Montana
Interview: Tim Montana Says He Felt Like an Alien in Country Music + Can't Wait For Fans to Hear His Rock Album, 'Savage'
Ever since the first time Tim Montana was a special guest on Loudwire Nights, he was crystal clear on his love for rock and roll.
Yes, he cut his teeth in the country world in Nashville for a decade and grew as a songwriter in ways he could have never imagined, but at the root of everything he did was always a burning love for rock.
After releasing his first official rock single “Devil You Know” in 2023 and seeing the response to it, he was encouraged by those around him to keep writing that kind of music.
For Montana, that was an easy task to take on.
“Everybody got their hands on ‘Devil You Know’ and they were like, ‘There’s something there, go chase that,’” Montana told Loudwire Nights host Chuck Armstrong on Friday (July 12). “I’m like, ‘Okay, I can do that all day. Why didn’t you say so?’”
Montana called the next several months a “rush process” for his new album, Savage, officially out now.
“It was a fast process,” he admitted.
“‘Devil You Know’ started hitting and we just went and chased that and we did [Savage] pretty quick over the holidays and put the finishing touches on it in January. I’m stoked, man. We had a blast.”
Tim Montana Was Feeling Like an Alien in Nashville
The timing of Savage came just when Montana needed it.
Even though he had already experienced some incredible highs as an artist — performing on the Late Show With David Letterman, becoming friends with Dave Grohl, being adopted by his rock and roll dad Billy Gibbons — he was ready to dig into his love of rock for his next album.
“I was pretty burned out of that scene,” Montana confided. “[I was] feeling like an alien in that town for a long time.”
Fortunately, Montana had always made friends with people in Nashville who, though they may work in the country world, had a deep love for rock and roll, too.
“They’re paying their bills with country, but they’re going home and headbanging to rock and roll,” he said, laughing. “You gotta seek those guys out.”
READ MORE: Slash Celebrates Solo LP + Says ‘2025 Is All About Guns N’ Roses’
A few of those guys who helped Montana bring Savage to life include all-star Nashville songwriters Erik Dylan and Nathan Barlowe as well as producer Micah Wilshire, who helped break Montana out of the country mold.
“I’d be like, ‘Should we call in a session guitar player to play guitar,’ and he’d hand me a guitar and be like, ‘You have your own style,’” Montana said about working with Wilshire.
“What if they had someone else play guitar for Kurt Cobain, it wouldn’t sound like Nirvana. I had to break that natural mentality of somebody else doing it and I think we got a unique sound by doing it that way.”
Ultimately, for fans who dive into Savage, they won’t hear much country influence in that unique sound; whereas artists like Jelly Roll and Hardy tend to bridge the gap between twang and distortion, Montana and Wilshire dug their feet in the grit of rock and roll and nothing else.
“I think if it was a person that didn’t know me or my history, who didn’t see what I look like, where I live and they listened to it, they wouldn’t be pulling out any of those country things at all.”
What Else Did Tim Montana Discuss on Loudwire Nights?
- Why his mom is proud of him for Savage, but why it’s not her favorite music he’s ever made: “She’s like, ‘This reminds me of that terrible music you made me listen to when you were a kid.’”
- What it means to have a billboard on Sunset in Los Angeles promoting his new album: “I was hoping Billy Gibbons would crash his car into a fire hydrant when he saw that.”
- How he spent his Fourth of July, supporting the family of helicopter pilot Shane Barnes of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment who was killed in November: “I got a message that said, ‘Hey, when Shane was killed, we got his playlist and you were his No. 1 streamed act. He never stopped talking about you. What would you charge to play a concert in his backyard for his family and his troops and teammates?’ And I was like, ‘Okay, there’s my Fourth of July. A, I’m not charging you a thing and B, we’re bringing a BBQ truck.’”
Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below
Tim Montana joined Loudwire Nights on Friday, July 12; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.
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Montana
Governor Gianforte Announces Montana Ranks as Top 10 State for Job Growth
Governor’s Office
HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today announced Montana ranks in the top ten states with the highest year-over-year job growth rates.
