Ruby Boots: A woman with a serious case of itchy feet

A woman with a serious case of itchy feet, singer-songwriter Ruby Boots thanks her enchantment with the notion of travel for where it’s led her today.
“I don’t know why I’ve always loved to travel – I’ve just always had itchy feet,” she says, “And I think I just have an innate nature to constantly be searching. Whether that’s location, whether that’s spiritually, or musically, I’m just searching all the time.”
“I actually think for anything internal, travelling and seeing different parts of the world is integral, or crucial,” she continues, “It’s almost – it’s not impossible to grow without it – but I think it definitely gives you a much broader spectrum to work with.”
Music found its way to Ruby early on, when she left a conflicted home at the age of 14 to do gruelling work on pearling boats.
“I guess it [music] kind of found me, to be honest. I started messing around on the guitar a lot, because I was spending a lot of time out at sea – and I just really stuck to it,” she explains.
Following early success at home, the Western Australian artist decamped to Nashville in 2016, where she began playing shows which led her across the breadth of the United States.
“[Relocating to Nashville] I’d become so far removed from where I’d done so much of the work with building a fan base,” says Ruby, “In America I essentially had to start again in a much, much, much bigger pond, but I definitely think the vast amount of touring opportunities [in America] is the thing that draws me here. The touring opportunities over here are second to none!”
As Ruby prepares for the release of her second full-length album, Don’t Talk About It, she spends time reflecting on her sources of inspiration for the featured tracks on the record.
“The first album was just driven from this raw emotion that lived inside of me, that I really didn’t know how to process,” she explains, “And the difference with this album is, I feel like I have a little bit more of a bird’s eye view of the world inside of myself.
“I had to do a lot of growing since the last record, so that I could not be so introspective on myself I guess, but so I could incorporate things – situations and conversations – that were happening outside of the world that is my mind.
“And I think that’s such a great place for me to write from because it still means something to me when I sing it, but I know I haven’t written it just for myself, which is a really rewarding place to be at with my song writing.”
Set for release on February 9, Don’t Talk About It covers diverse musical, geographical and emotional terrain, while Ruby’s voice breathes tales of defiance, resilience and vulnerability.
Produced and mixed by Beau Bedford and recorded with Lone Star-bred studio wizards, The Texas Gentleman, Ruby compares the production process for Don’t Talk About It, to the likes of a magically intimate sexual experience.
“It [recording this album] was fun. It was fun, it was deep and it was really quick… oh my god, that sounds so sexual,” she laughs, “But really, there is something intimate about music. There aren’t many things that are that intimate, that can reach that kind of place, as something that is romantically intimate can.”
“They’re so close, on so many levels,” she continues, “And it was, it was a really magical experience.”
Release: Don’t Talk About It will be available for listening from February 9 via Island Records Australia
When & Where: Northcote Social Club, Melbourne – May 4
Written by Helena Metzke