Elin Ruth: Reinventing and Reinvigorating

In our postmodern society of the spectacle, when one-on-one, face-to-face, interviews seem to be a luxury only available to overpaid douches who write for glossies, it can be quite...

In our postmodern society of the spectacle, when one-on-one, face-to-face, interviews seem to be a luxury only available to overpaid douches who write for glossies, it can be quite nice, and quite charming, to catch a musician in a moment of practicality or leisure.  I recently got a chance to chat with Elin Ruth as she wrapped her work day and sat down for some sushi (She ordered a California Roll, if that’s the kind of thing that interests you…)

[soundcloud]https://soundcloud.com/elinruth/04-hymn-about-a-tree[/soundcloud]

Elin Ruth is a singer/songwriter hailing from Sweden, where she has released four critically-acclaimed albums, a dozen charting songs, and even received a Swedish Grammy nomination.  However, in 2011 she moved to NYC for the love of her life (and now husband) and is set to release her self-titled, US debut on January 29th, 2013 on Divers Avenue Music, with her “Bang” EP dropping as a preview this Tuesday, November 27th.  “The EP is my new single, with bonus acoustic tracks,” she tells me in a recent interview.  Of the forthcoming album, she tells me,

“It’s the first album where I recorded on my own, by myself… I think I needed to do something I was totally in control of to really express myself.  I think the songs sound pretty different… There’s a little bit of soul and gospel, but also some pop and folk.”

On her move to the US, Elin tells me,

“It’s overwhelming.  I love traveling and seeing new places, but it’s a bit scary as I left my family and friends and my whole network, but I love New York.  There’s lots of music going on every night here.  I love soulful, old, filthy clubs that are so unpretentious.”

She tells me that her highlight of 2012 is, “Just feeling like I’m actually home now, in New York.” Compared to her fame in Sweden, she admits,

“It’s been kind of liberating in a way.  I’ve been putting a band together, but I’ve just been playing solo shows so far.  I’m rehearsing with a band and booking shows in New York, but I’ve never been great at setting goals.  I’m more just like ‘Go with the flow.’”

 

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Band Interviews

During the day Izzy Cihak teaches transgression, subversion, and revolution at Temple University. At night he haunts Philthy's best venues to cover worthwhile acts for Philthy Mag. Morrissey is everything to him and, in their own heads, all of his friends see themselves as Zooey Deschanel.

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