Ruti Returns with "Maybe I Got It Wrong"

A deep dive into her evolving sound.

POSTED BY ZOE TYLER

Fresh from a standout performance at BST Hyde Park alongside Olivia Rodrigo, The Last Dinner Party, and girl in red, Ruti returns with a brand new single, Maybe I Got It Wrong, out July 18th. A captivating blend of lo-fi textures, rich harmonies, and delicate electronic flourishes, the track is unmistakably Ruti—soulful, mystical, and emotionally resonant.

 

 

Maybe I Got It Wrong feels like it hovers between daydream and memory. What was the first emotion or lyric that anchored the song for you?

If I remember rightly, the first lyric was maybe I got it wrong. I think we started with the chorus. I wrote the song with Tom McFarland (of Jungle), and it was our first session together, so we were literally just jamming. The funny thing is, it really is a mixture of daydream and memory because it’s not really based on anything that had happened to me around the time I wrote it. However, it almost feels like it was a premonition of emotions and situations I’ve gotten myself into since writing that song. Which has actually happened a handful of times, with other songs I’ve written! Maybe I get the sense that I'm heading into something, and I write as if I’m already there. So, when I'm in those situations, I have a song with me, and I’m not alone. If that even makes sense, LOL.

You blend folk, classical, and electronic so seamlessly. When you’re creating, do you think in genre, or just in feeling?

Definitely think in vibes! Although I will say, my own personal sound/genre has begun to form and really solidify itself over the last few months for me. So I have certain sounds and instruments that I tend to gravitate towards. I don’t like to get too stuck worrying about what genre I’m falling into. However, it’s very satisfying to me that all the work I’ve done over the past seven years feels like it’s finally forming into the artist I’ve always wanted to be like and sound like. And the sonic landscape I’ve wanted to create.

There’s a softness to your vocal delivery that still hits hard emotionally. How do you balance intimacy and impact in your performances?

I wouldn’t say I’m using any sort of technique specifically to create that balance. I feel very deeply about my songs, and kind of sing the songs how I might read the lyrics aloud to you. I’m not often thinking very hard during performances either, just purely relying on muscle memory because if I’m particularly nervous, my mind goes blank haha! Thank god I know my songs off by heart! It’s all just very in the moment.

You’ve said this upcoming project is “the most me I’ve felt.” Can you unpack what that version of you sounds like and how it differs from Lungs?

It really sounds like the manifestation of everything I’ve listened to since I was about 11 when I really started to LISTEN to music. It’s not too far from Lungs because it’s still my voice. I haven’t changed anything about how I sing. And I’ll dabble with a ballad now and then! I’m not really sure how to describe without getting too stuck into genres. I will say I really love performing with my guitar, so it’s a lot more guitar-focused. But that can go from folk to soul to singer-songwriter vibes.

Also, everything I’ve done up until this point has been totally authentic and what I’ve liked in that moment. It’s just right now, all of those things are forming one thing. And it’s like about the music that I’ve been creating recently and the music on this EP that is making me more excited than I have ever been about my music.

Your work with producers like Tom McFarland and GG Stok brings such texture. What did they help unlock in this new chapter?

I feel like everyone I’ve worked with on this EP has just given me the space to be myself. That is always the most important thing for me. I wanna be comfortable and safe, otherwise I can’t express myself lyrically or sonically.

And I’m good friends with a lot of my main collaborators. I want to make music with my friends. Then the studio becomes a space that feels more like play and fun, but also allows for pretty heavy discussions and processing emotions. Instead of stressing about getting a number one and a grindset. That’s just not how I work or who I am as a person.

You explore big themes—identity, family, connection—through quiet lyrics. Is there a line on Maybe I Got It Wrong that still catches in your throat when you sing it?

There are quite a few lines in this song that I might call bars—if I do say so myself. I feel like most of this song is tongue and cheek, except for the line “I’m not the one, I’m not the one. I’ll never be the one so let’s just call it said and done.”

That’s when the pain of the situationship gets real. There were no boundaries put in place or conversations about expectations. So you just have to find out for yourself that this really isn’t going anywhere, and the person doesn’t really care to invest in you the way you might be open to invest in them.

Performing live seems to be your heart space. After the sold-out UK tour, what moment from the stage stays with you most?

Firstly, the tour was an absolute dream come true! I have to keep remembering that it was my first ever tour—I really dreamed about that as a kid!

A moment that literally took my breath away was in Manchester. It was one of the more intimate venues and they were proper loud. So when I sang Lungs, I could hear them singing it right in front of me and I could barely keep it together. It was so gorgeous and overwhelming. And the sound of people singing together—whether it’s my song or not—always gets me!!

You’ve cited influences from Laura Mvula and Labi Siffre. What’s something unexpected, a song, artist, or genre, that recently shaped your writing?

I’m really really getting into this Swedish band called Dina Ögon!
The melodies that they use - especially in their song Undantag - are super interesting and complex. I’m finding a lot of inspiration listening to them. My friends recommended them to me because I’m actually currently learning Swedish, which is quite unexpected, I guess lol.

You’ve mentioned “medieval nods” and layered harmonies. What role does play or experimentation have in your process?

It’s basically the entire process for me! Ever since I first started exploring creating music, I’ve just experimented and tried not to worry about doing things ‘properly’ and just figure things out as I go.

I know just enough about music to get me through, but I’m not clued up on theory and how to play instruments exceptionally well lol. Of course, I’ve learnt a lot since the start of my career. And have a lot more confidence in my abilities. But like I said before, I want to be creating in a fun and playful environment with my friends. I’m already in an incredibly privileged career and position, so I’d like to keep it sustainable. I’ve been in a place before where I’ve wanted to give up, seriously. It wasn’t that it was too difficult or tiring—I wasn’t even enjoying music and the process anymore. In fact, I was kinda scared of the creative process. I won’t let that happen again.

Finally, this feels like a launch into something bigger. When listeners press play on this new EP, what feeling do you hope follows them after the last note fades?

It’s almost like another introduction to me. I want the listener to feel like they’ve been with me, or kind of understand me a little more, where I’m coming from and where I’m going. Now that I’ve started to figure out more about who I am as an artist and person, as well. Guess that’s what you get when you turn 25.

With Maybe I Got It Wrong, Ruti offers a mesmerizing first glimpse into a new chapter—one that promises to be both sonically adventurous and deeply heartfelt. Don’t miss the single, available to stream here, and catch Ruti live as they support Amber Mark tonight at ICA, just ahead of another major stage appearance at BST. This is just the beginning.

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