Rocking with Ruby and her rib cage!
Exciting things have been going on here at Shake and we are pleased to present to you lovely ladies and gentlemen, an interview with the lovely Ruby from Ruby and the Ribcage! Told you it was exciting!
Interview by Shakeâs journalist in residence
Shake: So letâs get this show on the road, what do you think first inspired you to get involved in making music?
Ruby: I used to write plays with my sister, and also with my best mate Briony who lived in the same little village. Actually it's really just a hamlet; we only had a post box and some sheep. The plays were mostly about farm yard animals falling in love, or brave adventurers wooing maidens. My sister would construct a drum kit from empty ice cream tubs, and she'd thwack the plastic with my mumâs chop sticks, whilst Briony and I would take it in turns to play the farm yard version of Romeo or Juliet. We needed some melodies to go with the Safeway drum beats, so I used to write TERRIBLE songs to sing over the top. I think that's my first memory of writing music.
Shake: That is possibly the most original story of musical inspiration I have ever heard. I love it! So, apart from the love stricken farmyard animals, who would you say are your biggest musical influences?Â
Ruby: Obviously my mum and my dad were the gateway to all the music I listened to as a kid, and then later in life my friends and peers. Dad always listened to a huuuuge variety of music. He'd get really obsessed with minimalist stuff for a year or so, then he'd listen to nothing but the grateful dead, and then soon enough he'd play me Tanita Tikaram or Van Morrison, and my mum would dance around to The Pretenders and Eddi Reader. I think Annie Lennox and Joni Mitchell stand out the most in my memory, because I used to hide under my bed covers at night, playing their tapes and pretending to be on stage singing their songs. I used to spend hours and hours at night time, under my bed covers, pretending I was famous and successful until I fell asleep.
Shake: Some very good choices there, excellent! Now, here is the crucial question on everyoneâs minds at the moment, is there a story behind your bandâs name?
Ruby: Yeah, but itâs not particularly exciting. I have a giant Rib cage. It genuinely is exceptionally huge. We decided Ruby & the Rib Cage had a nice ring to it, and I liked the idea of honouring the thing that gives me such a huge source of natural resonance. I've also been drawing a recurring Rib Cage doodle for years, which sort of inspired the name.
Shake: That is definitely exciting enough for us! You definitely seem a fun loving type Ruby, but what would you say is the weirdest thing youâve ever done?
Ruby: Audition a bunch of strangers in my living room, in order to start up the most important and meaningful musical project of my life.
Shake: Good answer, and what would you say is the best advice youâve ever been given?
Ruby: To take cranberry extract tablets before travelling in India. I didn't take the advice and I got amoebic dysentery. Iâve since given the advice and watched others reap the rewards.
Shake: Any readers travelling to India soon? Listen up! Aha, time for another crucial question, Ruby. What popular artist would you most like to work with at the moment?
Ruby: Bjork. Hands down.
Shake: Wow, good choice! What do you think is the next step for Ruby and the Ribcage?
Ruby: Up up up and away I hope! We are recording an EP over the next couple of months, so fingers crossed it'll go down well and we'll attract some more fans! We have 12 festival dates this summer, so we're hoping to reach a big audience, and fingers crossed people will like what they hear...
Shake: Exciting stuff! We certainly like what we hear! So, finally, what would your advice be for young people looking to get involved in music and the music industry?
Ruby: Ask me when I've been doing this for a bit longer. I don't think I'm ready to give advice just yet. I'm still finding my feet in this industry, and have a long way to go before I understand any of it.
Weâll hold you to that Ruby!
We wish all the best of successes to Ruby and the Ribcage and cannot wait to hear their forthcoming EP.
Thank you to Ruby for her contribution to Shake, and thank you to all our readers.Have a lovely evening and best wishes from the Shake team!
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