Award-winning, internationally renowned blues-rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Coco Montoya has released “I Was Wrong“, the first single from his upcoming album, Writing On The Wall.
This signature, career-defining performance of the soul-baring I Was Wrong is among the most powerful tracks Montoya has ever recorded. According to Coco, the song — written by Coco’s friend and occasional writing partner, Dave Steen — is one he’s had his eye on for awhile. “I’ve known about I Was Wrong for some time and am a big fan of Dave’s songs whether I write with him or not,” Montoya says. “When we started recording I Was Wrong and getting into it, I realized that I was channeling my Bluesbreaker days with John Mayall. I wasn’t thinking of that when we started, but it just naturally evolved. It felt really good to record this song and approach it from that style.”
With Writing On The Wall, Montoya delivers what he is calling one of the best records he’s ever made. For the very first time on Alligator, he decided to bring his road-tested band—noted keyboardist and songwriter Jeff Paris (Keb’ Mo’, Bill Withers), bassist Nathan Brown, and drummer Rena Beavers—into the studio with him. Guests on the album include Lee Roy Parnell, who adds his well-seasoned slide guitar to the smoldering A Chip And A Chair, and Coco’s friend, guitarist Ronnie Baker Brooks (son of late Alligator star Lonnie Brooks), on the searing cover of Bobby Bland’s You Got Me (Where You Want Me) and on the droll Baby, You’re A Drag. Between the camaraderie of the long-time bandmates and the sheer talent of all involved, the results have Coco feeling, in his words, “over the moon.” He continues, “I am so proud of this one. The band played so great, they ended up making me play even harder. They made me sound better than I am!”
Produced by Grammy Award-winner Tony Braunagel (Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal) and co-produced by Jeff Paris, Writing On The Wall is a tour-de-force of memorable, hook-filled songs, sung with passion and fueled by Montoya’s fiery guitar and the band’s spot-on musicianship. The 13 tracks include five written or co-written by Montoya.
Now, with the dynamic Writing On The Wall and an overflowing tour schedule, Coco Montoya is excited to perform the new songs live with his burning-hot band. Montoya’s reputation as an incendiary live performer is well-earned, as he delivers the goods night after night. Vintage Guitar declares, “Coco keeps getting better and better. He plays with fire and passion rarely seen in this day and age.”
