Ruby Jones’ new album Souvenir emerges as a deeply personal and reflective collection of songs that captures a turbulent period in both her life and Australia’s recent history. Released on 6 May 2026, the 11-track album was shaped by the aftermath of the 2019 East Gippsland bushfires, the isolation of the pandemic lockdowns, and the emotional process of looking back on those experiences with greater perspective.
Speaking with Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips, the Naarm/Melbourne singer-songwriter revealed that many of the songs have been sitting “in the vault” for years, with some yet to be performed live before the album’s launch ( which is Saturday June 6 at Northcote Social Club). Over time, several tracks have taken on new meanings, particularly “On Fire,” which was inspired by the Black Summer bushfires and Ruby’s feelings of unease as an artist promoting music against a backdrop of environmental catastrophe. The song examines the tension between modern self-promotion and the realities of climate change, using imagery drawn from both Australian bushfire landscapes and Ruby’s experiences spending time in Los Angeles.
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Although “On Fire” was a strong contender for the album title, Ruby ultimately agreed with co-writer and producer Jules Pascoe that Souvenir best captured the spirit of the record. She describes the songs as snapshots and vignettes from a particular chapter of her life, each one functioning like a keepsake or souvenir from the past. The title track itself was written during lockdown while watching aeroplanes pass overhead, reflecting on a life once filled with touring and movement suddenly brought to a standstill.
Musically, Souvenir draws heavily on the classic singer-songwriter tradition of the 1970s. Ruby cites Joni Mitchell’s Blue and David Bowie’s Hunky Dory as key inspirations during the album’s development, with traces of their influence extending to the album’s visual aesthetic. She also points to artists such as Stevie Nicks, Carole King and the wider Laurel Canyon folk-rock scene as enduring influences on her songwriting. More contemporary inspiration comes from artist and songwriter Weyes Blood, whose blend of folk, baroque pop and atmospheric storytelling Ruby greatly admires.
The album continues the warm, organic sound introduced on her debut The Woman Who Loves You, though Ruby explained that Souvenir embraces a greater balance between analogue and digital recording techniques. While her debut was recorded almost entirely to tape, the new album blends traditional analogue warmth with more experimental production approaches from Jules Pascoe, who often ran digitally recorded parts back through tape machines to preserve the album’s vintage character.
Several songs on the album are tied to specific moments and places in Ruby’s life. “Double Feature” serves as a nostalgic love letter to St Kilda, where she spent her childhood in what she describes as a bohemian, punk-influenced environment. Inspired by sorting through old family photographs, the song functions as a musical postcard to a version of the suburb that she feels no longer exists. Elsewhere, “Breaking My Own Heart” examines the frustration of watching friends remain trapped in destructive relationships, while “Loved By You,” explores the need to place emotional distance between oneself and painful memories until they soften with time.
The album concludes with “Ghost Story,” a fictional conversation with an estranged figure who lingers like a ghost. While Ruby admits she believes in ghosts, she has yet to experience one herself, despite recounting a memorable and eerie night at the supposedly haunted Katoomba Guest House in the Blue Mountains. More importantly, she sees the song as a meditation on learning to live with the emotional ghosts we all carry.
Souvenir was created as a truly independent collaborative effort. All songs were co-written by Ruby and long-time guitarist Jules Pascoe, who also produced and mixed the record. The album features contributions from drummer Selwyn Cozens, bassist Joel Loukes, backing vocalists Loretta Miller and Jess Deluca, and keyboard player Gideon Preiss. Funding support from Creative Victoria, Regional Arts Victoria and The Upstart Music Awards helped bring the ambitious project to life.
To celebrate the album’s release, Ruby will launch Souvenir with a special performance on June 6 at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club, backed by an expanded seven- to eight-piece band. The lineup includes Loretta Miller, Jess Deluca, Winona Miller, Gideon Preiss, Jules Pascoe, Joel Loukes and Selwyn Cozens. Looking ahead, Ruby hopes to take the show to festival audiences while also exploring more intimate performances, balancing her own music with ongoing session and touring work.
Despite its themes of grief, climate anxiety and loss, Ruby hopes listeners ultimately find something uplifting in Souvenir. While acknowledging the record’s darker moments, she believes it ends on a hopeful note, offering resilience and a reminder that even difficult memories can eventually soften with time. The result is an evocative collection of desert-tinged folk songs that captures both personal and collective experiences, confirming Ruby Jones as one of Melbourne’s most compelling contemporary singer-songwriters.