RUTHIE   CRAFT 

- 2023 Sonic Guild Artist -

- 2019 AMERICAN IDOL contestant -

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When eleven-year-old Ruthie Craft began struggling with her newly diagnosed Tourette’s syndrome, not even her close family had any idea that five years later, she’d be onstage belting out a duet with an international superstar. A decade later beset by new challenges and heartbreak, the powerhouse singer-songwriter would release her own EP in the spring of 2024.

“Tourette’s was my reason to sing,” said Ruthie. “When I sang, my tics went away. And I felt normal, for a moment.”

Soon, the discovery of Adele’s first album, 19, hooked Ruthie on singing for more than just its therapeutic quality. She began teaching herself the basics of singing and songwriting. “One morning I looked over at the lyrics I had written on the big whiteboard in my room, and I thought, ‘this is my purpose.’” But having no mentors or guidance on “how to do music,” she sang at open mics and talent shows, eventually winning a contest to sing with country star Keith Urban. With limited resources as a part-time coffee shop barista, her onstage outfit was a combination of hand-me-downs and thrifted items.

Shortly after, at the tender age of 19, Ruthie’s whirlwind marriage led her from her home state of Washington to North Carolina, far away from her family and friends. As the marriage collapsed over the next two years, she found comfort in music. Exploring new genres, namely rap and hip hop, she began to find her voice again. “The mixture of inspiring lyrics and bold productions made me feel alive.”

At age 23, divorced and determined, Ruthie made it to all three rounds of Hollywood Week on American Idol in 2019. “The insecurity I felt from watching a hundred talented singers perform their original songs pushed me to learn how to write my own. The experience taught me the difference between singers, performers, and what it means to be both: an artist.”

“Today,” says Ruthie, “I want to make music that makes people feel alive, comforted, and helps connect them to their own joy and pain, where the rhythms and melodies are a flotation device for heavier themes.” Every performance is an opportunity to “let my emotional filters down, and invite the audience to do the same.” Listeners might laugh, cry, or both; but whether accompanying herself or joined by her high-caliber band, Ruthie’s show is always an entertaining and inspiring experience.

Ruthie Craft’s cinematic pop-soul features powerful vocals, moody, soulful tones and slick lyrics evocative of Imagine Dragons, early Maroon 5, Amy Winehouse, and Dua Lipa. Honest emotions, vivid lyrics, and pop rhythms seamlessly blend into impassioned, relatable music.

Ruthie’s latest single, Nineteen, pays homage to the singer and the album that ignited her passion, Adele’s 19. “Adele’s music gave me permission to write about my most difficult feelings. It only seems fitting that this song should be dedicated to her.”

In order to hone her craft and immerse herself in the music scene, Ruthie now resides in Austin, TX,. Her debut EP, Sound of Blue, is set to release in Spring 2024.