FEATURE:
Spotlight
Ruby Roberts
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ONE of the most exciting…
artists coming through right now is Ruby Roberts. Bad Girl July is her latest single. This year has seen incredible singles like I’d Do Anything get a lot of love. Her 2025 E.P., Somersault Queen, is such a brilliant work. I wanted to spotlight her here so that we get to know more about a truly great songwriter whose music is so distinct. Yet so many people can relate and take it to heart. I want to bring a few interviews in. COLD spent time with a British artist who has this dreamlike spontaneity. Originally from Somerset, I believe she is based down in Brighton:
“For Roberts, change is a constant; music is about those moments of fluctuation. “I love freestyling… I’ll just sing whatever comes out.” That fluidity is reflected in the dynamics between her songs. When asked if the alt-pop genre was her genre, she glanced around the room searching for an answer: “When I write songs, I don’t have a specific genre in mind… all of my songs kind of reflect different genres.” Whilst her tracks can be labelled alt-pop, that ambiguity gives her room to move. “Sometimes I come in with something I’ve written on guitar… sometimes it’s a concept.” From there, the track forms, what fits is what stays.
Music starts as a moment according to Roberts – a vibe – but choosing what stays is instinctive. “I listen back to my demos to see what each one makes me feel.” Sometimes it’s a quiet moment by the beach where she can understand why a track works; other times, it’s as simple as “you just get goosebumps in the room.”
Artists like Prince, Queen, Wham! and David Bowie have long created those kinds of moments, and while their influence is present, Roberts is clear she isn’t chasing them. “Music is kind of like an accumulation of everything you’ve ever listened to… subconsciously merging it all together.”
Alongside shaping her own sound, Roberts has found as much of her personality in her artwork. Her earlier tracks’ cover art is filled with drawings that resemble something pulled from a teenager’s diary; they feel intimate and personal. Each carries a bold colour with a sharpie-style feel. The rawness comes from Roberts herself; she originally sent a drawing to her team as a reference for cover art, but they decided the original fit perfectly. Ever since, she has been making her own visuals. Blushing with a sense of pride, she describes how “Some of it looked like it was drawn by a 10-year-old… but that’s the magic of it.” She has taken it to the next step on her latest covers, moving into collage art. The covers are filled with deep reds and gold, images of her as the artwork feels more cohesive with her development as an artist. “I just wanted to still do my own artwork, but elevated.”
As she settles into life as an artist, so too come the pressures of social media. But for her it’s a blessing. “It’s such a good tool for small artists… we’re lucky to be in this era.” She spent years posting guitar covers online before releasing her own music, with TikTok becoming an early space to share her creative vision. She was heavily involved with it from the beginning: “I was posting every day… I just really enjoyed it.” It’s a refreshing take in a landscape where many artists shy away from socials, and a clear window into Ruby’s passion.
Ruby has come a long way from singing covers in her bedroom in Somerset and uploading them to TikTok. Now she is performing at Reading and Leeds Festival later this year; the stage is her new platform. “The first shows I was shaking,” she says plainly. “I was terrified of performing.” But after wrapping up her sold-out UK tour, that fear has shifted: “Now it’s one of my favourite parts.” It’s become about the fun of it, starting with small shows where only a handful of people came. “You can see everyone,” she laughs, before adding: “It’s so fun… connecting with people.”
As Ruby has found her footing on stage, she hopes her music leaves her listeners feeling “comforted”, “hopeful” and most importantly “connected to themselves.” It’s what got her to make music. “I always kind of wrote music as something I enjoyed doing for myself… almost as kind of therapy.” In her latest tracks she has moved herself forward, bringing parts of her old self with her, while stepping into something new and letting it unfold”.
I would love to see Ruby Roberts perform live if she is ever in London. I do think that she is someone that is going to have a very long and successful career. Such a wonderful, kind-hearted and fascinating human, it is no wonder Ruby Roberts has this adoring fanbase. Like so many artists, her music deserves broader attention and approval. I wonder whether Roberts is a Kate Bush fan. Bush sees her songs like short films. Or people have noted that and she is touched, as I think that is how she approaches them. Ruby Roberts also feels her songs are short films. A cinematic thinker, Epigram spoke with her about “touring, internet virality, and the relationship between music and art”:
“When asked about her relationship to making content for social media, she says that ‘I actually really enjoy taking on the challenge of marketing on social media, of figuring out what works and what doesn’t. I did music business at uni actually – I’m super interested in music marketing and music business.’ Clearly, her internet presence is working – her song ‘Trampoline’ went semi-viral seemingly overnight, with Ruby describing the experience of gaining so much rapid online attention as ‘bizarre’.
‘The songs I wrote for my first EP were more for my younger self, which I think is reflected in the music as well as the artwork.’ The coloured pencil illustrations used for the covert art, mystical imagery, and fantastical lyrics of Somersault Queen definitely reflect the sense of a home-grown and creative adolescence.
Her new music, however, is moving into a more mature landscape, both visually and sonically. ‘I think now that I’ve got [my first EP] out, I’ve felt more evolved to move on to a slightly older and more mature style.’
