Justin Rutledge (born January 3, 1979) is a

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

-based Canadian

alternative country Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style ...

singer-songwriter signed to

Outside Music Outside Music is a Canadian record label and distributor founded by Lloyd Nishimura in 2001. In 2007, it expanded to include an artist management division which includes Jill Barber, Matthew Barber, Aidan Knight, Justin Rutledge as management ...

. Rutledge's musical style is often compared to that of American alt-country singer

Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left ...

. His influences, both of the literary and music world, include

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

Hank Williams Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...

Richard Brautigan Richard Gary Brautigan (January 30, 1935 – c. September 16, 1984) was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. A prolific writer, he wrote throughout his life and published ten novels, two collections of short stories, and four bo ...

, and

E. E. Cummings Edward Estlin Cummings, who was also known as E. E. Cummings, e. e. cummings and e e cummings (October 14, 1894 - September 3, 1962), was an American poet, painter, essayist, author and playwright. He wrote approximately 2,900 poems, two autobi ...

. In 2006, Justin Rutledge was named Toronto singer-songwriter of the year by ''NOW'' magazine. Rutledge has toured Canada, the UK, the United States, and Europe, and has played shows with

Kathleen Edwards Kathleen Edwards (born July 11, 1978
) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. Her 2002 debut album, ''

Jim Cuddy James Gordon Cuddy, (born December 2, 1955) is a Canadian singer-songwriter primarily associated with the band Blue Rodeo. Early life and education Cuddy was born in Toronto, Ontario. His Mother Jean Cuddy was an English teacher at Monarch Par ...

Blue Rodeo Blue Rodeo is a Canadian country rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have released 16 full-length studio albums, four live recordings, one greatest hits album, and two video/DVDs, along with multiple solo albums, side projects, a ...

Hawksley Workman Hawksley Workman (Born Ryan Corrigan, March 4, 1975) is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who has garnered critical acclaim for his blend of cabaret pop and glam rock. Workman has released eleven full-length albums throughout his career. A mul ...

Luke Doucet Luke Doucet (born June 9, 1973) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has written and performed as a solo artist and as a member of the indie rock band Veal and the folk rock band Whitehorse. In 2006 and 2011, Doucet was nominated f ...

, and

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

. His critically acclaimed lyrics are sometimes linked by music writers to his time as a university English major; he was editor-in-chief of a

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

literary journal.

Biography

Early life

Rutledge was born and grew up in the

Junction Junction may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Junction'' (film), a 2012 American film * Jjunction, a 2002 Indian film * Junction (album), a 1976 album by Andrew Cyrille * Junction (EP), by Basement Jaxx, 2002 * Junction (manga), or ''Hot ...

neighbourhood of Toronto, a working-class community centred around an intersection of four railway lines. He was raised in an Irish-Catholic family and grew up with aspirations of becoming a writer. To that end, he studied English literature, with a major in modern poetry, at the

. He dropped out after three years of school, as his musical career got in the way. Rutledge told ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...

'' in an interview that his backup plan would be to finish his university studies in English "if this music thing doesn't work".

''No Never Alone'' (2004–2005)

'' No Never Alone'' is Rutledge's first album. To pay for its recording, he worked as a bartender. Rutledge has remarked that "I would often do a studio session during the day and then head straight to work until 4 or 5 in the morning". The album earned Rutledge considerable praise, particularly in the UK, where he was compared to Ryan Adams by ''

Comes with a Smile ''Comes with a Smile'' was a quarterly music-focused fanzine published in the United Kingdom between June 1997 and February 2006. The title originates from a lyric in Red House Painters' song "24". In 2001, ''Comes with a Smile'' released a no ...

'', who also proclaimed that "A major new talent has landed". Additional UK praise came from ''

Uncut magazine ''Uncut'' is a monthly magazine based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections. A DVD magazine under the ''Uncut'' brand was published quarterly from 2005 to 2006 ...

'', who referred to Rutledge as "a master of gothic understatement", and ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' describing the album as "an incredible breakthrough". After gaining prominence in the UK, ''No Never Alone'' was released in Rutledge's native Canada. Justin Rutledge

''The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park'' (2006–2007)

Rutledge's second album, '' The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park'', was released through

Six Shooter Records Six Shooter Records is an independent record label based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that uses an artist-centric business model, focusing on art before commerce combined with extensive touring. Six Shooter Records was founded in 2000 by Shauna d ...

