rockyourlyricsNYC-based, alt-rock singer-songwriter, Talullah Ruff, shares her debut, self-produced EP, What Is Honest. The release was premiered by Impose Magazine prior to the official release on August 25th.
What Is Honest was self-recorded in various locations – Ruff’s apartment, her friends’ NYU dorm room, the studio at Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and Brooklyn DIY studio space, Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen. The EP was mastered by Grammy nominated Tom Waltz.
Talullah Ruff shared her lastest single, “Anger Is An Acid,” on PopCrush’s #NewMusicFriday, who praised the track’s “gloomy, jazzy production colors” and “emotive, full-bodied vocal.” Reflection lies at the core of Ruff’s art, her lyrics acting as mirrors for what she internalizes about herself and her experiences of dejection.
She seeks to create sonic worlds for her listeners, while also attempting to forge refuge and connection.
With over 200 unreleased songs and 2 unpublished novels to her name, What Is Honest represents a curated collection of her works from freshman year of high school to her sophomore year in college. Blending 1970s-esque production with 1990s alt-rock songwriting and aesthetics, Ruff has built her own brand of art rock, in which she seeks to blend each eclectic side of herself.
Using piano and vocals to drive forward her heart-rendering lyrics, her music suggests a nostalgic nod to her inspirations, such as Fiona Apple, Jeff Buckley and Tori Amos.
The album artwork, drawn and painted by Ruff herself, evokes a sense of rawness and honesty.
The image of a half naked women with a flower head – with no intention to instill any level of shock-value – was meant to embody the simplistic beauty of the human body and the natural forms taken for granted or warped by our own misconceptions.
The red rose symbolizes the stigmas that come with womanhood and others’ expectations and projections onto Ruff. EP tracks such as, “I Am Not,” and title track, “What Is Honest” touch on these influences – both external and internal – that evoke negativity and anxiety, but push through the issues with intricate lyrics and brazen vocal melodies.
https://www.facebook.com/talullahruffmusic/https://www.facebook.com/talullahruffmusic/
photo cred: Lissy Elle
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