The Shore Poets began quietly, without any intention of becoming a “project” at all.

For years, I had been writing silly, affectionate, and sometimes tender songs for—and often with—my children (Rie, Shino, Evelyn, and Nathaniel). More recently, my granddaughter, Noa, has also found her way into the creative mix. These songs grew out of ordinary family life: jokes that wouldn’t let go, bedtime moments, kitchen rhymes and goofy choruses, and phrases that stuck because they made us smile or giggle.

In 2025, I gathered those songs together and recorded them as a surprise Christmas gift for my family. That collection became Kids at Heart (2025) by The Shore Poets. The band's name is a nod to my east coast roots (Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia).

While working on those recordings, I realized there were more songs sitting nearby—more reflective pieces written over many years and quietly set aside. Some were complete, with chord diagrams and rough self-recordings burned onto CDs back when that was a thing. Others existed as voice memos, fragments of melody captured on old apps, half-finished lyrics tucked into forgotten files, or loose handwritten notes in a box in the garage. I hadn’t planned to record them, and I certainly hadn’t imagined sharing them publicly. But as the children’s album took shape, it felt right to bring these songs to life too—this time as a private, slightly secret 60th birthday gift to myself.

Those recordings became All Thanks to You (2026), the second album by The Shore Poets. Others, belonging to a very different genre, ultimately became One Sky (2026), also released on my birthday, but under a separate name: Monty and the Blues Algorithm.

Across all of these recordings, the approach has been the same. I composed the songs using my limited guitar playing and vocals, then turned to Suno, an AI-driven music application, to help realize the arrangements and performances. In the absence of an actual band, AI performed my compositions—guided by my lyrics, melodies, and editorial choices.

The songs of The Shore Poets span decades of reflection on family, love, memory, gratitude, humor, hope, and joy. These recordings were never meant to chase attention. They were made to mark moments, hold memories, and release long-held songs into the world—as gifts to loved ones, and to myself. If others find meaning in them too, that feels like a gift as well.

- Ken Montgomery