on October 6, 2006. The record is actually Rutledge's second attempt at a second album; he spent a year recording his first attempt, tentatively titled ''In the Fall'', before he scrapped it. He was unsatisfied with the album and has explained, "I thought a second album should have just a bit more of an assured sense about it. A second step forward should be a step up the ladder as opposed to just asserting your presence. You're not just saying, "hey, I'm still here". You're saying, "hey I'm here and I've challenged myself and I've hopefully done something that I haven't done already". To challenge himself and create the album he wanted, Rutledge wrote a new batch of songs and recorded them in eight days with his band, opting for a more live recording style. ''The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park'' was nominated for a

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

in the category Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo and received the Galaxie Rising Star Award at the

Edmonton Folk Music Festival The Edmonton Folk Music Festival (EFMF) is an annual four-day outdoor music event held the second weekend of August in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, established in 1980 by Don Whalen. The festival continues to draw many people from around the world a ...

''Man Descending'' (2008)

Rutledge's third album, '' Man Descending'', was released on April 8, 2008 through Six Shooter Records. The record is named after a 1982 collection of short stories by

Guy Vanderhaeghe Guy Clarence Vanderhaeghe (born April 5, 1951) is a Canadian novelist and short story writer, best known for his Western novel trilogy, ''The Englishman's Boy'', '' The Last Crossing'', and ''A Good Man'' set in the 19th-century American and Can ...

, also called '' Man Descending''. Rutledge was inspired by a line from Vanderhaeghe's book, "A man descending is propelled by inertia; the only initiative left him is whether or not he decides to enjoy the passing scene." He says of the line, "It really resonated with me. As I continued to read the stories, I realized that all these characters in the book were dealing with the same kind of static or inertia in their lives. I kind of took little threads and wove them into songs". The album features guest performances by

Ron Sexsmith Ronald Eldon Sexsmith (born January 8, 1964) is a Canadian singer-songwriter from St. Catharines, Ontario. He was the songwriter of the year at the 2005 Juno Awards. He began releasing recordings of his own material in 1985 at age 21, and has s ...

Jenn Grant Jenn Grant (born August 20, 1980) is a Canadian folk pop singer-songwriter based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Career ''Jenn Grant and Goodbye Twentieth Century'' She performed as a musician for a time in her early teens, but stopped due to a b ...

, Catherine MacLellan,

Melissa McClelland Melissa McClelland (born 18 May 1979) is an American-born Canadian singer-songwriter who lived in Hamilton, Ontario, in her youth and now bases her career from Toronto, Ontario. McClelland's music is influenced by blues and Americana. A writer ...

Joey Wright Joey Glenn Wright (born September 4, 1968) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He has been the head coach of three teams in the Australian National Basketball League: the Brisbane Bullets, which won an NBL championsh ...

, and

Jim Bryson Jim Bryson is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Briefly a founding member of the band Punchbuggy, he moved to a musical life under his own name with the release of his debut album, ''The Occasionals'', in 2000. A member of singer-songwriter Kat ...

. ''Man Descending'' was longlisted for the

Polaris Music Prize The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The award was established in 2006 with a $20,000 cash prize; the prize was incr ...

. Other praise for the album in 2008 included the No. 5 spot on ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

s Wood, Wires & Whiskey top 10 and a nomination for Contemporary Album of the Year at the

Canadian Folk Music Awards The Canadian Folk Music Awards are an annual music awards ceremony presenting awards in a variety of categories for achievements in both traditional and contemporary folk music, and other roots music genres, by Canadian musicians. The awards progr ...

. According to an interview, "Compared to 2006's ''The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park'', Rutledge feels ''Man Descending'' is a much more patient, intimate and mature album, despite recording it in just three days". The songs "Alberta Breeze" and "San Sebastian" were written for ''In the Fall'', the album that Rutledge scrapped in 2006, and were rerecorded for ''Man Descending''. In 2009, Rutledge took part in an interactive documentary series called '' City Sonic''. The series, which featured twenty Toronto artists, had him reflecting on his time performing at the Cameron House.

''The Early Widows'' (2010)

'' The Early Widows'' is Rutledge's fourth album, released May 4, 2010 on Six Shooter Records. Rutledge wrote several songs with a single character in mind from author

Michael Ondaatje Philip Michael Ondaatje (; born 12 September 1943) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, essayist, novelist, editor, and filmmaker. He is the recipient of multiple literary awards such as the Governor General's Award, the Giller P ...

