"all that we've got, is to think we're invincible
since we are not"
Told that she would never be able to play guitar, following an accident that left her unable to speak, singing and playing the guitar was an unexpected career choice, yet by her early teens Ruth Theodore was earning money as a singer and guitarist, busking in high street doorways and playing late night venues on de-tuned guitars.
Coming from a creative but fractured background, the road has not always been a smooth one for Ruth, but living in squats, boats, abandoned warehouses, sleeping under workbenches and helping build two recording studios from scratch have all been a part of the creative journey, and with integrity firmly intact, these life experiences bring a warmth and depth of perspective to Ruth’s lyrics that are particular to her and the disarming character of her writing style.
Remaining true to her unique style Ruth has gone on to perform and tour alongside legendary artists including folk legend Ani DiFranco, Dar Williams, Nick Harper, Jeff Lang, Hamell On Trial, Chastity Brown and Rory McLeod. Notable performances include The London Palladium, The Union Chapel, Jazz Cafe, Bush Hall, The Borderline, The Lexington and Glastonbury Festival.
Ruth has released four critically acclaimed albums to date, three self released through her own label River Rat Records and the most recent, recorded with producer and bassist Todd Sickafoose (Anais Mitchell/Ani Difranco) through Aveline Records. Ruth’s full discography is filed in the British Library sound archives as a valueable contribution to the nations music for its ‘interesting nature and originality’.
Between solo tours alongside Hamell On Trial or performing with her talented band touring the UK and Europe, Ruth has learnt to tune and restore pianos with the late Desmond O’Keefe, established a popular and thriving grass roots music venue in Hampshire and invented and developed two pieces of performance equipment. But luckily for fans of her studio albums this all takes a back seat over the next few months as a fifth record is announced for release in 2020.