Ruby's big plan

11:16am Friday 11th January 2008

FOR the first time in her musical career, Acomb singer-songwriter Ruby Paul believes she has a strategy.

"What feels very different now is that, after many years of writing and performing, I now have a plan, " she says.

"Whether it works or not is another thing, but I've spent a lot of time thinking about what I want to do, like I'm planning to release my debut album, but not until 2009."

This year she is focusing both on her Miracle Baby Project, leading to a release party for the single with the Ruby Paul Band in late June/early July, and on her competition for Talented Young Musicians. More of that later.

In the past, Ruby has taught educational music therapy and worked with disabled people, balancing her work with performing.

She first played on the folk circuit, singing traditional folk ballads, while also playing the Celtic harp at weddings and singing in old people's homes, having earlier studied viola in her music degree at the University of York.

Her time is divided now between raising her two children, Robin, 12, and Jennifer, two, and promoting her burgeoning career in the pop field. "Singing is my first love, ever since I used to stand up in the corner to sing, " says Ruby.

"Over the years, I've sung jazz; classical; folk; Twenties, Thirties, Forties, Fifties' songs; anything but pop, but everything has informed my songwriting now, when I'm going into pop. You'd have to define it as pop as it's not folk or jazz, but what I really try to do is write memorable songs, like Miracle Baby, which was inspired by my daughter's birth after four attempts at IVF."

Ruby has established her own website with the assistance of singer-songwriter David Sherwood. Several of her songs have been put on the website, while another four can be heard on her MySpace site and Sarah Potter's animated video for Ruby's Christmas song, Together For Christmas, has been attracting hits on YouTube.

Ruby's website includes a Miracle Baby blog that she will update once a month, while her creative drive has also seen her set up her own record company, Jewelclick, to release the single.

"The label is a vehicle for the single, but I'd like to get on a bigger label and I'd like that to happen by 2009, by which time I hope to have impetus and greater awareness of my songs, as you have to have something to pitch to record companies, " she says.

The Miracle Baby Project has also spawned a second aim for Ruby.

"My music is not really acoustic; it needs a band behind it but for a singer-songwriter it's really hard to put a band on the road, so I thought, why not have a competition for talented young musicians aged 18 to 21 to be in my band?'.

"The idea is for them to take part in a competition to win a place in the Talented Young Musicians Band to play at the official launch of Miracle Baby and then on the summer festival circuit. It would give them a chance to play, and though they wouldn't be paid a salary, I would fund their tour accommodation and the sound equipment and van hire would be under my auspices, " Ruby says.

Young musicians can contact Ruby through her website, www.rubypaul.com, or on 01904 784624. Meanwhile, new band recordings of her songs can be heard on myspace. com/rubypaulagain.

• Ruby Paul will play at her Charity Web Launch in the Basement Bar of City Screen, York, in aid of The Press's Guardian Angels Appeal, on April 8 at 8.15pm. Admission is £4.

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