Musician Ruby Fields' debut performance was at a very young age, atop a restaurant table, to an audience of just her parents and a waiter.
The song in question was Olivia Newton John’s Hopelessly Devoted to You. And, now that Fields is 20, that very sentiment is being returned by the Australian music scene. After starting out “watching Grease and listening to Queen”, and busking from the age of 13, Ruby now finds herself touring the country, playing in the company of some of Australia’s best talents and watching crowds of people sing along to her lyrics.
“I’ve heard my songs on the radio, played some of the biggest festivals … and learnt more lessons than I ever thought I would have by this age; I’m unendingly grateful.”
“Playing on stage is a feeling second to none, but I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for the nerdier stuff.”
Call her an average chick, we dare you. Despite that being the first thing she tells about herself in her bio on sites such as Triple J Unearthed, where she tripled her listeners over night after releasing 2017's I Want, the fresh Australian talent is anything but. With a longstanding passion for repairing amps and building guitars from scratch, it is rare to find a young musician so well-versed in approaching their craft from all angles.
“This is a community I dreamed of being in for so long and now being a part of it is like a crazy, surreal dream.”
Ruby’s true magic lies in her ability to lyrically encapsulate the experience of growing up. Staking claim to a perfect balance of honesty and humour, she takes us back to the freedom of our first car, the excitement of sneaking out, the anticipation of creating our own place in the world.
That place for the young guitarist herself, is currently a farm on the South Coast of Australia. You may find her sitting on her bedroom floor, typing the next nostalgia hit onto her laptop or at The Grove Studios recording a new album with her band mates who double as her best mates from home. Keep an ear open. We have a feeling this is only the beginning.
PHOTOGRAPY Sarah Adamson
FASHION Natalie Petrevski and Ellen Presbury
TALENT Ruby Fields
HAIR Madison Voloshin @ Vivien’s Creative using R+Co
MAKEUP Corinna Wilmshurst using Giorgio Armani
STYLIST’S ASSISTANT Gigi Perry
