Check Out Blake Ruby’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Blake Ruby.

Hi Blake, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I grew up in Westminster, MD, and was introduced to music heavily through my grandparents’ church. I grew up playing on the music team and would slowly throughout the years learn whatever instrument they needed. In high school, I started a band called Red Couch and played sh*tty, pay-to-play, battle-of-the-bands, screw-over-the-young-artists type shows until we decided to throw house shows with all our friends. We were super involved in the Maryland, DMV house-show scene for a few years and started a DIY festival called Chasefest that became an annual local favorite event for four years. Throughout that time I started attending Belmont University in Nashville and recorded my first EP, “Not I”, by myself in my dorm room.

It wasn’t anything serious, I was just fascinated with the recording process and wanted to learn as much as possible about making records. Enough friends were excited about the project that I started a band and began playing around town, jamming and writing with a group of close collaborators. Throughout my time at Belmont, I also recorded two LPs, “SPACE” and “A Lesser Light to Rule the Night”, in between sessions and after hours as a house engineer. Those two projects helped me develop my love for ambiance and analog music gear and the organic, warm sound that came naturally through the production process.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, I shifted my creative process to a home studio my roommates and I set up, where I wrote and recorded “Momentum (Deluxe)”. I started falling in love with more modern production and songwriting and wanted my music to reflect my new influences. Around this time I also signed a publishing deal with Black River Entertainment and began developing as a co-writer and producer. My upcoming releases are a marriage of my older, organic sound and a newer songwriting style influenced by the Nashville Pop scene. The first single, “Only One” (which just came out last Friday) is the first taste of my new sound and I can’t wait for y’all to hear the rest!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My career has always been a slow, organic build and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Even though there are difficulties in each season, it’s great to experience mistakes and challenges because it’s the only way to gain new skills and relationships. My bad business/creative moves that I have been able to learn from have set me up to make better decisions now regarding deals, teammates, collaborators, etc.

The hardest part is continuing to believe in the art when you see so many people in your scene either rocketing to the top or completely burning out. Thankfully, I have a great circle of friends and collaborators that encourage each other through the hard seasons and celebrate each other during the successes.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a recording artist, songwriter, and music producer in the Nashville Pop music scene. I collaborate with many other musicians and artists on a daily basis, and my main goal is always to serve the song we are creating. My favorite part of the process is diving into the story we are trying to tell so the listener can get the rawest emotion out of a song possible. I think my greatest skill is being able to use my skills transparently so the song and artist can shine through first and foremost.

I also believe my experiences as an independent creator have given me the tools to enter Nashville’s music row with a different perspective than most coming up in the industry. Learning the tools to balance the music business and the creative side has been very important in my success as an artist so far.

What were you like growing up?
I was the oldest of four children, always involved in sports year-round, and frequently participated in performing through church, school, and other local productions. My family is very involved in the community in our hometown of Westminster, MD, so I’ve always loved having a big community of friends and family to lean on. My relationship with God is a big part of how I approach my art and my community and is a big part of how I express my art and care for the people in my life.

I’m very competitive and love challenges, whether physical or mental. Coming from a smaller town, I am very invested in my family and local friends. The tight-knit community has been a fantastic support system and has kept me grounded as I am thrown deeper into the fast-paced music industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://blakeruby.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blakervby/
• Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blakervby?lang=en
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6t2qGTjfjde2jbklcpoF3Z?si=4rf99ksTS76AgFyK-D8q1g
• Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/blake-ruby/1213505643

Image Credits
Audrey Bergeron, @BlakeRuby_onlyonecover, Chase Denton, Patrick Robinson, and Taylor Noelle