FOR the first time in her musical career, Acomb singer-songwriter Ruby Paul believes she has a strategy."What feels very different now is that, after many years of writing and performing, I now have a plan," she says.
"Whether it works or not is another thing, but I've spent a lot of time thinking about what I want to do, like I'm planning to release my debut album, but not until 2009."This year she is focusing both on her Miracle Baby Project, leading to a release party for the single with the Ruby Paul Band in late June/early July, and on her competition for Talented Young Musicians. More of that later.In the past, Ruby has taught educational music therapy and worked with disabled people, balancing her work with performing.
She first played on the folk circuit, singing traditional folk ballads, while also playing the Celtic harp at weddings and singing in old people's homes, having earlier studied viola in her music degree at the University of York.
Her time is divided now between raising her two children, Robin, 12, and Jennifer, two, and promoting her burgeoning career in the pop field. "Singing is my first love, ever since I used to stand up in the corner to sing, " says Ruby.
"Over the years, I've sung jazz; classical; folk; Twenties, Thirties, Forties, Fifties' songs; anything but pop, but everything has informed my songwriting now, when I'm going into pop. You'd have to define it as pop as it's not folk or jazz, but what I really try to do is write memorable songs, like Miracle Baby, which was inspired by my daughter's birth after four attempts at IVF."