Ruthven announces his debut album Rough & Ready will drop on October 25 via Paul Institute/XL Recordings. Ahead of LP’s arrival, Ruthven is sharing the album’s lead single, “I Can’t Go There” alongside a self-directed video, made in collaboration with his wife Francesca Nelson, and shot by Josh Renaut.

Ruthven – aka Sean Nelson – has always had a certain fervour associated with him. He first broke in 2017 as a founding member of Paul Institute, the label founded by A.K and Jai Paul, while also working as a member of the London Fire Brigade. In the long hours awaiting call-outs, when the truck was fully serviced and his breathing equipment was ready for the next job, Ruthven wrote the foundations of his debut album, Rough & Ready, which includes the previously released “123 Days”, “Don’t Keep It To Yourself”, and “Have You Decided?”.

Speaking on Rough & Ready, Ruthven says:

“A central theme to the album is playfulness. So many genres inspired me in making this album. It’s partly jazz-influenced but I was profoundly inspired by Prince. That era, including yacht rock artists like Michael McDonald and Steely Dan, deeply influenced me. I admired their songwriting and musicianship, which seemed universally recognised as exceptional. Being a former wedding band musician, I always wondered how their music had a timelessness to it, and that’s what I tried to capture here.

While still a firefighter, I created many early sketches for what would become Rough & Ready. Some songs on the album, like “Don’t Keep It to Yourself,” were initially an upbeat funk tune, but it has evolved. Unfortunately, I lost much of my early material, pushing me to create even stronger work. I found working with Anup (A.K. Paul) was helpful. We would crack up in the studio over some of our decisions, the musical segues, and flourishes. That infectious fun energy became a core component of the album, a reminder that music should always be fun.

“I Can’t Go There” is a bit of a “will they, won’t they” love story. The tune of the song has a really fun energy to it but there’s a slightly colder message that runs through the lyrics. I wanted the video to reflect this juxtaposition. I worked closely with my wife, Francesca, on the creation of the video. She’s a creative herself and this was the first time we’ve done a joint project like this together. Amazing collaborative energy throughout. I became nearly as obsessive with putting this video together as I do when I’m creating music.”

Ruthven
Rough & Ready
Paul Institute / XL Recordings
Tracklist:

1. Cautious
2. Indulge
3. Don’t Keep It To Yourself
4. Itch
5. Thru The Walls
6. Afterglow
7. 123 Days
8. POV
9. Space = Time = Money
10. I Can’t Go There
11. The Window
12. Drive It

Pre-Order Rough & Ready HERE