Glimpse

RUUT - GLIMPSE 2013 One of four daughters to classical musician parents, Ruut was born in Finland, and wrote her first song when she learned to play the piano at age 7. Ruut grew up living and traveling in Europe, until moving to the States at age 16. Her various musical influences (including classical, gospel, jazz, Broadway, songwriters such as Carole King, Paul Simon, Elton John, Michael Jackson and Tori Amos) shaped her piano-based story-telling approach to her own artistry. In her early 20's, Ruut left her hometown of Baltimore for Los Angeles in effort to find her sound. She worked with many writers and producers there, as well as Nashville and New York, releasing a handful of albums both independently and under labels. In 2009, she settled back in Baltimore, and after the birth of her second daughter, Ruut returned to the studio to create Glimpse, her first full-length album in 3 years. It's in the songs she wrote for this new release that Ruut has entrusted her listeners with her most honest writing to date. Ruut chose to work with one of her closest friends, Scott Smith from the duo Naked Blue, with whom she had spent some years touring. Scott's excellent musicianship and tasteful ear helped create the classic acoustic pop feel the record has. Ruut and Scott joked that it was like making a record in a daycare center, with her newest baby enthusiastically cheering and inhabiting the floor of the studio. Ruut says, 'The experience was both challenging and grounding, we had to stay focused, because there was no time to waste. As soon as the baby napped, we were cutting vocals or guitars. When she was in the studio, we cut drums or accordion, or something else really loud.' Ruut says of her the new music: Experiencing motherhood has made me realize how quickly life is passing, and that I need to live in every moment. I'm not too worried about the outcome anymore. I just want to write and sing about what has meaning to me - being human, finding and holding onto love, and the journey that brings us face to face with our most authentic selves. If a song doesn't resonate with me, I won't sing it. Life is too short to compromise. That's what these songs are all about - awakening and remembering that life passes in a glimpse. I hope my words and my voice can play a part in that invaluable discovery.