{"product_id":"rough-and-ready","title":"Rough and Ready","description":"\u003cp\u003eRuthven announces full details of his long-awaited debut album. The South London singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer releases \u003ci\u003eRough and Ready\u003c\/i\u003e via Paul Institute \/ XL Recordings. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuthven - 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 \u0026amp; 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 \u0026amp; 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 \u0026amp; Ready is a bold statement of Ruthven's artistry.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSpeaking on Rough \u0026amp; Ready, Ruthven says:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile still a firefighter, I created many early sketches for what would become Rough \u0026amp; 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Paul Institute","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50503687373131,"sku":"2218265","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50503687110987,"sku":"2218264","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Ruthven_RoughAndReady_4000x4000_65cf4064_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727797806","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/products\/rough-and-ready","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}