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Artist
Melissa Ruth
12+ albums
bluescountrysinger-songwriteramericanafemale vocalists
about
DOO-WOP TWANG: Melissa Ruth is a classically trained musician with back-porch sensibility. At once literary and soulful, charming and heartbreaking, Ruth and sideman Johnny Leal create music that is both down-home intimate and downtown immediate. Growing up in rural British Columbia, Melissa Ruth was raised on a balanced diet of borscht and Bob Dylan. As a teenager she studied classical flute and eventually earned a BA in music performance and education. As an undergrad studying classical music by day, by night Melissa was active in the underground folk scene. Her experiences were well-documented and in July of 2008, Ruth released her debut album “Underwater and Other Places.” The record chronicles her earliest songs, most of which were written before she was 21. Melissa and producer Hank Alrich (Armadillo Music) took a no holds barred approach to the record. Over the course of a few days, Ruth and her band recorded all 10 tracks live in one room with no over-dubs or re-takes. The resulting work maintains a raw touch, unencumbered by heavy production and without a hint of compromise. This approach caught the attention of music critic Nancy Dunham who said "Ruth knows a good story doesn’t need a lot of slick production and elaborate instrumentation to shine; the song can stand on its own merits..... Underwater and Other Places shows that this classically trained musician has the skills and creativity to join the ranks of superb folk artists." In 2008, Melissa began performi
