Rough & Ready: Vinyl LP

Ruthven announces his long-awaited debut album. The South London singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer releases ‘Rough & Ready’ via Paul Institute / XL Recordings.

Ruthven - aka Sean Nelson - has always had a certain fervour associated with him. He first broke in 2017 as a founding member of Paul Institute, the label founded by A.K. and Jai Paul, while also working as a member of the London Fire Brigade. In the long hours awaiting call-outs, when the truck was fully serviced and his breathing equipment was ready for the next job, Ruthven wrote the foundations of his debut album, ‘Rough & Ready’, which includes the previously released ‘123 Days’, ‘Don’t Keep It To Yourself’ and ‘Have You Decided?’.

The resulting 12-track record marks Ruthven’s arrival as a true artist in his own right. ‘Rough & Ready’ leans into classic songwriting while maintaining lush instrumentation, creating a portal that traverses decades. With appearances from A.K. Paul and Francis Anthony ‘Eg’ White, ‘Rough & Ready’ is a bold statement of Ruthven’s artistry.

Speaking on ‘Rough & Ready’, Ruthven says: “A central theme to the album is playfulness. So many genres inspired me in making this album. It’s partly jazz-influenced but I was profoundly inspired by Prince. That era, including yacht rock artists like Michael McDonald and Steely Dan, deeply influenced me. I admired their songwriting and musicianship, which seemed universally recognised as exceptional. Being a former wedding band musician, I always wondered how their music had a timelessness to it, and that’s what I tried to capture here.

“While still a firefighter, I created many early sketches for what would become ‘Rough & Ready’. Some songs on the album, like ‘Don’t Keep It To Yourself’, were initially an upbeat funk tune, but it has evolved. Unfortunately, I lost much of my early material, pushing me to create even stronger work. I found working with Anup [A.K. Paul] was helpful. We would crack up in the studio over some of our decisions, the musical segues, and flourishes. That infectious fun energy became a core component of the album, a reminder that music should always be fun.”