# Montell Fish
**Montell Fish** is the stage name of Montell Frazier (born 1997), an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, whose music blends lo-fi soft pop, chill hip-hop, and alternative R&B with themes drawn from love, heartbreak, and Christian faith[1](https://www.nts.live/artists/135052-montell-fish) • [2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/montell-fish-mn0004169809). He began as a self-released Christian hip-hop artist in 2015, broke through with viral TikTok videos in 2021, and has since built a catalog spanning his own label Lord's Child, a distribution deal with Virgin Music, and an experimental alter ego called dj gummy bear[1](https://www.nts.live/artists/135052-montell-fish) • [3](https://radiox.cms.socastsrm.com/2022/07/25/how-singer-songwriter-montell-fish-is-redefining-christian-music/). His records have been credited with more than 4.2 billion streams[4](https://www.mcd.ie/artists/montell-fish).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1997, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; performs as Montell Fish and, under an alias, as dj gummy bear[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/montell-fish-mn0004169809) • [5](https://codamusic.me/artists/dj-gummy-bear/) |
| Style | Lo-fi soft pop, chill hip-hop, alternative R&B; home-recorded vocals in falsetto over sparse guitar and electronic textures[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/montell-fish-mn0004169809) • [6](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2022/09/montell-fish-future-of-christian-music-on-tiktok/) |
| Breakthrough | A September 7, 2021 TikTok clip of "fall in love with you" drew over 3.3 million views; the Spotify release was streamed 92 million times[6](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2022/09/montell-fish-future-of-christian-music-on-tiktok/) |
| Debut album | *JAMIE*, July 22, 2022, 10 tracks on Lord's Child; a second LP, *CHARLOTTE*, followed on September 27, 2024[7](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2022/07/22/montell-fish-shares-debut-album-jamie/) • [8](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2024/09/27/montell-fish-drops-brand-new-album-charlotte/) |
| Labels | Own label Lord's Child; distribution deal with Virgin Music Label and Artist Services from 2022[3](https://radiox.cms.socastsrm.com/2022/07/25/how-singer-songwriter-montell-fish-is-redefining-christian-music/) • [8](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2024/09/27/montell-fish-drops-brand-new-album-charlotte/) |
| Streaming reach | More than 4.2 billion total streams credited to his work[4](https://www.mcd.ie/artists/montell-fish) |
| Other ventures | Film-composing debut on Brian Tetsuro Ivie's feature *Anima*; clothing brand Jamie Charlotte Marshall[4](https://www.mcd.ie/artists/montell-fish) |
## Early life and Christian beginnings
Frazier grew up in [Pittsburgh](https://www.edgepedia.org/pittsburgh) in a household shaped by contrasting influences: a devout Christian mother whose home was filled with gospel music, and a father who left the family when Frazier was six months old and played rap and R&B[3](https://radiox.cms.socastsrm.com/2022/07/25/how-singer-songwriter-montell-fish-is-redefining-christian-music/) • [9](https://happymag.tv/interview-montell-fish/). He has said he began making music early, recording for the first time at age 6 and learning to make beats on [FL Studio](https://www.edgepedia.org/fl-studio) as a teenager[10](https://officemagazine.net/montell-fish-ghosts-little-deaths-and-liminal-spaces) • [11](https://www.pigeonsandplanes.com/read/montell-fish-charlotte-interview).
The turn toward [Christian music](https://www.edgepedia.org/christian-music) came at 17. In interviews from 2015, Frazier described a period of drug use and depression after a breakup and being kicked out of his mother's house at 16, followed by a religious conversion that led him to delete his earlier music and record gospel-themed mixtapes such as *Somewhere in the Forest/Reading the Bible*[3](https://radiox.cms.socastsrm.com/2022/07/25/how-singer-songwriter-montell-fish-is-redefining-christian-music/) • [12](https://rapzilla.com/2015-08-montell-fish-from-rapping-about-weed-to-the-end-times-in-a-year/). He released the albums *As We Walk into Forever* in 2016 and *Bedroom Gospel* in 2017 under the Montell Fish name, followed by *It's Beautiful.* in 2018 and the Lord's Child collaborative projects *Nights & Days.* and *Bedroom Lofi.* in 2019[13](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/20634ec0-4bdb-47dc-9bf4-07ed76f8154a).
## Breakthrough and JAMIE
Fish began uploading TikTok videos in October 2019 from his bedroom, recording himself playing guitar and singing in falsetto[6](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2022/09/montell-fish-future-of-christian-music-on-tiktok/). On September 7, 2021 he posted a clip backed by a sound titled "fall in love with you"; the video drew over 3.3 million views, and listeners streamed the subsequent Spotify release 92 million times, all without paid promotion, according to his manager Patrick Bradley[6](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2022/09/montell-fish-future-of-christian-music-on-tiktok/). The viral hits "Talk 2 Me" and "Fall in Love With You" attracted Virgin Music, which signed him the following year[1](https://www.nts.live/artists/135052-montell-fish). In 2022 he was named Spotify's Artist to Watch, with a [Times Square](https://www.edgepedia.org/times-square) advertisement, and performed at Pharrell's Something in the Water festival in June[3](https://radiox.cms.socastsrm.com/2022/07/25/how-singer-songwriter-montell-fish-is-redefining-christian-music/).
**JAMIE.** His debut album *JAMIE*, released July 22, 2022, spans ten tracks written and self-produced by Frazier, described by the artist as an account of the beginning stages of grief after a breakup, entwined with a fear of death and what he called religious trauma[7](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2022/07/22/montell-fish-shares-debut-album-jamie/). The album's demo-tape sound and low-key production gathered a wide following; it was later issued on vinyl by Universal Music in 2023[1](https://www.nts.live/artists/135052-montell-fish) • [14](https://www.allmusic.com/album/jamie-mw0003783884). In October 2022, Fish released the EP *Her Love Still Haunts Me Like a Ghost*, whose harder R&B influences were intended to bridge the sound of *JAMIE* with his next album[1](https://www.nts.live/artists/135052-montell-fish).
## CHARLOTTE and the trilogy
*CHARLOTTE*, released September 27, 2024 via Virgin Music Group, is the second installment of what Fish calls the JCM trilogy that began with *JAMIE*[8](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2024/09/27/montell-fish-drops-brand-new-album-charlotte/). He co-produced the record with Jacob Portrait of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, his first substantial collaboration after years of working alone[15](https://www.bedroomdisco.de/2024/09/montell-fish-interview/). The album's ten tracks explore memory, attachment, loss, and growth, and Fish has said he read about psychology, memory, and childhood, drawing on Freud and Jung, while writing it[8](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2024/09/27/montell-fish-drops-brand-new-album-charlotte/). The focus track "It's Gonna' Cost You" was described by his label as a feverish funk examination of the toll ambition takes, ending with a meditative moment of organ playing[8](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2024/09/27/montell-fish-drops-brand-new-album-charlotte/).
The album ran about 29 minutes and continued the minimal, emotionally raw R&B style of his earlier records[16](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1016319-montell-fish-charlotte.php). A North American tour in support of the album, with support from Kacy Hill and Clip, was underway at release, with European dates added for December[8](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2024/09/27/montell-fish-drops-brand-new-album-charlotte/). Reviewers noted the album's sound moving beyond the bedroom-production aesthetic toward influences from Prince and [Jimi Hendrix](https://www.edgepedia.org/jimi-hendrix)[16](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1016319-montell-fish-charlotte.php) • [17](https://archive.flowfestival.com/2025/en/program/music/montell-fish/).
## dj gummy bear and side projects
Alongside his main catalog, Frazier records as **dj gummy bear**, a character he describes as a "mythical" version of himself, more whimsical and open to experimenting with different religions and theological topics[5](https://codamusic.me/artists/dj-gummy-bear/) • [9](https://happymag.tv/interview-montell-fish/). The alias debuted in March 2023 through a featured appearance with Fish on the song "2 Seater"; standalone cuts followed, each accompanied by images of a masked hooded figure[5](https://codamusic.me/artists/dj-gummy-bear/). The six-song EP *Intercession Before Charlotte*, credited to Fish and dj gummy bear, arrived in March 2024 with "I Know I Failed You" as its lead single[5](https://codamusic.me/artists/dj-gummy-bear/). Collaborations on the Fish catalog have also included Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Clara La San, John Glacier, and [Murda Beatz](https://www.edgepedia.org/murda-beatz)[18](https://www.beatport.com/artist/montell-fish/822197/releases).
Streaming catalogs attribute releases across several imprints, including Fish's own Lord's Child label and, later, the JCM imprint that takes its name from the trilogy framing[13](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/20634ec0-4bdb-47dc-9bf4-07ed76f8154a) • [19](https://www.iheart.com/artist/montell-fish-31318906/albums/nest-426698107/).
## Later releases and live career
Fish's live career has grown steadily from sold-out club dates to festival slots. He played [Lollapalooza](https://www.edgepedia.org/lollapalooza) in Chicago in 2025 and Electric Picnic in Ireland the same year, where reviewers noted that his live arrangements added gritty, rock-flavored guitar work to his dream-like R&B soundscapes[20](https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/montell-fish) • [21](https://www.hotpress.com/music/live-report-montell-fish-turns-up-the-intensity-at-electric-picnics-3-music-stage-23105726). A 2025 Australian and New Zealand run, billed as The Dream Deer Tour and promoted by Frontier Touring, included two sold-out Brisbane shows and additional Sydney dates[22](https://www.frontiertouring.com/montellfish).
In 2026 he continued the run of releases with the EP *NEST*, a four-song collection released in October 2026 and rooted, per its publicity, in themes of growth, self-discovery, and renewal[4](https://www.mcd.ie/artists/montell-fish) • [19](https://www.iheart.com/artist/montell-fish-31318906/albums/nest-426698107/). A tour named The Nest Tour was scheduled through late 2026 across North America and Europe, including dates at the Observatory in [Santa Ana](https://www.edgepedia.org/santa-ana), the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, and [Magazzini Generali](https://www.edgepedia.org/magazzini-generali) in Milan[23](https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ917bgif/montell-fish-events-events) • [24](https://www.ticketone.it/en/artist/montell-fish/).
