Rebecca Louise "Bex" Chilcott, known professionally as Ruby Boots,
(born October 20, 1981) is an Australian singer-songwriter who sings
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...
and
americana
Americana may refer to:
*Americana (music), a genre or style of American music
*Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States
Film, radio and television
* ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
music.
Early life and education
Boots was born in
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
, and lived in the suburbs of
Balga
Balga (russian: замок Бальга; german: Burg Balga; lt, Balga; pl, Balga) was a medieval castle of the Teutonic Knights in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. The castle ruins are located on the shore of the Vistula Lagoon, north of Mamonovo ...
and
Girrawheen.
She is of
Scottish and
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
descent.
At the age of 13 years old, Boots moved out of her mother's house, then lived with her father and various friends before living independently at the age of 16 years old.
After spending time in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
, Boots got work in the
pearl farm
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...
s located north of Perth in
Broome and
Exmouth
Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe and southeast of Exeter.
In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the 5th most populous settlement in Devon.
Histo ...
. She did this for a few years.
Boots studied Basic Music Industry Skills at
TAFE WA North Metropolitan, where she received a Diploma of Music Business.
In 2014, she also completed The Seed Fund's Management Workshop.
Career
In 2015, Boots released her first album, ''Solitude,'' on
Lost Highway Records Australia, an imprint of
Universal Music Australia.
Boots collaborated with many musicians on her debut record. She co-wrote two songs, "Middle of Nowhere" and "No Stranger" with
Vikki Thorn
Vikki Elizabeth Thorn (née Simpson, born c. 1974) is an Australian harmonica player, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter and one-third of the Australian folk rock band the Waifs. Her elder sister, Donna Simpson (musician), Donna Simpson, also p ...
from
The Waifs
The Waifs (originally styled as The WAiFS) are an Australian folk rock band formed in 1992 by sisters Vikki Thorn (harmonica, guitar, vocals) and Donna Simpson (guitar, vocals) as well as Josh Cunningham (guitar, vocals). Their tour and recor ...
, the title track, "Solitude," with
Davey Lane from
You Am I
You Am I are an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by its lead singer-songwriter and guitarist, Tim Rogers. They formed in December 1989 and are the first Australian band to have released three successive albums that have each debuted ...
. Alt-country musician Jordie Lane provided vocals on the duet "Lovin' in the Fall," and
Bill Chambers appears on the song, "Walk Away."
The record was recorded in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Spain and Utah.
Boots began writing the songs in 2012, then recorded the record in 2013, and then mixed it in 2014.
The record received overall positive reviews.
In 2016, Boots played at the
Americana Music Association's AmericanaFest, where she signed a distribution deal with
Bloodshot Records
Bloodshot Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, which specializes in alternative country.
History
Bloodshot Records was founded in 1994 by Nan Warshaw, Rob Miller, and Eric Babcock, who knew each other from jobs i ...
.
She returned to AmericanaFest 2017 as part of the Bloodshot Records annual showcase.
In 2018, Boots released her second full length record called ''Don't Talk About It'' on
Bloodshot Records
Bloodshot Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, which specializes in alternative country.
History
Bloodshot Records was founded in 1994 by Nan Warshaw, Rob Miller, and Eric Babcock, who knew each other from jobs i ...
.
She wrote one song, which is sung
a cappella, called "I Am a Woman" with Nashville-based musician
Nikki Lane.
The record was produced by Beau Bedford and The Texas Gentlemen were the session band and was recorded in
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
at Modern Electric Sound Recorders.
In North America and Western Europe,
Bloodshot Records
Bloodshot Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, which specializes in alternative country.
History
Bloodshot Records was founded in 1994 by Nan Warshaw, Rob Miller, and Eric Babcock, who knew each other from jobs i ...
is the U.S.-based distributor.
Island Records /
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a ...
is the distributor across
Australia,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, and through subsidiaries
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whic ...
,
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
, and beyond.
Personal life
Boots has said that her
pen name, Ruby Boots, comes from the idea of being fiery and passionate (Ruby) and from the ideas of a wayfaring
troubadour
A troubadour (, ; oc, trobador ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a ''trobairi ...
, a musician that travels around a lot, with boots implying moving around (Boots).
Boots had
vocal nodules, which she worked to remove using non-surgical methods. It required a three-year break from singing, during which time she took classes and ran local
open mic
An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether t ...
s.
In 2016, Boots relocated to the United States, and now lives in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
.
Discography
Studio albums
Extended plays
Singles
Awards and nominations
National Live Music Awards
The
National Live Music Awards
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse and successful live industry, celebrating the diversity and success of the Australian live scene – recognising the best vocal talents and musicians alongside ...
(NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.
, -
,
National Live Music Awards of 2016
The National Live Music Awards of 2016 are the inaugural National Live Music Awards
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse and successful live industry, celebrating the diversity and success of ...
, Ruby Boots
, Live Roots Act of the Year
,
, -
,
National Live Music Awards of 2017
The National Live Music Awards of 2017 are the second National Live Music Awards
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse and successful live industry, celebrating the diversity and success of the ...
, Ruby Boots
, Live Roots Act of the Year
,
WAM Song of the Year
The
WAM Song of the Year
WAM was originally formed as the Western Australian Rock Music Industry Association Inc. (WARMIA) in 1985, with its main aim to develop and run annual awards recognising achievements within the music industry in Western Australia. WAM first receiv ...
was formed by the Western Australian Rock Music Industry Association Inc. (WARMIA) in 1985, with its main aim to develop and run annual awards recognising achievements within the music industry in Western Australia.
(wins only)
, -
, 2014
, "Wrap Me in a Fever"
, Country Song of the Year
,
, -
West Australian Music Industry Awards
The
Western Australian Music Industry Awards
The Western Australian Music Industry Awards (commonly known as WAMis) are annual awards presented to the local contemporary music industry, put on by the Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc (WAM). The WAMi Awards are Western Aust ...
(commonly known as WAMis) are annual awards presented to the local contemporary music industry, put on by the Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc (WAM).
, -
, rowspan="2", 2011
, rowspan="2", Ruby Boots
, Best Blues & Roots Act
,
, -
, Best Country Music Act
,
, -
, rowspan="3", 2012
, rowspan="3", Ruby Boots
, Acoustic Roots Act of the Year
,
, -
, Folk Act of the Year
,
, -
, Country Music Act of the Year
,
, -
, rowspan="2", 2013
, rowspan="2", Ruby Boots
, Country Music Act of the Year
,
, -
, Solo Artist of the Year
,
, -
, 2014
, Ruby Boots
, Country Music Act of the Year
,
, -
, -
, 2015
, Ruby Boots
, Country Music Act of the Year
,
, -
, 2016
, Ruby Boots
, Country Music Act of the Year
,
, -
References
External links
* https://t.me/ruby_boots
Ruby Bootsat
Bloodshot Records
Bloodshot Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, which specializes in alternative country.
History
Bloodshot Records was founded in 1994 by Nan Warshaw, Rob Miller, and Eric Babcock, who knew each other from jobs i ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boots, Ruby
1981 births
Living people
Musicians from Perth, Western Australia
Bloodshot Records artists
Island Records artists