Track of the Day: Ruby Ivy - 'Fault Line'

With dulcet soul vocals on a bedrock of lo-fi, chilled beats, Ruby Ivy has kickstarted her 2021 with a bang on her first single 'Fault Line'.

Delivering sensual, self assured, soulful R&B; the artist's music evokes the essence of the London urban gospel scene.

Performing ‘Be My Baby’ alongside original doo-wop, R&B icon, Ronnie Spector in London back in 2016 set Ruby's reality as an emerging singer/songwriter in sight.

A homegrown talent, the singer-songwriter is heavily inspired by her contemporaries Snoh Aalegra, Sinead Harnett and Jorja Smith.

Added to Spotify's 'A Breath of Fresh Éire' playlist, 'Fault Line' is gaining attention with the track's luscious harmonies and vulnerable lyrics of romance.

"For once, I'm not playing the villain/ I know this time it's my feelings overspilling/ 'Cause there's no gaps that need to be filled in/ But this unstable promise got me slipping," Ruby sings.

Speaking to a person who weakens her defences and fills her life with colour, the track is both relatable in its subject matter and memorable as a result of Ruby's sultry, honey-toned vocals.

"‘Fault Line’ explores the theme of intimacy and vulnerability," the singer-songwriter told Hot Press.

"I wrote it about the tender act of my lover carefully tracing his fingers across my skin and the conflicting feelings it evoked. Chemistry can be confusing sometimes and it was in that moment I knew I was in deep water.

"I needed a break from the overwhelm of London at the start of 2020 so I flew home to work on it with a wonderful Cork producer, Sean Murray. In hindsight, I wish I had brought more than just hand luggage with me as it would be an extended stay due to a global pandemic. Who would have thought it. The silver lining is it gave me the time and space to wholeheartedly focus on my music."

Ruby now has a string of singles ready for release this year - as well as a video for 'Fault Line' and collaborations with Black Science Orchestra and Bon Voyage also in the pipeline.

Listen to 'Fault Line' below: