Portland Band Richmond Fontaine Embarking on Farewell Tour

PORTLAND, OR — Willy Vlautin has been the lead singer of the band Richmond Fontaine for 22 years. The band decided that their latest release, "You Can't Go Back If There's Nothing To Go Back To," would be their last record. They're going out on top as their last album got great reviews. Richmond Fontaine's farewell European tour will hit 21 cities in October and November before coming back to Portland to perform at Dante’s Fluff and Gravy 5 Year Anniversary on Nov. 12.

Willy Vlautin is also an accomplished fiction writer. He's written four novels, including "The Motel Life," which was adapted as a 2012 film starring Emile Hirsch and Dakota Fanning.

Patch: How did you know that now was the time to end Richmond Fontaine?

Willy Vlautin: It’s hard to keep a mom and pop band together year after year. I love the guys in RF and we’ve had such a good run that I didn’t want to somehow ruin it by not stopping. When we finished "You Can't Go Back If There's Nothing To Go Back To," I think we all thought it was the best we could do. We’re all so proud of the record that we thought maybe it was a good point to stop.

Patch: What country are you most excited to visit on your tour?

Willy Vlautin: There are so many. My two favorite places in the world are Ireland and Spain and we get to go to both. We also get to play a festival in Poland so we’re all excited about that.

Patch: What's your favorite song to perform live?

Willy Vlautin: It always changes but right now I love to play Two Alone and Whitey and Me. I never get tired of either.

Patch: What do you have planned for after the tour?

Willy Vlautin: More traveling. I start doing book events right after that.

Patch: How long have you lived in Portland?

Willy Vlautin: Twenty-two years. Such a lucky move for a guy like me.

Patch: What are you going to miss most about Portland in the fall while you're in Europe?

Willy Vlautin: My girlfriend, my horses, and my dog. Besides that I’ll miss St. Johns. I never get tired of that place.

It will be exciting to see what happens next for Willy Vlautin with his career in music and writing. Richmond Fontaine has left behind a substantial discography to look through in the meantime. Visit their website for a complete list of tour dates and links to their music.

Photo courtesy of Richmond Fontaine