Description
//Paul Institute / XL Recordings//
£21.99 – 1xLP, Limited Edition Vinyl
‘Rough & Ready’ leans into classic songwriting while maintaining lush instrumentation, creating a portal that traverses decades.
With appearances from A.K. Paul and Francis Anthony ‘Eg’ White, ‘Rough & Ready’ is a bold statement of Ruthven’s artistry.
Speaking on ‘Rough & Ready’, Ruthven says: “A central theme to the album is playfulness. So many genres inspired me in making this album. It’s partly jazz-influenced but I was profoundly inspired by Prince. That era, including yacht rock artists like Michael McDonald and Steely Dan, deeply influenced me. I admired their songwriting and musicianship, which seemed universally recognised as exceptional. Being a former wedding band musician, I always wondered how their music had a timelessness to it, and that’s what I tried to capture here. While still a firefighter, I created many early sketches for what would become ‘Rough & Ready’.
Some songs on the album, like “Don’t Keep It to Yourself,” were initially an upbeat funk tune, but it has evolved. Unfortunately, I lost much of my early material, pushing me to create even stronger work. I found working with Anup (A.K. Paul) was helpful. We would crack up in the studio over some of our decisions, the musical segues, and flourishes. That infectious fun energy became a core component of the album, a reminder that music should always be fun.”
Tracklisting:
- Cautious
- Indulge
- Don’t Keep It To Yourself
- Itch
- Thru The Walls
- Afterglow
- 123 Days
- POV
- Space = Time = Money
- I Can’t Go There
- The Window
- Drive It