“Montana continues to rank as one of the best states to start or grow a business, earn a competitive wage, and secure a good-paying job,” Gov. Gianforte said. “As we continue to reform our regulatory environment to support job creators and cut taxes to give money back to the hardworking Montanans who earned it, we see the results of conservative policies at work as the Treasure State ranks in the top ten states with the strongest job growth.”
According to a report by Stat Ranker, which compared all 50 states based on year-over-year growth in total nonfarm payroll employment between February 2025 and February 2026, Montana ranked ninth in the nation for both jobs added and overall job growth adding more than 2,100 jobs over the year, representing a 0.4 percent job growth rate.
Last week, the governor attended the groundbreaking for Janicki Industries in Great Falls to celebrate the aerospace manufacturers’ investment expected to create more than 2,000 jobs over the next ten years and the ribbon cutting for Amazon’s sixth delivery station in Montana that brings the company’s total employment in the state to over 800.
Last month, the governor announced Montana was ranked in the top five states with the fastest-growing economies since 2021. The report from Visual Capitalist found that between 2021 and 2025, Montana’s GDP grew 16.1 percent while the national average in the same time period was 10.8 percent. When it comes to wage growth, Montana ranks third in the nation for fastest wage growth and is only one of two states in the nation where wage growth has outpaced inflation since 2020. The average wage earned by Montana workers reached $60,037 in 2024.
Earlier this year, Gov. Gianforte also announced Montana’s fiscal health surged into the top ten states nationally under his leadership, rising from 22nd in 2021 to 8th in 2025. Since taking office, the governor has paid off the state’s general obligation debt, making Montana debt-free in 2023 and saving Montanans $40 million over a period of two years.
Montana also consistently ranks in the top fifteen states with the lowest unemployment rates. Last month, the governor announced Montana’s unemployment rate ticked down to 3.4 percent in May, lower than the national unemployment rate which remained at 4.3 percent.
The full Stat Ranker report can be read here.
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Montana
Montana Lottery Mega Millions, Big Sky Bonus results for July 14, 2026
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 14, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 14 drawing
02-04-10-48-56, Mega Ball: 22
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from July 14 drawing
15-20-26-27, Bonus: 02
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 14 drawing
12-13-15-16-41, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Montana
Get Smitten With a Kitten at Humane Society of Western Montana
If a furry, playful, hugg-able, lovable kitten would be a great addition to your place, now’s the time to visit the Humane Society of Western Montana.
MEET BAKER AND BUSBOY
It was another Take Me Home Tuesday at the radio stations with the Humane Society. Katie brought in “Baker” (black kitty) and “Busboy” (gray kitty), who along with their two siblings “Chef” and “Cook” form a Fantastic Four of pure joy.
These two-month-old little ones were found in the Polson area and surrendered to the shelter. They just had their spay/neuter surgeries Monday (July 13) and they will be looking for their forever homes starting Wednesday (July 15).
Whether you are looking for one kitten or the whole “kitchen,” visit the shelter and fall in love with Baker, Busboy, Chef and Cook.
EVER CONSIDERED BEING A FOSTER HOME FOR SHELTER PETS?
It is kitten season at the Humane Society of Western Montana. The Humane Society is always looking for Fosters to take care of tiny kittens until they are old enough to be adopted. They currently have some that are with mom cats, and some that are bottle babies. And there is always a need for volunteers willing to nurture them until they are of adoption age.
And of course one of the perks of being a Foster is, if you fall in love with a kitten, you pretty much get first dibs.
READ MORE: Volunteers Hit ‘The Ridge’ To Improve Montana Elk Hunting Opportunities
So, whether you are looking to adopt or would like more information about being a foster home, be sure to visit the Humane Society of Western Montana soon. They are open from 1:00 – 6:00 pm Wednesdays through Sundays at 5930 Highway 93 South in Missoula. See more cats AND dogs waiting to be adopted on the shelter’s ADOPT webpage here.
LOOK: Can you tell the difference between these common pets?
Can you tell the difference between a hamster and a guinea pig? How about a betta and a guppy? Test your pet ID skills in our cute quiz.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
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