Jun 25, 2021 5 min read

Victoria Montgomery played the clarinet in McGuffey’s High School band.

Now, more than a decade later, her music career has evolved, and the Washington County native just released her first album.

“I was at a point where I really wanted to write something new,” Montgomery said in a recent interview. “I knew from the beginning that this was going to be a work in progress the whole way through.”

Her debut extended play album, “A Song for You,” was released June 16 with five songs, available on Spotify, iTunes and Apple Music. Three of the songs, she wrote and recorded during the pandemic last year.

“With the shutdown, I thought that would be a good time to devote to an effort like this,” she said. “It was interesting working with a producer with a face mask on. I’ve always had an immense amount of respect for musicians and producers, but now it’s tenfold. I learned that it is a very involved process to go from an idea for a song, to having a tangible product.”

Her producer, Michael Hickman, handled played guitar on the album and co-wrote one of the songs, she said.

“In the first song, the narrative is that she’s traveling far away, unsure what awaits her and unsure of herself,” Montgomery said.

The album in many ways mirrors her musical journey with songwriting, she said.

“The end is a song of elation,” she said. “Like I know what I want to say.”

She’s come a long way since high school, where she played clarinet and a bass guitar, under the direction of McGuffey’s former band director Dave Haines, who retired five years ago after 22 years in the district.

“I’ve always tried to impress upon my students that music is a lifetime skill that no one can take it away from them,” Haines said. “I’m just really proud of her. It’s really exciting when someone takes it to this level.”

Montgomery’s chorus teacher at McGuffey, Sandy Minter, also had a big influence on her singing and piano skills.

“She would let me sit and play the chorus piano when no one was around and show me some basics,” Montgomery said.

Perhaps some of the biggest influences, however, were her parents, Kevin and Jamey Montgomery. Montgomery said her father played the drums and loved classic rock.

“I used to pretend I was at a concert when he would play,” she said. “He took me to go see Rush when I was in kindergarten, and I fell asleep.”

Montgomery said she and her mom would listen to Top 40 music.

“We listened to a wide variety of music, so she’s not afraid to experiment with different types of music,” Jamey Montgomery said. “She’s worked very hard on her music, and she’s gotten better and better than when she first started.”

After graduated from Washington & Jefferson College with a degree in international studies, Montgomery moved to Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, where she joined the Pittsburgh Songwriters Circle – a group of about 30 active songwriters and musicians.

“They’ve given me the encouragement to write,” Montgomery said. “I never thought to sit down and write something, but here I was surrounded by people who were so prolific. They just play whatever’s on their mind and in their soul.”

Sometimes, that’s very personal, Montgomery said, and sharing personal music with the world was at moments terrifying.

“It’s not just about being in front of people but sharing your heart and your creations with people,” she said.

Many open mic nights over the last eight years helped her overcome those fears.

“Around here, Pittsburgh really likes to get behind local artists and musicians,” she said. “Even when I went to my first songwriters meeting, everyone was very supportive. Music is part of the arts culture in our community.”

Montgomery became a member of the Nashville Songwriting Association International, which allowed her to network with other writers, receive formal song critiques from more established musicians and enter nationally recognized contests. In November, her song “Not Sorry,” won the 2020 NSAI Pittsburgh chapter annual songwriting contest.

Her husband, Anit Sahu, is her biggest supporter, Montgomery said. The two married May 21, and plan to move across the country Sunday, as they both recently secured employment in Seattle.

“If it weren’t for my husband I don’t think I would have had the confidence to do this,” Montgomery said.

Sahu said since he’s known her, she’s always enjoyed singing and writing songs.

“She always had the talent, there’s no question about that,” he said. “There are moments of great pride, seeing her go from strength to strength.”

Montgomery plans to continue writing music and becoming more established in the industry after they’re move.

“I have so many ideas, I just have to think about it and see what inspires me the most,” she said. “Hopefully, I’ll make some connections in Seattle, because the music scene is bigger there.”