Ahead of her appearance on Wednesday night as part of the Country and Inner Western night at Goodgod in Sydney, we catch up with Ruby Boots to talk about how she got started as a musician, who inspires her, the genre of Americana and we find out what is coming next from the Perth based Artist.
When did you first know you wanted to be a musician?
At 22 sitting on the deck of a house boat in the Monte Bello Islands working as a deckhand chipping pearl shell during the day and trying to stay sane with the intense isolation for weeks at a time at sea. I borrowed a work friends guitar and the rest is just history!
Silverchair’s “Frogstomp” changed my life in the course of music, I was thirteen and realised that people were writing (angry) songs and using music as a way of self expression, and although my teenage years were tumultuous after not living at home post 15 years old and trying to find my feet and a place to stay for the most part, that seed eventually caught up with me again in my early twenties, all it takes is a seed for something if its meant to grow it’ll grow.
What was the first instrument you learnt to play?
Acoustic guitar.
Who and What inspires you as a musician?
I have so many heroes when it comes to music, Neil Young, Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin, Leonard Cohen, Ryan Adams, Jackson Browne … the list really does go on forever and its all about the quality of songs for me, they are all world class songwriters that provide endless wells of inspiration musically. What has also recently becoming really inspiring is the women in my life who have the same ethos and approach with their musical careers, locally and internationally, real go getters and hard workers and out there doing it on their own terms, its really inspiring, you hang around people like Nikki Lane and Emma Swift for long enough as I have done this week and you start to feel like you’re keeping good company that inspires you.
What can people expect when they see you perform at Country and Inner Western?
Well at this particular show I’ll be backed by The Morrisons so it’ll be a Morry boots mash up! I’ve got a special guest coming to sing some back ups on a classic cover song too!
Are you excited to play with any other musicians in particular?
I’m really excited to be playing with everyone that is on the bill at this show, Im over from WA so its a treat to play with some of Sydney’s finest! Andy College was just last week sleeping on our couch here at my temp home in melbourne though I’ve not yet met Jenny Queen, its a really exciting bill to be a part of.
Are you a fan of the Mexican beer selection they have?
Pass on this answer I don’t drink beer … ask me about whiskey though and we can talk.
Is Americana making a comeback? Did it ever really go away?
I think it depends on who you are asking, for me It has never gone away, and for a lot of people who are fans of really good quality songwriting they’ll answer the same, however I can see why people are raising this question more and more, it is surfacing more than usual of late, in Australia that is, and that’s really positive, but in the states it’s a staple, my heroes that I’ve been listening to for years are still making great records over there and have been for years.
Is Americana the right term or is it Country music pure and simple? Does the word “Country” carry an expectation?
Yeah sure, Americana is the right term, I think country has a certain sound to it here, Americana is a lot more flexible in what it allows within the genre, and for me that’s a necessity, I need to explore and be free to write without expectations of a particular sound, my new record has a straight trad-country sounding song on it then there is a mix of other elements, and I need to do that, I always have.
What do you think has made the genre last all these years?
That’s easy, it’s the songs, the songs, they stand the test of time, timeless music is GOOD music!
What’s coming up next for you?
I have a couple of tours that I am jumping on to end the year first being We Two Thieves in November (Mama Kin and Emi Lu fr Tinpan Orange) and Mick Thomas’ Christmas tour in December before releasing and touring my new LP early next year.
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Ruby Boots is playing Country and Inner Western at Goodgod Small Club in Sydney on 29th October. Tickets are just $10 on the door and the night also features The Morrisons, Jenny Queen, Shane Nicholson, Andy Golledge and some promised special guests!
