RuthAnne is a multi talented singer, songwriter and all round musician. She is most famous for being a part of the songwriting team behind huge hits such as Niall Horan’s ‘Slow Hands’, and Britney Spears’ ‘Work Bitch’.
But now she is ready to step out of the shadows and start to make a name for herself in her own right. Her new single ‘It Is What It Is’ is out now.
Here we speak exclusively to RuthAnne to discuss her songwriting credits, releasing her own music, future plans and so much more:
You have written for an array of artists such as Niall Horan, JoJo, and Britney Spears, so how does it feel to be writing songs for your own record?
It feels really fulfilling to be able to do it now, as I have so much to say as an artist. I’ll always do both cos I love writing for other artists too.
So, while you are launching your own career as an artist, we can we still expect to see you writing for other artists in the future?
Yes Of course! I will never stop doing that. I have a song I’ve written for another artist ‘Black Saint’ coming out the same week as my single! Haha and I will be writing with Niall Horan for his next album, I just had a Christmas song with John legend come out that I wrote with him for his Xmas album, so go buy that for everyone for Xmas! Lol Been working with lots of different artists, so plenty more to come of my songwriting. It’s nice that people can now hear my perspective as an artist, but I will always write for others too.
How would you describe the overall writing process of your single ‘It Is What It Is’?
‘It Is What It Is’ was a title I wrote down on my phone, because the person I was going through this particular situation with, would always say it to me whenever I asked him ‘so what are we?’ He would say ‘it is what it is ya know?’ and that was soooo irritating lol. So I wrote it down and on my way to a writing session with Fraser T Smith, I was late and started singing and making up the words in the car….when I got there, I just read him out the lyrics I’d started, he loved them and sat down at the piano and played exactly the chords that matched what I had been singing in the car. It was so magical and came together very quickly. The recording that is released today, is the one take vocal and piano recording from that day, cos it was all so raw and real it captured the perfect moment.
What inspired the lyrics for this track?
The lyrics are really all these examples of things that just don’t work out..’the key that won’t fit’ ‘we shot and we missed’ ‘like Romeo & Juliet we’re star crossed’. The situation I was in was basically a grey area…a guy that didn’t wanna commit to me and make me his girlfriend, but also didn’t wanna lose me….and me accepting that and letting it continue, hoping he would change his mind. But this song lyric was my bittersweet acceptance that it was never going to be anything but what it was and this was my way of accepting that, moving on and ending it. I never went back to that guy after I wrote this song, it gave me the strength to realise he could never give me what I deserved.
What do you hope fans take from the single?
I think everyone has been in this situation at some point. Trying to make something work that just won’t….So I hope they take from it the strength to walk away…the strength to go get someone better for themselves and get out of a toxic situation. I hope they learn to accept and let go, because the truth is, the person whose getting to have their cake and eat it too will never let go….so you have to be the one to do it. I hope they take from it that they deserve to be loved in the way that they want and to be loved and never settle for anything less.
What would you say is your favourite song you have ever written for someone else is?
So hard to choose aaaahhh, they all have such a special meaning to me, I love them all!! I probably would say ‘In The Name Of Love’ is my fave, because I was in a really bad broke sad place at the time, LA wasn’t working out for me I felt uninspired and very near giving up. This song helped me keep going, the lyrics were everything I was feeling about the music industry and I left the session feeling inspired again, feeling like I could keep going and that was before it even came out with Martin Garrix and Bebe [Rexha], so when it came out and connected with so many people all over the world it just was the best feeling ever.
Have you ever given a track to another artist that you would have rather performed yourself?
No never. I feel lucky in the way that the artists I write for are different to my own music. And so it’s never really overlapped and to be honest, I like to keep it separate, so when I’m going in to write with another artist, I very much focus on their own stories and what they need musically from me, so I’ve always felt that the song is theirs by the end of that process.
How does it feel to now be in the spotlight with your own music?
I’m just so happy to be releasing my own music….having people come up to me after shows I play, or DM me on Instagram, saying that the music is connecting with them, is honestly more than I ever would have expected. I just love performing too, so it’s nice to have a break from the studio to perform. I get so many people sending me videos of them walking down the aisle to my first single ‘The Vow’ and I honestly almost cry every time!!!
Can we expect an album from you soon?
Yes next year!! Spring it’s coming!!
And what are the rest of your plans looking like for 2019?
I have some festivals I’m performing at, another single out Feb, finishing my album, some UK and Ireland dates including Feb 11th at st Pancras church in London so lots to come :)
Make sure you follow RuthAnne on Twitter @thisisruthanne to keep up to date with all her latest music and tour news!
Did you enjoy our exclusive interview with RuthAnne? Let us know your thoughts over on Twitter @CelebMix.