Ricky Montgomery

Richard Owen Holmes Montgomery was born in Los Angeles, California, on April 3, 1993. His early life involved moving to St. Louis, Missouri, where he lived from ages 12 to 21 and attended college. At 14, he began playing in various bands. In 2014, Montgomery gained an early following on Vine, a short-form video service, where he posted comical original songs. He viewed the platform as a potential starting point for a music career. Following his success on Vine, he released his first EP, “Caught on the Moon,” and subsequently left college to pursue music in Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles, Montgomery released his debut studio album “Montgomery Ricky” on April 1, 2016. He co-founded the indie band The Honeysticks with a childhood friend, releasing their first single, “Out Like a Light,” in 2017. He stepped away from music in 2018 and established social media marketing companies. By 2020, he considered ending his music career entirely. However, later that year, during the COVID-19 pandemic, his songs “Mr. Loverman” and “Line Without a Hook” unexpectedly gained significant virality on TikTok. This resurgence led to a bidding war among major record labels, culminating in Montgomery signing with Warner Records in December 2020.

Since signing with Warner Records, Montgomery has released remixed versions of his debut album songs with artists such as Chloe Moriondo and mxmtoon in 2021. He connected with mxmtoon after discovering her performing his songs on Twitch, and with Moriondo after hearing her cover “Out Like a Light.” His albums include “Rick” (2023) and “Rick(y)” (2024), and EPs such as “It’s 2016 Somewhere” (2022). In October 2024, Montgomery announced the single “Superfan” and confirmed he had been dropped by Warner Records. He continues to release music, including singles like “Black Fins” (2023) and “Unknown Phantom” (2024), demonstrating resilience in his artistic journey.