UK & Ireland dates in May, June & July inc. six consecutive shows at The Royal Albert Hall as Mark Knopfler’s special guest
As a founding and current member of the internationally renowned, Billboard-charting trio The Wailin’ Jennys, Ruth Moody has performed in sold-out venues around the world, made numerous critically-acclaimed albums, and appeared more than a dozen times on the American radio show A Prairie Home Companion.
“It’s been a very intense time – I released my first record while touring with the Jennys, then hit the road with my own band, and haven’t really stopped. I’ve touched down briefly here and there, and during those times I was able to write and conceptualize the record, but I’ve mostly been on the go” says Moody of the time between her first solo album The Garden and creating These Wilder Things her new album due for release on June 10 on True North Records.
The Australian born Canadian resident and Juno Award winning songwriter was trained classically, beginning with piano lessons at the age of four, and has been performing ever since her childhood in the Canadian prairies.
“I get inspired by poetry, by watching others play music, by listening to recordings both old and new. I often start writing something, two songs into listening to a record, if it’s something that resonates with me. I find I’m inspired by nature, especially if I’m by myself. I’m an introvert, which makes being in this industry challenging at times, so getting out into the middle of nowhere where there are trees and stars and silence at night is the best way for me to recharge.”
Although best known for her work with The Wailin’ Jennys, Ruth is a captivating artist with incredible depth and grace in her own right. She has garnered critical praise for her pitch perfect vocals, impressive multi-instrumentalism and timeless songwriting, which displays maturity and wisdom that belies her age. Each song on These Wilder Things is an incredibly personal encounter.
At times acoustic and understated and at other times electric and adventurous with organ and horns, These Wilder Things explores the midnight heartbreaks and morning revelations of love and loss, bringing us her most personal album to date – “It can be scary to go to some of those darker and deeper places”, Ruth says. “But it was rewarding to face it all head on – that is where the real emotional intensity lives and I think that’s what moves people.”
Produced and engineered by David Travers-Smith; These Wilder Things features an all-star cast of players and includes performances by her remarkable touring band – Adam Dobres (guitars), Adrian Dolan (fiddle, mandolin, accordion), Sam Howard (upright bass) and her brother Richard Moody (viola), as well as special guest appearances by Mark Knopfler, Jerry Douglas, Crooked Still’s Aoife O’Donovan, Nicky Mehta and Heather Masse of The Wailin’ Jennys and noted Celtic players Mike McGoldrick and John McCusker. It was actually John McCusker who first introduced Ruth to Mark Knopfler, who invited her to sing on his 2012 album Privateering. It went so well Ruth was invited to open for his upcoming European tour, including six shows at The Royal Albert Hall.