Whereas LaMontagne's two previous albums, Trouble and Till The Sun Turns Black, were largely solo affairs, with Johns serving as multi-tasking instrumentalist, Gossip In The Grain sees him joined by members of his touring band, bassist Jennifer Condos and guitarist Eric Heywood (with Johns largely handling drum duties). Along with his band members, LaMontagne is also joined on two tracks - "A Falling Through" and "I Still Care For You" - by singer/songwriter Leona Naess.

As LaMontagne explains "It was time to open up a little bit more, not be quite so reserved in my choice of songs that I wanted to record. I'm really very critical of myself and it's sort of a process of opening up. I felt like I was in the right space to show that side of myself." Recently called by Vanity Fair "a fresh reminder that the genuine artist is not yet an extinct species," Gossip In The Grain reconfirms Ray LaMontagne as an artist and a craftsman without limits, a songwriter who is able to work his melodic gifts and distinctive lyricism through any of the myriad musical traditions that catches his fancy.