Raised in Essex and now based in London, Ruti is a commanding vocal presence making music that feels lived-in. Their songs sit in a quietly cinematic space between folk, alternative pop and singer-songwriter storytelling, closer in spirit to artists like Labi Siffre, Michael Kiwanuka, Leon Bridges and Florence + The Machine than to any one genre label. Their forthcoming project leans into that world with songs that could soundtrack a film’s final scene or hold a room completely still in a live setting. Together, they trace a coming-of-age tale set in your mid-twenties, exploring love in all its complications, and resisting the roles you’re expected to play.

Born to a Nigerian father and English mother, Ruti grew up surrounded by an eclectic mix of sound. Gospel and Christian rock sat alongside disco and Nigerian greats like Fela Kuti and Bobby Benson at home, while their own musical world stretched from Adele to Bastille and Mumford & Sons. Whether it was CDs soundtracking long car journeys or albums loaded onto an iPod Touch, music was a constant. Performing quickly became where Ruti felt most themselves, not just singing, but connecting with an audience. They’re a performer at heart, telling vivid stories with quiet intensity and drawing audiences in with a radiant, honest voice.

That voice and intention has always turned heads. Powerful enough to soar over a stirring piano ballad, yet nuanced enough to sit gently within ambient, guitar-led arrangements. But Ruti’s praised artistry extends far beyond vocal power. At the same time they are a writer, a chronicler of lived experience. Their songs rarely move in straight lines. Genres blur, melodies shift unexpectedly, and arrangements resist neat definition.

Following a standout 2025, including the release of their EP ‘Maybe I Got It Wrong’ and a run of high-profile performances supporting Bastille at their Birmingham stadium date, appearing at British Summer Time Hyde Park (BST Festival), and joining Amber Mark at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, Ruti steps into this year with renewed momentum and a clear sense of self.

This new project marks a deliberate shift. The sound is more organic and guitar-focused than before, yet is somehow more expansive - intimate and bedroom-close one moment, widescreen and anthemic the next.