Ruthie Foster (photo by Jody Domingue)
Over the course of her nearly three-decade career in music, Ruthie Foster has run a lot of road. Along the way, she’s developed a sound all her own inflected by blues, soul, gospel, and folk that’s earned her multiple Grammy nominations. She’s found the wisdom and courage to navigate her own path in the music business. And she’s held fast to a firm conviction that love is the reason and the way.
Appropriately, then, she’s titled her 10th album, coming this Friday, Mileage. The songs, the result of repeated, focused collaboration with producer Tyler Bryant and his wife, Rebecca Lovell of Larkin Poe, find Foster taking stock of her life and career, reflecting on the people and experiences that have carried her to where she is today.
Ruthie Foster (photo by Jody Domingue)
The title track acknowledges the highs and lows she’s encountered along the way: “There ain’t no road I ain’t been up and down,” she sings over a slow-burning groove. “I’ve been lost, I’ve been found, and I’m proud of my mileage.” Through that journey, she asserts, “I’ve earned who I am.”
But Mileage is hardly a retrospective. The album marks the start of a new partnership with Sun Records, the legendary studio and label founded in Memphis by Sam Phillips and a musical home to Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Linda Martell, and many more. And Foster’s songs, infused with hope for a brighter tomorrow, suggest she’s revving up for the road ahead.
Her embrace of herself and her journey extends to those around her, both close at hand and in the wider world. On “Rainbow,” she raises the question “What is love?” and points to the partner by her side by way of an answer, her powerhouse vocals soaring amid a retro soul beat. “Heartshine” slows down to honor those who have helped her find her way, and “Good for My Soul” celebrates fellow travelers that keep her moving forward, even when times are tough.
For our “Deep End” series, we asked Foster about the making of her new album and the view she’s acquired from her own personal mileage. Like any road trip, the going is easy at first and then things get a little more intense farther down the highway.
Tell us about co-writing with Tyler Bryant and Rebecca Lovell. How do you go from maybe not knowing them extremely well to collaboratively writing these deeply personal, vulnerable songs?
I knew that Tyler was from the East Texas area, so I kind of figured we would be able to connect musically. I knew Rebecca from being at the same music festivals, music cruises, etc., so we had a mutual respect for each other already. We also happen to have the same management at Red Light Management. The rest was just about getting to spend an extended period of time together, which we were able to do by my flying up to Nashville once a month for about a year.
Mileage is coming out on Sun Records, and you nod to that studio’s rich history with your cover of “That’s All Right,” Elvis Presley’s first hit with the studio. (Though as you point out, the song was written and recorded much earlier by blues singer Arthur Crudup.) What does that history mean to you?
Memphis is very dear to my soul. Sam Phillips, the founder of Sun Records, did what he could to help rhythm and blues and gospel artists early on to get a chance to be recorded there, when not a lot of record labels were giving such artists, like B.B. King and Howlin’ Wolf, a second look. He clearly had an ear for great R&B songs and how this music would change the record industry. By learning how to engineer this sound to relay the energy behind the blues, R&B, and sounds of the South, this eventually turned into what we now call rock and roll. I look forward to taking advantage of mixing my own sound and songs and being a part of this historic label.
Love is a strong theme on this album, in songs like “Heartshine” and “Rainbow,” and across your career. Love can feel like an endangered species these days. How do we save it?
We can save love by bringing it into the room whenever we’re not sure of what to do or say in any situation. Especially when doubts set in. Bring the conversation back to what’s true. It can be self-love — love of self is the most honorable gift you can give to yourself and those around you.
The song “Mileage” celebrates age and experience and reflects on how where you’ve been shapes who you are. Have you always had that mindset, or did it take some work to get there?
Oh my love, it has definitely taken some time and many experiences and life changes to get here! I honor it every day by stepping into it!
This is your 10th album. What have you learned from the mileage between your first album, 1997’s Full Circle, and now, in terms of music and life?
I’ve learned that it’s really been about the journey and not the destination. We never really get to where we think we’re going. So I’ve learned to just enjoy the ride. Every mile is just another opportunity to enjoy the view!
