl Club, Jamie sits down with record collector Will Rew Smith. Together, they dive into Ray LaMontagne’s hushed, soulful 2004 debut, Trouble, exploring its acoustic vulnerability, hidden demo arrangements, and why its striking front cover remains the ultimate tattoo inspiration. CONNECT WITH THE CLUB : • Our Official Website: ⁠thefridayvinylclub.com • Contact / Guest Inquiries: [email protected] INSIDE THE EPISODE & TIMESTAMPS: 00:18 - Intro: Welcoming Will Rew Smith and introducing Ray LaMontagne's Trouble. 01:41 - Curveball Choice: Deliberately dodging expectations by skipping a Nick Cave record. 03:11 - Household Radio: Growing up around large floor speakers and country cassettes. 04:54 - Staring at Freddie: Finding deep curiosity inside Queen's iconic Greatest Hits artwork. 06:39 - Seven-Inch Lounge: Teaching his three-year-old daughter the ritual of flicking through vinyl. 07:45 - Playground Teasing: Defending classic Elton John and George Michael Walkman rotations at school. 08:59 - Sequencing Talk: Asking Nick Cave directly about the track listing of Skeleton Tree in Brighton. 10:44 - Prince Picture Discs: Capturing a major rush on eBay tracking Prince's rare 1991 picture discs. 13:33 - Later Eras: Why he prefers late-career, mature artist transformations over earlier catalogs. 17:44 - Problem Children: Professing an absolute love for REM's universally panned Around the Sun. 18:53 - Theater Gigs: Stepping into live music through intimate Dr. Hook acoustic sets. 21:44 - Sylvia's Mother: Memories of listening to vintage country radio edits with his mother. 23:04 - Secret Rounds: Witnessing Benjamin Clementine command an intimate winter performance in London. 26:12 - Leaving for New York: Traveling across the Atlantic to track live sets. 28:17 - The 30-Second Advert: How a fleeting television commercial after school instantly hooked him. 30:06 - Dead Format Era: Unpacking why Trouble initially dropped only on CD. 31:47 - Speaker Pillow: Spending a childhood winter sleeping to the tracks of Ray LaMontagne. 33:20 - Low-Budget Oscars: How the Irish cult film Once inspired Will to pick up a guitar. 35:29 - Skin Demos: Discovering that the vocals of "Burn" are actually the unedited raw tracking sessions. 37:58 - Forever My Friend: The family joy of using his favorite guitar chords during his wedding. 40:42 - Rolling Clouds: Dissecting the quiet, beautiful, structural exit loops of "All the Wild Horses." 45:10 - Orchard Rain: Spotlighting the acoustic handclaps of "Hold You in My Arms" and "Hannah." 46:18 - Cocaine Flames: Dolly Parton comparisons and breaking down the lyrical stories of "Jolene." 49:04 - Charred Shifts: Analyzing the polarizing electric shifts of Till the Sun Turns Black. 50:46 - Dancing with the Devil: Researching illustrator Jason Holley's visual artwork. 52:38 - Sin into Song: Reciting the confessional Last Temptation of Christ quote hidden on the sleeve. 56:30 - Factory Presses: Scoring an ultra-rare, green double-vinyl copy of his favorite 2011 record. THE FRIDAY SPIN- CLARE MAGUIRE SPOTLIGHT: • The Recommendation: Clare Maguire and her brilliant 2011 album Light After Dark, featuring "The Last Dance". TOPICS COVERED: Ray LaMontagne, Trouble, Will Rew Smith, Nick Cave fan communities, Prince picture discs, REM later eras, alternative acoustic songwriting, visual booklet artwork, and physical tracking history. FOR FANS OF: If you love music memories, physical media, and human stories behind the songs on podcasts like The Vinyl Guide, Back to NOW!, Music Is None Of Our Business, Desert Island Discs, or A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, you are right at home in the club! Leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts to help our independent community grow!