Ruut Makes a Musical Connection With Audiences

It was clear at a very young age that Ruut had something special — all she needed was to be in front of the keys.

“I’ve never forgotten the experience of writing my first song, I just winged it. The minister of our church was over one afternoon and my mom asked if he wanted to hear it. So I sang it for him, and when I was done, I looked over and he was crying,” Ruut explained.

She was just eight years old at the time.

After that day, Ruut’s already music-infused family would forever hear her own creations flowing out of the piano. So it should come as no surprise she’s been performing her distinctly poignant melodies ever since.

“People have always responded really powerfully to my music, in a way that makes me feel like this is what I was meant to do,” Ruut said. “I try to stay true to that first moment and write songs that move people and touch their hearts.”

It only takes one listen. With one live performance, anyone can see Ruut lives and breathes music. With ballads like “Human” and “Undone,” it’s apparent the natural ability she has for grasping the human spirit with her earnest lyrics and rolling chords.

Born in Finland, Ruut traveled often growing up, calling places like Helsinki and Budapest home, writing her captivating harmonies along the way. She eventually landed in Baltimore, MD, where she attended a small independent college and studied religion.

“I’ve been very influenced by different cultures in my song writing,” she said. “And not just cultures, but the experience of not having a normal youth so to say. I was kind of one of those traveling kids, and it has definitely, definitely been a huge influence on my songs.”

Last year, Ruut decided that a move out west from Maryland was necessary to advance her career. Although accustomed to the ups and downs travel brings, Ruut’s move to L.A. brought a new light to her artistry. Growing up in a house filled with music (her classically trained parents met in conservatory), it was a significant change for Ruut to fly the nest.

“My most recent work came from the experience of moving away from my family,” Ruut said. “The different emotional things I’ve been through, growing up, separating myself from my family and the things I’ve always been a part of, and concentrating on becoming an artist.”

Ruut’s sound is drenched in the reality of those emotions, giving her listeners something tangible they can all relate to as they journey through her honest songs.

“Generally, what sparks my creativity is something that makes me feel a certain way, a book I read or a movie I watch that makes me feel something powerful,” Ruut explained. “I get inspiration from different things, but it’s always something that I find emotionally engaging in some way.”

Influenced not only by her life experiences, Ruut still finds inspiration in the old gospel music that guided her through her first song, and in talented singer-songwriters like Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Tori Amos. With the recent release of her EP and her debut album due out this spring, Ruut is using everything she knows and loves, painting each song with her creativity as she works away in the studio.

“I had this hope that it would be a somber but uplifting record,” Ruut said of her EP. “That there would be a truth to it that resonated with everyone, but also had an uplifting quality. There are a lot of ballads really close to my heart and some upbeat songs that are just fun to listen to.”

One such ballad from the EP, “Nothing Is Right,” was recently selected as one of 12 finalists in the 2007 Songwriting Contest conducted by the New York Songwriters Circle.

“It’s been an exciting opportunity for me,” Ruut said of her achievement. “I feel honored to have been selected as a finalist. Just to be able to share the stage with all those amazing finalists is great in itself.”

For her current tour, Ruut enlisted the help of a few good friends, Jen (cello) and Scott Smith (guitar), who happen to be extremely talented musicians too, layering depth and diversity into her live shows.

“My really good friends are awesome, seasoned musicians — just brilliant and we gel really well when we play together,” Ruut said. “They understand my music in a way that I haven’t found in other musicians before.”

While promoting her latest release with these unforgettable live shows, Ruut is busy working on her full-length album. But without a label backing her, she’s fearlessly going about it on her own, not only writing but producing her debut.

“I’m working on finishing the album,” Ruut said. “We’re taking a couple of the songs from the EP and adding them to the record, because we’re so proud of them and want them to be part of the nationwide release. And I’m writing all new songs for the record, so it’s definitely going to have fresh new songs too.”

Recently told by a friend she was the new Natalie Merchant, Ruut can be found at many of L.A.’s hottest acoustic venues pouring out her soul over the ivories. For such a young artist, it can be daunting trying to make it in music, but Ruut knows exactly what she needs to do.

“The key is to have a really strong live show,” Ruut said. “I’ve seen people that because their invites look so good, or they have cool big names attached to them, they have lured me to the show, but then I was disappointed.”

“The best way to stand out above the crowd in this town, where it’s so hard to make true, lifetime fans, is to play from your gut and have a powerful live show,” Ruut continued. “That’s what will keep fans coming back for more.”

She’s not afraid to play from her gut — and with the talent that she possesses, it won’t be long before Ruut grabs everyone’s attention. Even the guy way in the back won’t be able to ignore her captivating melodies for long.

For more information on Ruut, be sure to visit her official website — www.RuutDeMeo.com