At 14 years old, Ruby Boots—real name Bex Chilcott— left a conflicted home in Perth to do grueling work on pearling boats and she hasn’t stopped migrating since, traversing the wide-open landscapes of her homeland and exploring the most remote and wondrous corners of Europe and North America. The Nashville based Western Australian artist is a hard woman to pin down, enchanted by the idea of travel and escape and driven by an insatiable desire to understand matters of the heart and soul. As she prepares to release her second full-length album, Don’t Talk About It, this is an artist determined to keep moving to prevent malaise setting in.
The album – her first for Island Records Australia – unfurls like a mystical sonic map that covers diverse musical, geographical and emotional terrain. Ruby’s arresting voice tells tales of defiance and resilience, delivered with the wisdom of a drifter who’s seen more in her years than many witness in a lifetime. Early childhood touchstones such as Nirvana, Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan shimmer to the surface and there are nods to the great rock songbooks of Tom Petty and T Rex, but Ruby sits in a different, more contemporary space, spiritually closer to wise women such as Angel Olsen and PJ Harvey.
Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips sat down with Ruby to discuss the making of Don’t Talk About It, released on February 9, 2018.
Ruby Boots 2018 AUSTRALIAN Tour Dates
May 4: Northcote Social Club, Melbourne AUS
May 5: Leadbelly, Sydney AUS
May 11: Rosemount Hotel, Perth AUS