Recounting brutally honest stories of the struggle of moving away from her hometown at the age of 18, recalling the experience of heartbreak and identity loss as a young girl in today’s world, Ruby Kelly returns with new single, ‘The Roots’. Georgina Shine caught up with Ruby to discuss the writing process, the impact her music has on her listeners and more.
What was the inspiration behind your new single, ‘The Roots’?
The inspiration behind ‘The Roots’ came from moving away from home at 18. The song is all about feeling disconnected from the world and trying to find your place. I was inspired by my own life and not really having a clue what I was doing with it, which I think is a pressure that a lot of young people can feel and relate to these days. ‘The Roots’ helped me to express my feelings and show that it’s sometimes okay to feel a bit off track and that not everything is always so bad.
How was the writing and recording process?
The song was written at my old university accommodation in Sunderland. I had this idea about a path to somewhere and growth and that’s when I came up with ‘The Roots’ and thought that it was a great fit. I recorded the track at Birdland Studios in Sunderland with help from the team where I study at The Northern Academy of Music Education. The recording process was stressful at times as it was self-recorded for the most part. I worked alongside Dave Hyde of The Futureheads who did an amazing job on drums and Hannah Miller of The Moulettes played a beautiful cello track. It was actually mixed by my lecturer Lily Brooke who really helped me to make the song sound exactly how I envisioned it; Lily is such a great mentor and I loved working with her. It was such a great opportunity to work with these talented musicians and I learnt so much from the whole recording process.
What impact would you like your music to have on your listeners?
When people listen to my music, I hope that they find it relatable in their own way and go back to it like a comfort blanket. I often use music to unwind and enjoy myself and I hope that people can listen to my music and do the same. ‘The Roots’, in particular, is all about letting go – and I think that in today’s world, we all could do with some valuable time to just take it easy.
What is next for you?
I have plans for some very exciting things going on this year: another single is on the table and I am gigging now more than ever. I’ll be at Summer Streets in July and Northern Kin in August, which are two lovely local festivals with great line-ups – and I can’t wait!
And finally, if you could collaborate with any three artists/groups, who would you choose and why?
I feel as though an obvious choice is The Beatles because who wouldn’t want to play with them? But I’d probably say Fleetwood Mac and The White Stripes at the minute as that’s what I’m currently listening to the most and they’re both incredible; I have always loved Jack White since I was a little girl and I think he inspires a lot of my creativity.
You can listen to ‘The Roots’ now on all major streaming platforms.
