Ruel is home, but not for long.
The Australian songwriter and performer now calls Los Angeles home but for the past few weeks, he has been back in Sydney – a self-described “holiday time” that also coincides with one of the more unique live performances of his career to date.
Performing in the beautiful surrounds of Sydney’s Town Hall, Ruel joins the Red Bull Symphonic series; collaborating with the innovative Ensemble Apex, in realising his acclaimed, Platinum-selling fusion of pop, R&B and soul music, via a full orchestra.
Launched in Australia in 2022, Red Bull Symphonic has provided unique opportunities for fans and artists to connect with contemporary music in new and engaging ways. Recent history here has seen artists including Genesis Owusu and Lisi bring their catalogues to life with Australian orchestras while internationally, the format has brought artists like Rick Ross and Metro Boomin’ to new levels of exposure and praise.
“It definitely feels like I’ve got to be more on my game than ever, purely because of the sheer magnitude of the show,” Ruel explains.
When Rolling Stone AU/NZ speaks with the 22 year old, he is in final rehearsal mode – entering the final countdown towards show day. The production, set to feature electronic interludes by longtime collaborator, Platinum recording producer Taka Perry, is more than a rearranged show.
The vision behind this endeavour stands to be as immersive as one of this kind can be, with music and specially created visuals set to centre Ruel’s performance in an evocative, impactful space for the artist and audience alike.
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“It has reinvigorated my love for all the songs that I was perhaps a bit bored of, that’s what has been super exciting about it all.” he admits.
“I’ve been sent new versions of them, composers have been sending me rough mixes of what songs that are six, seven years old, are going to sound like. I’ve been singing them non-stop but now it’s like, wow – I’m really excited to sing them again.
To get in front of a full orchestra and feel that power and emotion…it’s such an emotional thing, to hear an orchestra live. I’m very, very excited to play the old songs as much as I am the new. It’s very rare, when I’m playing a show for the first time in a while.”
For Ruel, participating in Red Bull Symphonic provides a brief pause from what has been an intensive period of creativity. The past year has been dedicated to the completion of his anticipated sophomore album, following on from 2023’s 4th Wall.
While there is no release date confirmed, debuting new music as part of this orchestral performance is one that has Ruel excited; perhaps off-setting the nerves that come with performing with a whole new cast of musicians.
“It will be exciting to give them a new life – it’s a pretty grand way to debut them to the world,” he says. “It’s not going to feel crazy, out there; all the arrangements fit really nicely with the sonics of the songs.”
“When it’s just my band and I, we’re all just having fun and if I mess up a lyric or do little quirks on stage, it’s almost a laughing matter,” he smiles.
“With this, there are so many moving parts and there’s almost 60 completely trained, classical musicians, who are not going to mess up behind me. I can’t just stop and start again! I’ve got to ride through everything and make sure I’m on my A-game.”
Reflecting further on how this A-game has developed across years spent growing up on stages and in studios around the world, Ruel speaks of his new album with a natural confidence.
Such confidence has always been there, stretching all the way back to when audiences were first introduced to him in 2017. Capturing attention as a young teenager performing with M-Phazes for triple j’s Like A Version, it was clear that this was more than a star in the making; Ruel’s connection with music and his audience was at both times intriguing, and emotionally resonant.
As he has found his identity as an artist and as someone swapping late adolescence for the headiness of his early ‘20s, Ruel is now in a position where he can look back at the milestones and achievements today with refreshed perspective; while looking forward with pure anticipation, curiosity, and pride.
“It’s definitely the proudest I’ve ever been, at least at this stage,” he explains. “It’s [including] all songs I’ve written within the last year, as well. I feel like my last project had songs that were three or four years old.
The album took so much longer whereas this one, from starting to write it through until now, was a reasonably seamless process. I think that’s why it’s a better representation of who I am now. It’s a better reflection of my taste, maybe.”
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Since relocating to Los Angeles and signing with US indie label Giant Music – also home to artists including Empress Of, K.Flay and Mike WiLL Made-It – it’s clear that the change in scenery and direction has impacted Ruel’s creative outlook and importantly to this current chapter of his life, output.
“It’s really exciting over there, finishing the music over there has been really great. All the people I’ve gotten to work with, I’m super inspired by,” he says.
Once this Sydney “holiday” wraps, Ruel is back on a plane to Los Angeles, where the next stage of album preparation begins.
“I go straight into shoots for the music videos and album cover shoots – all the visual assets of the record. I’ll be going in hard,” he says.
“All the music is done, it’s getting mixed; I’m going to be finishing everything else. That will be a couple more months and then I’ll be done. Hopefully I can sit back, dust my hands off, and see what happens! It’ll be a scary moment.”
Red Bull Symphonic with Ruel. Credit: Michelle Pitiris
If albums are snapshots of personal and creative inspiration, then it would seem that the Ruel listeners who stand to meet on this new album is one that he himself is the most at peace with.
Leaning into the unknown as an artist never gets any less scary but for Ruel, each step taken to get to this point has only driven him to want to chase the buzz of what is around each corner. Whether it be reimagining an already stacked catalogue of music with an orchestra, or producing some of his cohesive and most mature new work to date, the chemistry that has permeated Ruel’s artistry as he moves into 2025 is becoming insatiable for the artist and his team.
“I feel like this is the furthest into the album making process, that I’m still listening to my music in the car!” he laughs. “Only on solo drives. That’s a good sign for me.”
“Listening to the music now, at least across the last year, lyrically I feel like I took away a bunch of the rules (so to speak) that I had maybe played by before,” Ruel adds.
“Even in terms of humour, being tongue in cheek or embarrassing…I feel like I’ve always been overly honest and transparent about how I feel about things and with regards to putting my personal life on the page. All that stuff has either been drawn from exactly what’s going on in my life, or it’s just a random story or thing a friend heard. That always comes from the truth.
Now, I think I’m not taking it as seriously, which is fun to hear. Maybe a secret to finding more joy in the process has come from breaking down that wall as well.”
