WAM Festival Artist Profile: Ruby Boots

Act: Ruby Boots

Member/Role: Ruby Boots

Short description of your band and music: Australia's sparky, truth-soaked alt-country troubadour Ruby Boots' bold and unafraid music doesn't hide from what she wants and doesn't care who knows it. Just like the characters in her songs, where life and love are serious matters, it's a case of get on board or get out of the way.

For principal singer and songwriter Bex Chilcott it's all drive, and the coarse edges of raw musical passion haven't been buffed off, rather embraced as her music rings more true to herself than ever. This is not cookie cutter country music dressed for outback B&S balls. Ask her about such things and she'd likely suggest you should just remove the ampersand and you'd be close to the mark.

Best WAM-related story? My first official tour was a WAM tour, we went around the Wheatbelt, it was a huge eye opener for me and the moment that I knew I had to have a life on the road!

What do you think separates the WA music scene apart from the rest of the country? I think it's unique for that reason, it is separated from the rest of the country and has enough distance between the east side to do its own thing. Also that that the strength in support among the musicians in the community as a whole is like no other in Australia. There is a strong bond between us regardless of what genre you play in and what "scene" you are in, it's big enough to be awesome, but small enough to keep its charm and all of us connected and supportive somehow!! 

What WA bands are you vibing on right and why? Well, Joni in the Moon are really standing out to me at them moment, why? because her voice is absolutely stunning and moves me like a an avalanche and her new song is the bomb! And I am totally digging Davey Craddock's songs, but I am a long time fan of his!

Why should people come and see you from amongst the many cool bands at WAM? Because it will be fun, it's a Friday night and I might tell a dirty joke that makes you laugh. I'll sing my ass off for you and you might like my songs! 

What's on the horizon for you? I have just come home after another three solid months on the road touring around both America and Australia, we are winding down this year but not before releasing another single and film clip next month and playing a few more great shows like AWME Fest in Melbourne and Disconnect Festival in WA! I head back out on the road at the end of January to play Melbourne and Taronga Zoo shows which will be incredible and then onto festivals including Port Fairy and Riverboats on the east coast, Miri Country Music Festival in South East Asia and a few of my own shows over east before embarking on my next US tour in April and May opening for The Waifs which is a dream come true! I can't wait to get back to the US. 

WAM Festival performance: The Courtyard Sessions, State Theatre Courtyard, Friday 5 Nov

I am also super honored to have hand picked some of Perth's finest roots/americana/alt country/ and country artists this year pegged Ruby Boots' Hootenanny and am so proud of all of the artists on the bill, they all write kick ass songs. If you want good music, get along to that gig, at The Mustang as part of the free Sat Spectacular.