Willy Vlautin (born 1967) is an American author, musician and songwriter. He was the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of Portland, Oregon rock band Richmond Fontaine (1994–2016) and is currently a member of The Delines. Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, he has released 14 studio albums since the mid-nineties with Richmond Fontaine while he has written six novels: The Motel Life, Northline, Lean on Pete, The Free, Don't Skip Out On Me and The Night Always Comes. Career Music Vlautin first found success as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter in alt-country group Richmond Fontaine. They recorded eleven studio albums and toured extensively in Europe, where they have a particularly strong following, as well as in Australia and the US, before splitting in 2016. Vlautin is currently a member of The Delines. In December 2008 he had released the spoken word EP A Jockey's Christmas, followed by his debut solo album, The Kill Switch, on October 2019. Numerous references to Richmond Fontaine songs later appeared in Vlautin's prose work. His novel Northline is named after a song from their Winnemucca album, and the protagonist is named for "Allison Johnson", the title of a song on Post to Wire. Both his lyrics and fiction feature Reno's Fitzgerald Hotel as a recurring location. Writing Vlautin's first book, The Motel Life was published in 2007 and received critical acclaim. It was an editor's choice in the New York Times Book Review and named one of the top 25 books of the year by the Washington Post. Polsky Films released a film adaptation, starring Emile Hirsch, Stephen Dorff, Dakota Fanning and Kris Kristofferson, in November 2013. The film was praised by critics across the US and won three prizes at the Rome International Film Festival: Audience Choice, Best Screenplay, and Editing. His second novel, Northline, was also critically hailed. George Pelecanos chose it as his favorite book of the decade. The first edition of this novel came with an original instrumental soundtrack, performed by Vlautin and Richmond Fontaine bandmate Paul Brainard. Like his songwriting, Vlaudin's fiction is highly evocative of the American West; all three of his novels being set in and around Oregon, Nevada and New Mexico. His books explore the circumstances and relationships of people near the bottom of America's social and economic spectrum, itinerant and often alcoholic. Vlautin's third novel, Lean on Pete, is the story of a 15-year-old boy