Canadian songstress Ruth Moody will start her eastern states Australian tour at the National Folk Festival. Photo: Kaitlyn Raitz.
One artist not to miss at the National Folk Festival in Canberra at Easter is Australian-born Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ruth Moody, whose latest album was a long time coming but worth the wait.
This won’t be Ruth’s first national, appearing previously as a founding member of the Billboard charting and Juno award-winning folk trio The Wailin’ Jennys (one of the great band names).
The festival gigs kick off her east coast Wanderer Tour, in support of her album, that will include smaller venues such as the Old Tanja Church on the South Coast (north of Tathra) and Yackandandah Public Hall in north-east Victoria.
Ruth will do more than perform at Easter, sharing her skills by working with the Festival Community Choir.
Wanderer was released in May last year, her first recording since the acclaimed 2013 album These Wilder Things and her celebrated collaborations with legendary Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame.
Much of her Canberra set will include songs from Wanderer – a personal, poetic and distinctive album – plus old favourites and maybe some unrecorded numbers.
The Nashville-recorded Wanderer has been described as a transcendent collection of deeply powerful and personal songs that reflect the singer-songwriter’s inner world and wanderings.
A Folk Alley review said: “Exquisite….spellbinding layers of vocals, instruments, and lyrics as it evokes the newness and the hope of love.”
I asked Ruth about the album, her coming tour, working with Knopfler and whether she still feels Australian.
Who will you be bringing to Australia?
A couple of wonderful musicians – Anthony da Costa and Ben Plotnick.
Anthony has accompanied me for years, in my solo work and with The Wailin’ Jennys. He’s an exceptional guitar player and also a brilliant singer-songwriter and producer. He’s based in Nashville. I love singing with Anthony – he is a very intuitive and emotional singer. Ben has only done one tour with me, but I’ve collaborated with his string quartet, the Fretless, for years.
Ben has such a refined and musical ear, he is a one-of-a-kind string player. He’s originally from Calgary but now lives in Nashville. I’m really excited to have him on violin, viola and mandolin on this tour.
How do you describe your music?
It fits somewhere under the folk umbrella, but it’s influenced by my love of traditional music and a little by my classical upbringing.
There is a lot of love on Wanderer. Taking a break is a risk for any artist but it has obviously paid off. What’s inspired these songs and your development as an artist?
I didn’t really intend to take such a long break. My touring schedule was so full-on when I released my last record, These Wilder Things. When that wound down I knew it was time to pause so I could start a family.
I ended up writing a lot while I was pregnant, luckily, because once my son was born there was no time for that! When he was three I was gearing up to record – and then the pandemic hit.
So everything got put on the back burner a second time. But again, I wrote a lot during that time. With all that time and space to reflect, I was lucky enough to find the creative spark and I pushed myself in some new musical directions. So in a sense Wanderer is kind of a chronicle of my journey over the last 10 years.
The album has an enchanting soundscape. Was that part of the plan, to create something beyond a ‘usual’ folk or roots album, and how was that achieved?
My goal was to bring life to these songs in the most honest way I could and I knew I wanted it to feel live. I knew if I got some great musicians in a room, and we all connected in the moment and focussed on getting great live performances, we would capture that magic.
My partner was there with me playing bass, one of my best friends provided the guitars. They knew the music and the stories behind the songs so intimately – I think that helped. I tried to connect to that raw, vulnerable place that the songs came from when I wrote them. Dan Knobler, my co-producer, did such a stellar job of bringing it all to life.
Ruth Moody: “Wanderer is kind of a chronicle of my journey over the last 10 years.” Photo: NFF.
We will hear pared back versions. How have you adapted them for the tour?
It will be a bit more pared down for sure as we won’t have bass and drums. But I think it will have the same spirit. Anthony, who played guitars on the record will be with me, so that will be a sweet element of continuity.
You’re Australian-born, when you come back here do you still feel that connection and if so how does that come though?
Yes, of course. Not in a way that is easy to describe. Even though it’s not a huge part of my identity or history, it is definitely an integral part of my parents’. And when I was little, being from Australia was something that made me different from other kids … these things can feel like a superpower, like a special window into a secret world, if that makes sense. So I do feel that little spark of excitement when I return … it’s a little part of myself that I get to reconnect with and celebrate.
You collaborated with the great Mark Knopfler – how was that experience and how did it change you musically?
It was really great! Life changing, really. He is such an inspiration to me as a songwriter so it was actually quite surreal. It was a real pleasure to sing on the records and of course such a blast to be along for those tours and to perform in those big venues. Not something you get to do every day as a folk singer.
In Canberra you will be working with the Festival Community Choir. Is that something you’ve done before and if so something you like to do, especially at festivals?
I love working with choirs. I’ve sung in choirs my whole life. My mother is a music teacher, so I grew up watching her direct choirs and generally be amazing in her element. The Jennys used to do a lot of harmony workshops and that kind of thing, too. But it’s been a while since I’ve collaborated with a choir, so I’m very much looking forward to it.
You will play to reasonably large crowds in Canberra but you are also doing smaller venues such as Tanja on the NSW South Coast. When touring, do you like to mix things up so there are intimate settings and which do you prefer?
I love to do both. The smaller intimate venues can be very special experiences as a performer because you are so close to the audience and it feels very personal, and you know it is special and unique for them. I personally love being an audience member in a small venue and seeing the performer so up close. But of course the big crowds are so much fun and you can feel that electricity and excitement – there’s nothing quite like it!
Ruth Moody’s tour dates:
- 18-21 April – National Folk Festival – Canberra, ACT – TICKETS
- 24 April – Tanks Arts Centre – Cairns, QLD
- 25 April – Flamingos Live – Newcastle, NSW
- 26 April – Red Rattler – Sydney, NSW – TICKETS
- April 27 – Navigate Arts @ Old Tanja Church – Tanja, NSW – TICKETS
- May 1 – Brunswick Ballroom – Melbourne, VIC
- May 2 – Meeniyan Town Hall – Meeniyan, VIC
- May 3 – Theatre Royal – Castlemaine, VIC
- May 4 – Yackandandah Public Hall – Yackandandah, VIC – TICKETS
To learn more about the National Folk Festival, including the full program, visit the festival website.
