Known for her playful, insightful, poetic lyrics and memorable melodies, ‘Hold on Me’ is the beautiful new single from UK songwriter and multi instrumentalist,RuthTheodore. Taken from her eagerly awaited new album ‘I Am I Am’ due for release on May 3, 2024, today also marks the announcement of Ruthsigning to Ani DiFranco’s renowned record label, Righteous Babe Records. Speaking of the signing, DiFranco says:

“The last time I played the London PalladiumRuthTheodorewas on the bill with me. I watched from the wings and was inspired by her authenticity, her connection with my audience, and her free artistic spirit. That night I saw her as a true Righteous Babe. Last fall, when she reached out with her new album, it seemed the perfect time to reunite and help introduce her to North America.” - Ani DiFranco

Theodore’s broad musical skill set and original style have led her into impressive company, performing, recording and co-writing with top musicians across the pond. The new music was recorded in upstate New York by Eli Crews (Tune Yards) and co-produced byTheodoreand long-standing collaborator, Grammy and Tony award-winning US bassist/producer Todd Sickafoose (Anais Mitchell including "Hadesown" / Ani DiFranco) and Swiss-American percussion virtuoso Mathias Kunzli (Regina Spector / Lauryn Hill). 

‘Hold On Me’, is a laid back, wistful track drenched in soulful harmonies and whilst more conventional than a lot ofTheodore’s songs, it’s packed with her instantly recognisable character. A captivating mix of folk and soul with a textured jazz sound throughout; it’s a tease of a song, about a relationship that hangs in the balance. Full of sexual energy this sweet song of longing is interrupted by urgent lustful lyrics, raspy trombones and bitter sweet ultimatums.

“This song follows Thompson in that it continues the same theme of intimate disconnect. At the time of writing this song I’d been given a grant from Arts Council England and was writing choral arrangements for a gospel choir in London, and since that’s where my head was at, this song definitely received a good dose of vocal arrangements.”  RuthTheodore. 

Theodore’s music reflects her naturally transient personality, avoiding being pinned down in all aspects of life from sexuality to physical location;Theodore’s compositions, like their creator, delve deep into various realms and genres whilst never lingering long enough to become entangled in the details. With this panoramic vista,Theodorecreates and performs with a unique and instantly recognisable style that effortlessly pushes the boundaries of gender and genre and defies the confines of the conventional "singer-songwriter" archetype. 

‘I Am I Am’ follows on from her last album Cactacus, which was released in 2016 and produced by Grammy award winning producer Todd Sickafoose. The album gained support from the UK national media, ranking #1 in fRoots album of the month and launched to a sold out Borderline show in Soho, followed by a string of UK tours and a successful European band tour in 2019. It was on returning home from Europe thatRuthwas diagnosed with breast cancer. Successful chemotherapy treatment followed that spanned the worst of the pandemic and beyond. However,Ruthchanneled her energy into what she loves, creating music every day and in early April 22 flew out to rejoin her US collaborators Todd Sickafoose (Ani DiFranco/Anais Mitchell) and Mathias Kunzli (Regina Spektor) to record the new material. The new record ‘I Am I Am’ is the first of the fruits of this productive and collaborative period to be released and was recorded in Woodstock, New York.

“For me ‘I Am I Am’ has two recurring themes. The unity of matter and the breaking down of barriers. The fragments of matter that appear in each song - be they people, birds, glass, or the sounds themselves taking on a physical form - are in states of constant change. Like the starling murmuration in the cover art, they are continually becoming and then unbecoming one another, and uniting to become greater than the sum of their parts.  

I believe this is true for everything. We are so sold on the idea that we are individuals that we forget we are also one whole ever changing thing.

My cancer treatment scared every cell away from every other cell. The whole of me dispersed and ultimately alone. But I remember the moment I realised I was and will be again, parts of other things, other people, and plants and stars and paper bags and forest floors and it was a beautiful moment. Thankfully that time is not yet and now I am better and I feel more whole and stronger than ever. A lot of this material was written during the pandemic when we were all dispersed from one another. I believe that the only way we can change the trajectory of the human race is to recognise our collective power, and be flexible about who we are now in order to be open to what we collectively  could be.

This craving for unity recurs throughout the record, but comes up against obstacles too. The most obvious being the ‘Barbed Wire Fence’, but there are other barriers at play that are harder to see. The “shatter proof glass you keep me behind” in ‘Here Comes Your Song’ for example, and in ‘Thompson’, the void between the sleeping and the awake presents the divide. Ultimately it’s my burning desire to tear these barriers down, that is at the heart of this record.” RUTHTHEODORE  

"I love Ruth Theodore... A top songwriter and a top person" - Tom Robinson - BBC6 music

“I believe Ruth to be one of the most innovative, original, exciting – and underrated – artists in the UK” - Ian A Anderson (fRoots Magazine)

“Having been a collaborator of Ruths since 2015, as well as an admirer of her work, I cannot praise her enough for her dedication to her music, her art, and the depth and breadth of her work” - Todd Sickafoose (Tony/Grammy award winning producer)

"Having received critical acclaim for her four outstanding and unique records, you'd be crazy to miss this chance to see her" - Time Out Magazine

“Songs so quirky and unexpected that it’s impossible to imagine anyone else performing them, following none of the more conventional styles of songwriting. And it actually works!” - The Guardian – ★★★★