Ruby Boots And The Balance Of Self-Preservation

2015 was a landmark year for Ruby Boots (aka Bex Chilcott) with numerous headline and support shows and a trip to Nashville in support of her debut album Solitude. Released by the Australian imprint of the iconic Lost Highway Records label, the album was a musical coming-of-age for Chilcott and a stepping stone to wider exposure and new markets.

"I think one of the biggest highlights was going back to America, making it to Nashville and doing a national tour — even if it was just some major cities. It felt very nourishing to me because the album was so well received. I'd been sitting on it for 16 months after it was recorded and mixed and just having that out was a major relief. You can sometimes get lost in worrying about whether it is any good when you have to wait so long. Finally releasing it and getting a positive response from people was, I think, the biggest highlight for me. It was pretty special."

"My brother nearly passed away from alcohol addiction so there's a bit of the theme of addiction and reflection coming through on newer songs."

With the album out for nearly a year and amid extensive touring, the inevitable second album question starts to loom large and Chilcott has already begun the writing process.

"During the recording period my brother nearly passed away from alcohol addiction so there's a bit of the theme of addiction and reflection coming through on newer songs. A lot of it is influenced by our make-up and our choices, pretty intense stuff really. A lot has happened over the last few years, which has given me an outlook on other people's ways of life, both negative and positive, and me putting myself in their position and seeing how it feels. When you have to play songs like that you have to give a certain amount of yourself but you have to also shut a part of yourself off and you have to be aware there is an element of self-preservation involved. I've been thinking a lot about that lately and how that affects you on a daily basis."

There's always healthy debate about the alt-country and commercial country scenes and the ways in which they can, or even should, interact and cross-pollinate. Chilcott has her own strong views on the matter.

"There's a definite place for the alt stuff there and often alt-country music is closer to traditional country music than modern country music is. I feel very strongly about that. If there are views that don't believe the alt stuff is fitting properly I'm not sure how things got so skewed. Modern country music doesn't wear its influences on its sleeves and alt-country/Americana does do that. I think the essence of good country music is a fucking well written song with a well written story — one that really hits home on a real and emotional level, not just on the surface level. For me personally I'm not super concerned about having to be part of a deep country community. I want to be part of any musical community that will have me. That's where my focus lies. The model of getting on the road and getting in front of people is what I've always believed in. It doesn't have to happen at one festival for me every year. It has to happen every weekend of every month."