After four celebrated records, numerous award nominations and a dozen top chart hits, Elin Ruth is back at the beginning. Last year she dropped everything for love and moved across the Atlantic. Now it's time for the acclaimed Swedish singer-songwriter to release her first album in the United States.
Throughout 2010 Elin Ruth, formerly known as Elin Ruth Sigvardsson, was touring extensively in both her native country and Europe. At the end of the year she was in urgent need of a change and came to New York in search of inspiration for her next album. Instead she found something else.
– Towards the end of my stay, I met the person who turned out to be the love of my life. That kind of changed everything, says the Swedish artist.
In order to be together the couple realized that they had to make a drastic decision and in October last year they said their vows in front of friends, family and the Manhattan skyline. Elin now resides with her husband in Queens, New York, where she is getting ready to release her self-titled album, her first in the United States. It's also the first album on her own record label Divers Avenue Music, granting her full control.
– It's my most personal record to date. Although I love playing with great musicians, it was a nice challenge to go into the studio and create something on my own. The knowledge that no-one could change anything made me feel very free and creative. I experimented with a lot of different instruments and kept a lot of sounds from my first demos. I just wanted to put as much of myself as possible into this album, and I believe I managed, says Elin.
The result is a playful pop album, eclectic but perfectly balanced. The country element is still there, but mixed up with soul and gospel, taking the listener on an emotion journey throughout the 10 songs. Elin's desire for experimentation also shines through in her stage performance. You might have already seen her, on the scenes of New York City or on tour through the U.S., opening for and playing with fellow Scandinavian artist Ane Brun. Whether by the piano or alone with her guitar, Elin mesmerizes the audience, filling the room with her slightly raspy voice, powerful stage presence and vocal summersaults.
– I didn't know anyone here, so I had to be confident enough to perform my songs on my own without additional musicians. It brings a lot of freedom to the performance, which I appreciate. Although I miss my band, I like the fact that the solo shows allow me to be more spontaneous on stage. The response has been really great so far, says Elin.
In many ways, it's only natural for Elin to end up in the country of her musical heroes. Growing up in the small town of Mönsterås, by the windy Swedish east coast, her dad filled the house with American folkrock. At the time Elin shrugged it of as "old man's music", but when her songwriting turned serious in her late teens, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Donovan, Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell all came re-visiting. Born on a cold winter's day in 1981, she started playing piano at the modest age of four, developing a talent for playing by ear. Years later, she snatched a guitar from her dad's home studio, spray-painted it red, and started to write proper pop songs.
With a little help from one of Sweden's most renowned rock artists Lars Winnerbäck, Elin's country rock influenced debut album Saturday Light Naive came out in 2003. It immediately rewarded her with four nationwide radio hits, numerous awards and nominations, two of them being Swedish Grammy nominations. The follow-up album, Smithereens, went straight to number one on the Swedish album sales chart. With her third record, A Fiction, she joined the heavyweights, creating a powerful concept album about relationships – to a partner, to the world, and to oneself. Her fourth album, is now released in America. With love by her side, Elin is taking her next big steps by starting from scratch.
– Since I've been writing in English my whole career, it's nice to be able to bring my music elsewhere in the world. I'm excited to finally put an album out in the States, since American music has inspired and influenced me a lot through the years. My dream is to get my music out there, and play as many shows that I possibly can to those who care to listen.
