Sixteen-year-old singer-songwriter Georgia Ruyi has just released her debut single, ‘Held by Strings’. Stephen Anderson caught up with the North East musician to discuss developing her songwriting, the inspiration behind her debut release, her musical influences and what comes next.
For readers discovering your music for the first time, could you tell us a little about yourself and how you got into music?
I’m Georgia Ruyi, and I moved to the North East when I was 10. Music has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up playing different instruments, learning about music and constantly listening to it. Over the last two years I’ve started writing my own songs, and that’s really changed everything for me. The Young Musicians Project played a massive part in helping me develop as a songwriter. Without it, I probably wouldn’t have started making my own music, released any of it or begun performing live. It gave me the confidence to take that next step.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences? And what is it about them that inspires your songwriting?
I have a lot of different influences, but at the moment one of my favourite artists is Adrianne Lenker from Big Thief. There’s a vulnerability in her songwriting that I really connect with. I love the instrumentation in her music and the way she approaches songwriting. I also admire how she can write and perform as a solo artist before bringing those songs into a band setting. Seeing everything she’s achieved throughout her career is really inspiring. I don’t expect to reach that level myself, but it’s something I can look up to and work towards.
How would you describe your music? And what does your songwriting process usually look like?
Away from songwriting, I mostly play the piano, but I actually find it much easier to write on the guitar. It allows me to experiment more freely with melodies and chord progressions. I’d love to incorporate more piano into my own music in the future, but for now the guitar is where most of my ideas begin. I’d describe my music as leaning towards indie. A lot of what I listen to has a strong folk influence, but when I sit down to write, the songs naturally end up sounding more indie. As I continue developing, I’d like to move further towards a folk or alternative sound, although I’m still discovering exactly what my own style is.
Your debut single, ‘Held by Strings’, draws on personal experiences. What’s the story behind the song? And what do you hope listeners take away from it?
The song isn’t about one specific event. It’s inspired by several experiences that happened over the course of a few months. Then one night I had a dream about standing on a beach and drowning, and that image became the thread that tied everything together. It gave me a way to express those emotions through the song. I don’t want listeners to come away with one fixed interpretation. I’d much rather people connect it to their own experiences and find their own meaning in it. I think music can express really intense emotions without having to sound overwhelming. I like songs that leave space for people to think, both between the lyrics and between the notes.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for the future? Are there more songs, live performances or perhaps an EP in the works?
I’ve just released another single, ‘Hypnosis’, and I’m hoping to follow that with another release not long afterwards. I also want to play more gigs, become more confident performing live and continue gaining experience as a musician. Most importantly, I want to keep writing and recording new material, with the aim of releasing an EP over the next year. I’m still figuring things out, so I’m excited to see where the music takes me.
You can listen to ‘Held by Strings’ and ‘Hypnosis’ now on all major streaming platforms.
