Ruthven

Ruthven first broke through in 2017 through the Paul Institute, the label of A.K. and Jai Paul. As a member of the London Fire Brigade, he recorded tracks in the firehouse between calls. After carefully unraveling his own blend of R&B-influenced future-funk, Ruthven caught the attention of critics and toured with Sampha. On his intimate debut album, Rough & Ready, he leans on classic songwriting while maintaining lush instrumentation. The record is partly influenced by jazz, but also by yacht rock artists like Michael McDonald and Steely Dan.