## Faith and artistic identity
Fish's relationship to the Christian music industry has been a defining tension in his public profile. In a 2022 interview he said, "I didn't want to make gospel or contemporary Christian music... So I began experimenting," and he noted that he had always expected an audience split between Christian and non-Christian listeners[3](https://radiox.cms.socastsrm.com/2022/07/25/how-singer-songwriter-montell-fish-is-redefining-christian-music/). Commentators such as *Christianity Today* framed him as an example of indie faith-based artists who bypassed the contemporary Christian music industry altogether, finding their audiences on TikTok and Spotify instead[6](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2022/09/montell-fish-future-of-christian-music-on-tiktok/). In a 2024 interview he said that Christian doctrine had begun to feel like it was "getting in the way of the art" as a creative stamp, while still identifying as a faith-centered person[10](https://officemagazine.net/montell-fish-ghosts-little-deaths-and-liminal-spaces). He keeps his working circle small, directing his visuals with creative director Caleb Wild and handling most aspects of production himself[3](https://radiox.cms.socastsrm.com/2022/07/25/how-singer-songwriter-montell-fish-is-redefining-christian-music/) • [25](https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/montell-fish-interview/).
## References
1. [Montell Fish, NTS artist page](https://www.nts.live/artists/135052-montell-fish)
2. [Montell Fish, AllMusic biography](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/montell-fish-mn0004169809)
3. [How Singer-Songwriter Montell Fish Is Redefining Christian Music, Radio 88.8](https://radiox.cms.socastsrm.com/2022/07/25/how-singer-songwriter-montell-fish-is-redefining-christian-music/)
4. [Montell Fish, MCD.ie artist page](https://www.mcd.ie/artists/montell-fish)
5. [dj gummy bear, Coda Music biography](https://codamusic.me/artists/dj-gummy-bear/)
6. [Is the Future of Christian Music on TikTok?, Christianity Today (September 9, 2022)](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2022/09/montell-fish-future-of-christian-music-on-tiktok/)
7. [Montell Fish Shares Debut Album JAMIE, Universal Music Canada (July 22, 2022)](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2022/07/22/montell-fish-shares-debut-album-jamie/)
8. [Montell Fish Drops Brand New Album CHARLOTTE, Universal Music Canada (September 27, 2024)](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2024/09/27/montell-fish-drops-brand-new-album-charlotte/)
9. [Interview: Montell Fish, Happy Mag (April 24, 2024)](https://happymag.tv/interview-montell-fish/)
10. [Montell Fish on Ghosts, Little Deaths, and Liminal Spaces, Office Magazine](https://officemagazine.net/montell-fish-ghosts-little-deaths-and-liminal-spaces)
11. [What Does It Take to Be a Star? Montell Fish is Finding Out, Pigeons & Planes](https://www.pigeonsandplanes.com/read/montell-fish-charlotte-interview)
12. [Montell Fish: From rapping about weed to the end times in a year, Rapzilla (August 17, 2015)](https://rapzilla.com/2015-08-montell-fish-from-rapping-about-weed-to-the-end-times-in-a-year/)
13. [Montell Fish, MusicBrainz artist page](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/20634ec0-4bdb-47dc-9bf4-07ed76f8154a)
14. [Jamie, AllMusic album entry](https://www.allmusic.com/album/jamie-mw0003783884)
15. [MONTELL FISH, Interview, BEDROOMDISCO (September 27, 2024)](https://www.bedroomdisco.de/2024/09/montell-fish-interview/)
16. [Montell Fish, CHARLOTTE, Album of The Year](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1016319-montell-fish-charlotte.php)
17. [Montell Fish, Flow Festival 2025 program](https://archive.flowfestival.com/2025/en/program/music/montell-fish/)
18. [Montell Fish Releases, Beatport](https://www.beatport.com/artist/montell-fish/822197/releases)
19. [Montell Fish, NEST, iHeart](https://www.iheart.com/artist/montell-fish-31318906/albums/nest-426698107/)
20. [Montell Fish Concert History, Concert Archives](https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/montell-fish)
21. [Live Report: Montell Fish at Electric Picnic, Hot Press (September 1, 2025)](https://www.hotpress.com/music/live-report-montell-fish-turns-up-the-intensity-at-electric-picnics-3-music-stage-23105726)
22. [Montell Fish, The Dream Deer Tour, Frontier Touring](https://www.frontiertouring.com/montellfish)
23. [Montell Fish 2026 Tour Dates, Live Nation](https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ917bgif/montell-fish-events-events)
24. [Montell Fish, The Nest Tour, Milan, TicketOne](https://www.ticketone.it/en/artist/montell-fish/)
25. [Montell Fish Will Fall in Love With You, Highsnobiety](https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/montell-fish-interview/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Pop and R&B singer-songwriters › R&B singers, 2010s to present › Surnames symbols to G*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license