My first introduction to Ruel was his song “Dazed and Confused.” My brother put it on while we were driving, and I assumed he put the song on because it was a song he enjoyed. My brother even drove down to Los Angeles to go to one of his concerts on his Free Time tour with me. It wasn’t until later that I figured out that he didn’t listen to his music and had put the song on in the car because it seemed like something I would enjoy. (He was right!) So when Ruel announced a free pop-up show in London at the same time my friend and I would be there to study abroad, I had to get us both tickets.
Ruel isn’t new to the music industry, despite his debut album being released just a couple of months ago. With his first single being released in 2017, one might assume that an album would soon follow. Instead, fans of Ruel were left waiting for the full-length album and listening to the three EPs (Extended Plays) that he released on the way to the album. “Dazed and Confused,” released in 2018, was the first of three tracks to go multi-platinum, quickly followed by his song “Younger.” Both of these tracks were featured on his first EP released, Ready. The third track is titled “Painkiller,” released just a year later. However, his fan’s patience paid off with the release of 4th Wall on March 3, 2023.
Ruel’s ‘sound’ has changed throughout the years as he got older. Even within the album, the style of songs shifts gears. There are fast-paced songs intermixed with slower songs, and when you compare the songs on 4th Wall to the songs on Ready, you can see how both Ruel and his producer M-Phazes (who have been working together for all six years) have grown and adapted to the current industry and their own taste in music.
When asked about his songwriting process in an interview by Numéro Netherlands, Ruel says he takes inspiration from his own life, as well as movies and TV shows. Ruel often says songwriting is about exaggerating the experience, whether it comes from your own life, a friend’s life, or a movie scene that you connect with. One song, “END SCENE,” was inspired by the ending scene in Fight Club, using his interpretation of the scene as a starting point.
The Australian musician is currently touring his debut album, with the North American leg recently finished. For more tour updates and to see what he’s currently up to, you can follow his Instagram or Twitter! And if you’re curious, my favorite song off 4th Wall is “Let the Grass Grow”!