www.justinrutledge.com
Rutledge has released three albums, No Never Alone, The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park and Man Descending. His fourth album, entitled, "The Early Widows" was released in May 2010 on Six Shooter Records.
Rutledge's musical style is often compared to that of American alt-country singer Ryan Adams. His influences, both of the literary and music world, include Leonard Cohen, Hank Williams, Richard Brautigan and E.E. Cummings.
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, Jim Cuddy, Blue Rodeo, Hawksley Workman, Luke Doucet and Dolly Parton.
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 literary journal.
History
Early life
Justin Rutledge was born and grew up in the Junction neighbourhood in Toronto, a working class community centered 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 University of Toronto. He dropped out after three years of school as his musical career got in the way. Rutledge told Macleans 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 Justin Rutledge's first album. In order to pay for the recording he worked as a bartender. Rutledge has remarked, "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, who also proclaimed that "A major new talent has landed". Additional UK praise came from Uncut magazine who referred to Rutledge as “a master of gothic understatement” and NME describing the album as "an incredible breakthrough".
It was only receiving this attention in the UK that 'No Never Alone' was released in Rutledge's native Canada.
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 on October 6, 2006. "Devil on a Bench" is actually Rutledge's second attempt at a sophomore 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 sophomore 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. In order 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 in the category "Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo" and received the Galaxie Rising Star Award at the Edmonton Folk Festival.
[edit] Man Descending (2008)
Man Descending
Justin Rutledge's third album, "Man Descending" was released on April 8, 2008 through Six Shooter Records. The album is named after a 1982 collection of short stories by Guy Vanderhaeghe, 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 Ron Sexsmith, Jenn Grant, Catherine MacLellan, Hawksley Workman, Melissa McClelland, Joey Wright, Jim Bryson as well as "What Rutledge calls the best band in town; David Baxter, Bazil Donovan and Blake Manning; Burke Carroll and Bob Packwood."
"Man Descending" was long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize.[17] Other praise for "Man Descending" in 2008 included the #5 spot on Exclaim's Wood, Wires & Whiskey top 10 and a nomination for Contemporary Album of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
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 Justin Rutledge took part in an interactive documentary series called City Sonic. The series, which featured 20 Toronto artists, had him reflecting on his time performing at the Cameron House.
The Early Widows (2010)
The Early Widows is Justin Rutledge's fourth album, released in May 2010 on Six Shooter Records. Justin wrote several songs with a single character in mind from author Michael Ondaatje's Novel Divisadero after collaborating with Ondaatje on a theatrical adaptation of the novel. Michael Onjaatje also co-wrote several of the songs receiving official credit for the single Be A Man.
The album is produced by Canadian singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman (also credited as a musician on the album) and also features Canadian singer-songwriter Oh Susanna.
Everyone's In Love
Justin Rutledge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's got my city by the reins
She's got a perfect memory
The car's a 1973
Slow down
Slow down
Why can't I stop and let you pass
Slow down
We've got to slow down
She's got the candles by the bed
Beside the books she never read
I hear her singing in the chambers of the sea
Everyone's in love with you but me
Everyone but me
She's got a mountain for a name
She's got my city by the reins
Slow down
We've got to slow down
She's got her candles by the bed
Beside the books she never read
I don't believe you that it's better by the sea
Everyone's in love with you but me
Everyone but me
(are we the cowards that they wanted us to be?)
The song "Everyone's In Love" by Justin Rutledge tells the story of the singer's love interest, a woman with a powerful presence and complex beauty. The opening lines set the stage for her larger-than-life persona, with the mountainous quality of her name and her hold over the singer's city. The nostalgic "car's a 1973" line adds to the sense of longing and romanticization of the past that runs throughout the song.
The chorus emphasizes the singer's desire to slow down and savor the moment, but also his inability to do so. He feels trapped, unable to fully appreciate the woman before him even as the night seems to shimmer with potential. The repetition of "Everyone's in love with you but me" adds to the melancholy vibe of the song. The final line, a questioning "are we the cowards that they wanted us to be?" hints at a larger societal pressure on love and relationships, suggesting that perhaps the singer and his love interest are not free to express their feelings openly.
Line by Line Meaning
She's got a mountain for a name
Her name is powerful and majestic, much like a mountain.
She's got my city by the reins
She has complete control over my city, and by extension, my life.
She's got a perfect memory
She remembers everything, even the smallest details.
The car's a 1973
The car is old, but it has character and charm.
Tonight the canyon's made of glass
The canyon, usually rugged and imposing, seems fragile and breakable tonight.
Why can't I stop and let you pass
I'm too caught up in my own thoughts and feelings to acknowledge and appreciate you.
She's got the candles by the bed
She sets the mood and creates a romantic atmosphere with her candles.
Beside the books she never read
She has books that she hasn't read yet, indicating that she also longs for intellectual satisfaction and growth.
I hear her singing in the chambers of the sea
Her voice is so captivating, it echoes and reverberates through the sea.
Everyone's in love with you but me
Others are drawn to her and have fallen in love, but I am not able to for some reason.
We've got to slow down
We need to take things at a slower, more deliberate pace.
I don't believe you that it's better by the sea
I am skeptical that being by the sea is better than being with her, suggesting that she is the most important thing in my life.
Everyone but me
It seems like everyone else is experiencing something that I am not, making me feel left out or misunderstood.
(are we the cowards that they wanted us to be?)
Are we letting society's expectations and limitations hold us back from truly experiencing love and happiness?
Contributed by Bailey D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.