Ruth Gillies coined her first song at just 11 years old. She is now 24 and has finally found her true artistic voice. Early influences include Taylor Swift, James Taylor and Carole King, and the young artist has developed an enchanting ability to keep storytelling, enticing melodies and decorative hooks at the central to her craft. At 18 she left the Highlands to study and develop her music in Edinburgh, and she is now ready to present her glimmering debut single Wake Me Up Slowly, a track that encapsulate the surreal, dreamlike state in the early moments of a blooming romance.
Photo: George McFadyen
The track is enchanting from the very beginning, and finds clear, refreshing influences in the likes of Lennon Stella and Maggie Rodgers while staying true to Gillies' personal roots. With lyrics like "you take me to a place that I've never been before, and if it's just a dream, babe, don't let me know" Wake Me Up Slowly tells a perfect story of love and that exciting first moment when you start falling for someone.
Gillies says she remembers an evening that genuinely felt so dreamlike, and it became a moment she would often reflect on. "I had known for years I wanted to write a song about that, but nothing seemed to honour it until the idea for Wake Me Up Slowly came to mind" she explains. "I wanted to encapsulate the magic of making special memories like that and convey the desperation to relive those moments regardless of being dreams or reality".
The song was developed collaboratively with Edinburgh based production team Alasdair Kelly and Sam Cracknell, who are close friends of Gillies, and was completed during the first lockdown in April 2020.
"Wake Me Up Slowly feels like the right track to debut with as I feel it embodies everything I love and care about in music – collaboration, encompassing emotion and a story."
Ruth Gillies is definitely an artist to keep an eye on. Wake Me Up Slowly is a strong debut single and I can't wait to see what the future holds for this young ambitious artist!
by Emmi Sollie
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