's novel '' Divisadero'' after collaborating with Ondaatje on a theatrical adaptation of the novel. Ondaatje also co-wrote several of the songs, receiving official credit for the single "Be a Man". The album was produced by Canadian singer-songwriter

(also credited as a musician on the album) and also features Canadian singer-songwriter

Oh Susanna "Oh! Susanna" is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster (1826–1864), first published in 1848. It is among the most popular American songs ever written. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time ...

and an additional co-writer credit to Nashville singer-songwriter

Darrell Scott James Darrell Scott, known as Darrell Scott (born August 6, 1959), is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. The son of musician Wayne Scott, he moved as a child to East Gary, Indiana (known today as Lake Station, Indiana). ...

''Valleyheart'' and subsequent albums (2013–present)

'' Valleyheart'' is Rutledge's fifth album, released February 2013 on his new label,

. It is produced by Rutledge himself. The artist has since released a further four studio albums: '' Daredevil'' (2014), ''

East East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...

'' (2016), '' Passages'' (2019), and ''

Islands An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

'' (2021).

Early Winters

Rutledge is also a member of the band Early Winters, a collaboration with Canadian musician/producer Dan Burns, American musician Zac Rae, and British singer-songwriter

Carina Round Carina Round (born 20 April 1979) is a British singer-songwriter from Wolverhampton in the West Midlands of England. Career In the summer of 1996, following a gig in a basement acoustic club in Wolverhampton, Round was given a three-night su ...

Theatrical work

In addition to his recording career, Rutledge has also acted on stage, including in productions of Ondaatje's ''Divisadero'' and

Sarah Ruhl Sarah Ruhl (born January 24, 1974) is an American playwright, professor, and essayist. Among her most popular plays are ''Eurydice'' (2003), ''The Clean House'' (2004), and ''In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play)'' (2009). She has been the reci ...

's ''

Eurydice Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη 'wide justice') was a character in Greek mythology and the Auloniad wife of Orpheus, who tried to bring her back from the dead with his enchanting music. Etymology Several meanings for the name ...

''."Justin Rutledge revisits his musical past on Valleyheart"
msn.ca, February 11, 2013. He also composed music and worked as musical director for a production of

Max Frisch Max Rudolf Frisch (; 15 May 1911 – 4 April 1991) was a Swiss playwright and novelist. Frisch's works focused on problems of identity, individuality, responsibility, morality, and political commitment. The use of irony is a significant featur ...

's '' The Arsonists''.

Personal life

Rutledge married designer Sarah Keenleyside, the cohost of

HGTV Canada HGTV is a Canadian English-language Category A cable and satellite specialty channel owned as a joint venture between Corus Entertainment (which serves as managing partner and owns 80.24% majority control through licensee HGTV Canada, Inc.) ...

's '' Backyard Builds'', in 2018."Justin Rutledge is alt-country with a little help from his friends"
''

Hamilton Spectator ''The Hamilton Spectator'', founded in 1846, is a newspaper published weekdays and Saturdays in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. One of the largest Canadian newspapers by circulation,''The Hamilton Spectator'' is owned by Torstar. History ''The Hami ...

'', March 8, 2019.

Discography

* 2004: '' No Never Alone'' * 2006: '' The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park'' * 2008: '' Man Descending'' * 2010: '' The Early Widows'' * 2013: '' Valleyheart'' * 2014: '' Daredevil'' * 2016: ''

'' * 2019: '' Passages'' * 2021: ''

Other credits

* 2005 – Dean Drouillard, ''Dream at Harmony Motel'' – banjo * 2006 –

, '' Thumbelina's One Night Stand'' – banjo/vocals * 2007 –

, ''Short Stories'': "Schoolyard" – harmonica, "Pretty Penny" – banjo/harmony vocals * 2008 – The Roaring Girl Cabaret, ''In Last Night's Party Clothes'' – vocals * 2008 –

NQ Arbuckle NQ Arbuckle is a Canadian alternative country band based in Toronto, Ontario, consisting of Montreal-born Neville Quinlan (the NQ of the band's name), Mark Kesper, Peter Kesper, John Dinsmore and Jason Sniderman. History NQ Arbuckle was formed i ...

, '' XOK'' * 2008 –

Kathleen Edwards Kathleen Edwards (born July 11, 1978
) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. Her 2002 debut album, ''

Asking for Flowers ''Asking for Flowers'' is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards. The album was released March 4, 2008, and was well received by critics, similarly to her first two albums released under Zoë Records, ''Failer'' and ...

'' – backing vocals

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rutledge, Justin 1979 births Living people Canadian male singer-songwriters Canadian country guitarists Canadian male guitarists Musicians from Toronto Canadian male stage actors Six Shooter Records artists Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Solo winners Canadian Folk Music Award winners 21st-century Canadian guitarists 21st-century Canadian male singers Canadian country singer-songwriters Canadian folk singer-songwriters