Meet the Albany Native Who Co-Wrote Two of Luke Combs' Biggest Hi

You know each and every word to his chart-topping songs, but probably not his name. You know the melody, the hook and the chorus of the smash hits he's helped pen, but most likely have never heard him sing. An Albany native is becoming one of country music's most unsung stars after co-writing four of the formats tops songs for artists like Luke Combs, Carly Pearce and Lee Brice. Meet Randy Montana, the red-hot songwriter who makes his home in Nashville, but was born right here in Albany, New York.

Randy Montana, born in Albany in 1985 is the son of singer-songwriter Billy Montana, who has written many top hits for artists for Garth Brooks, Jo Dee Messina and Sara Evans.

When Randy was a teenager, he left Albany for Nashville to pursue a music career in the industry his father introduced him to when he was a little boy. In 2010, he was signed to Mercury Records and had a couple of mid-level hits before concentrating mostly on writing. He wrote some songs for Montgomery Gentry and Justin Moore, but his life took on a whole new path when he met Luke Combs in 2016.

"I met Luke right when he moved to town. He was a little familiar with me because I had recently put out an EP," Montana told Songwriteruniverse.com.

Montana explains that over time their relationship blossomed, and then one day Combs tells him, “I got two titles that I want to write—one is called “Hell or High Water” and one is called “Beer Never Broke My Heart.” He told Songwriteruniverse.com that they wrote “Hell or High Water” first, explaining that It was a "deeper song, more artistic." Then we said, “Well alright, let’s right the beer song now."

The rest, as they say is history. But this is history in the making, because following the success of "Beer," the two linked up to write "Better Together," which became Combs' tenth straight #1 hit on country radio and sure to be the wedding song of 2021.

With a couple of #1 songwriting credits to his name, he had the chance to co-write “I Hope You’re Happy Now” for Carly Pearce and Lee Brice followed by Parker McCollum's "Pretty Heart."

What makes a song a hit? Is it the catchy hook? Instant familiarity? Relatable lyrics? Or is something completely different? I'm not sure anyone has the answer to that, but one thing is for certain, a great song is like a drug. It does something to our pleasure sensors that we can't quite explain, or deny.

Randy Montana is on the kind of songwriting hot streak that can last a long time. It's pretty cool to think that not too long time ago, that streak started right here in the Capital Region.

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