Ruthven announces full details of his long-awaited debut album. The South London singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer releases Rough & Ready on 25 October 2024 via Paul Institute / XL Recordings. To mark the announcement, Ruthven today reveals the album’s first single, ‘I Can’t Go There’ alongside a self-directed video, made in collaboration with his wife Francesca Nelson, and shot by Josh Renaut.
Ruthven – ‘I Can’t Go There‘ (Official Video)
Stream / Download: https://ruthven.ffm.
Ruthven – aka Sean Nelson – has always had a certain fervour associated with him. He first broke in 2017 as a founding member of Paul Institute, the label founded by A.K and Jai Paul, while also working as a member of the London Fire Brigade. In the long hours awaiting call-outs, when the truck was fully serviced and his breathing equipment was ready for the next job, Ruthven wrote the foundations of his debut album, Rough & Ready, which includes the previously released ‘123 Days’, ‘Don’t Keep It To Yourself’, and ‘Have You Decided?’. The resulting 12-track record marks Ruthven’s arrival as a true artist in his own right. Rough & Ready leans into classic songwriting while maintaining lush instrumentation, creating a portal that traverses decades. With appearances from A.K. Paul and Francis Anthony ‘Eg’ White, Rough & Ready is a bold statement of Ruthven’s artistry.
Speaking on Rough & Ready, Ruthven says:
“A central theme to the album is playfulness. So many genres inspired me in making this album. It’s partly jazz-influenced but I was profoundly inspired by Prince. That era, including yacht rock artists like Michael McDonald and Steely Dan, deeply influenced me. I admired their songwriting and musicianship, which seemed universally recognised as exceptional. Being a former wedding band musician, I always wondered how their music had a timelessness to it, and that’s what I tried to capture here.
While still a firefighter, I created many early sketches for what would become Rough & Ready. Some songs on the album, like “Don’t Keep It to Yourself,” were initially an upbeat funk tune, but it has evolved. Unfortunately, I lost much of my early material, pushing me to create even stronger work. I found working with Anup (A.K. Paul) was helpful. We would crack up in the studio over some of our decisions, the musical segues, and flourishes. That infectious fun energy became a core component of the album, a reminder that music should always be fun.
‘I Can’t Go There’ is a bit of a “will they, won’t they” love story. The tune of the song has a really fun energy to it but there’s a slightly colder message that runs through the lyrics. I wanted the video to reflect this juxtaposition. I worked closely with my wife, Francesca, on the creation of the video. She’s a creative herself and this was the first time we’ve done a joint project like this together. Amazing collaborative energy throughout. I became nearly as obsessive with putting this video together as I do when I’m creating music.”
Rough & Ready Tracklist:
1. Cautious
2. Indulge
Don’t Keep It To Yourself
Itch
Thru The Walls
Afterglow
123 Days
POV
Space = Time = Money
I Can’t Go There
The Window
Drive It
About Ruthven:
Ruthven – aka Sean Nelson – has always had a certain fervour associated with him. The South London musician first broke in 2017 as an early signee to Paul Institute, the label founded by A.K and Jai Paul. He was a member of The London Fire Brigade at the time, recording tracks at the fire station stealing nuggets of time in-between call outs.
Having gently unravelled his unique blend of R&B-influenced future-funk with careful consideration, Ruthven caught the attention of critics (“creates Prince-like jams with the contours and sleekness of sports cars” – The FADER) and found himself touring with Sampha. His recent work with Sampha and Little Simz on “Satellite Business 2.0” sits alongside his collaboration with Overmono on “Gem Lingo (ovr now)”.
On his debut album, Rough & Ready, Ruthven introduces listeners to his intimate world. Across 12 tracks, he leans into classic songwriting while maintaining lush instrumentation to create a portal that traverses decades. “It’s jazz-influenced, but it also takes from so many genres,” he says, “even Yacht Rock artists like Michael McDonald and Steely Dan, deeply influenced me.” The result is an album that blends all the sharp angles of early Prince b-sides like “17 Days” with the smokiness of Voodoo-era D’Angelo’s “Africa”.
The creation of Rough & Ready came with its challenges, including technical mishaps, but Ruthven remained committed to making deeply personal and relatable music. The result is an album the rest of us have to hear.
Ruthven – Rough & Ready is out October 25th
via Paul Institue / XL Recordings
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