Another thing that’s changed lately for Ruby is the sudden and huge presence of touring. The singer talks about how her relationship to live performance has changed, explaining that ‘I did my first ever live performance a year ago to an empty room in Norwich, and I was so unbelievably nervous – I was dreading it for weeks, I had such bad stage fright. When I supported Nieve Ella in Nottingham, it was such a big step-up: again, I was really nervous for it. Now, I feel like I don’t get nervous, at least to the same physical extent – I feel like I actually really look forward to performing, and that it’s probably one of my favourite parts.’
The thing that has made live performing enjoyable for her is the sense of support and community from the crowd: ‘I feel like when you’re watching an artist perform on stage you don’t feel like they see or notice you, but at least in my experience I really do look at everyone’s faces, everyone singing along to the words, and I really lean on the support from the crowd.’
‘I was super nervous for the first show supporting Erin LeCount, but as it went on I became much more comfortable with the crowd. I also found watching Erin perform really inspiring: I love the way she moves around the stage and interacts with the crowd, and explains the meaning behind her songs. It made me genuinely excited for my headline tour.’
What can we expect from Ruby next? ‘I would love to incorporate some dance and movement into the shows. Also set design! I want to make the shows a little universe of themselves, an experience.’
With her headline tour recently finished, she is approaching playing at Reading & Leeds this summer, another significant step-up for crowd size. ‘It hasn’t hit me yet,’ she says, ‘I can’t wait to decide what I’m gonna wear, decide the choreography. I think I’m just quite used to the chaos of it – when you’re a support act, you don't have a tour bus or anything; supporting Erin [LeCount], it was just me, my day-to-day manager and my guitarist, trekking around the country via train with all of our bags.’
When asked what success at this point would mean to her, she references physical media: ‘Holding tangible forms of my music like vinyls and CDs is an amazing feeling. When I take a step back and look at all of it, it’s amazing to see how I’ve come so far in the past year. For the past few years I’ve been studying at Uni, working a hospitality job, and also balancing a music career on top of it: now I’ve been able to start solely focusing on my music, and that's a really good feeling. So I guess having music as the main thing in my life definitely feels like success to me right now.’
Ruby Roberts is someone to watch and likely won’t be hard to find this year. She has been running around the country with a guitar for the past few weeks, but during one of her precious few days off between back-to-back tours, she sat on a video call to me from her childhood bedroom, making the cover art for her upcoming single and chatting about her thoughts on making music”.
I am ending with an interview where Ruby Roberts is asked about her upcoming E.P., and a coveted spot at Reading & Leeds soon. Revamp interviewed Roberts about what comes next. Ad they write, “her music blends nostalgia with youthful chaos and self-discovery. Following the release of her latest single Crush and ahead of a packed summer that includes festival appearances, touring, and the release of her upcoming EP, Ruby Roberts is entering an exciting new chapter - one defined by vulnerability, ambition, and a refusal to be boxed into one genre”:
“What kind of music did you grow up listening to, and do those influences shape the sound you’re making today?
Growing up, I didn't have a particularly musical family or background. My mum would play CDs sometimes, but my dad used to sing Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé with me in the car and also take me down to karaoke at the pub, and I’d get up and sing Amy Winehouse and Miley Cyrus songs. I kind of figured it out for myself because I was fascinated by music. When I got my first iPod, I’d listen to everything and anything I could, and I loved making playlists on Spotify.
I was an old soul and obsessed with harmonies and musical groups like the Bee Gees, Beach Boys, Frankie Valli, The Four Seasons, musicals, The Beatles, The Dirty Dancing soundtrack, jazz music and basically stuff that wasn't considered ‘cool’ at the time but scratched my itch for learning about music.
As I got older, I went through many teen phases. One where I was obsessed with rock and grunge music, then hip hop, UK rap, pop, 60s music, then even garage and drum and bass.
Now, my musical taste is a combination of all the different phases I’ve been through, and I think having such a wide love for all kinds of music inspires me to create a variety of sounds and characters in the music I make. I don't want to put my sound in a box because the variety of musical styles is limitless, and I love them all!
You’ve got a huge run of exciting projects coming up, a tour next month, appearances at Reading & Leeds, and supporting Erin LeCount. When opportunities like these come in, how do you process them all and prepare?
I think because these things happen gradually, I process them as they come. I am so incredibly excited about all the opportunities and projects heading my way! It is definitely a lot to process and prepare for, but I love working hard and staying busy, and I have an amazing team behind me to support me.
Your EP is just around the corner, and fans will soon hear these songs live. How are you preparing for the Make It Out of Here tour, especially after your sold-out run earlier this year?
Yes! I’m so excited for the Make It Out Of Here tour and have been rehearsing with my band and practising my guitar parts at home. Also, there will be a new range of merch available, which is something else I’ve been working on, including new T-Shirts and CDs! Also preparing my outfits, hair, and makeup looks, and going to fittings to find the right dresses…
With over 15 million streams to date, how do you stay grounded while keeping up with such a fast-paced and evolving set of projects?
I think by taking each project step by step and looking after myself. I love going on super long walks with my dog, cooking, and going out with friends and family in the midst of it all”.
Everyone needs to follow the wonderful Ruby Roberts. I have so much respect for her and she is going to go very far. I think that she is among the most promising artists around. I will definitely catch her live if she is in London later in the year. A chance to see this amazing queen…
IN the flesh.
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Follow Ruby Roberts
