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.
Sleeveless in Vancouver
Justin Rutledge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A tourist waves a camera on the street
The clumsy thumbs of summer point to Kitsilano Beach
The trains are in the distance, out of reach
And the whales are moving drowsily in fleets
And you were riding sleeveless in the car
And I was swaying legless at the bar
But man, I never learned to play guitar
Oh, now I'm swaying legless at the bar
For eleven days, you punished me with bliss
And a sky in mid-July that held no clouds
So I followed your small ankles through a large metropolis
But I lost them when they reached those subway crowds
Oh, like a fool
I lost them when they reached those subway crowds
"Sleeveless in Vancouver" by Justin Rutledge captures a bittersweet nostalgia and longing for a lost love amidst the backdrop of a hot summer day in Vancouver. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the scene: the weatherman complaining about the heat, tourists capturing the moments on their cameras, and the distant sound of trains and moving whales. The contrasting imagery of the heat and the coolness of the whales creates a sense of disconnection and longing.
The song's narrative unfolds with the singer reminiscing about a past relationship. They recall a specific moment when they were together, with the other person riding sleeveless in the car and the singer swaying legless at the bar. The line "You said that we'd be sweethearts when I learned to play guitar" suggests a promise made by the other person, but the singer never fulfilled it, hence their regret.
The song then shifts to the memories of eleven blissful days spent with this person in mid-July. The sky is described as cloudless, symbolizing a period of happiness. The singer follows the other person's small ankles through the large city, but in the chaotic subway crowds, they lose sight of them. This loss of connection echoes the larger theme of losing the love and the subsequent feelings of foolishness and regret.
Line by Line Meaning
How the weatherman complains about the heat
The weatherman constantly grumbles about the high temperatures
A tourist waves a camera on the street
A visitor excitedly captures the scene with their camera
The clumsy thumbs of summer point to Kitsilano Beach
The summer season clumsily directs attention towards Kitsilano Beach
The trains are in the distance, out of reach
Trains can be seen far away, but are inaccessible
And the whales are moving drowsily in fleets
The whales lazily swim in groups
And you were riding sleeveless in the car
You were driving in the car without wearing sleeves
And I was swaying legless at the bar
I was drunkenly swaying at the bar, unable to stand
You said that we'd be sweethearts when I learned to play guitar
You promised that we would become lovers once I became skilled at playing the guitar
But man, I never learned to play guitar
But unfortunately, I never managed to learn how to play the guitar
Oh, now I'm swaying legless at the bar
Now I find myself still drunkenly swaying at the bar
For eleven days, you punished me with bliss
For eleven days, you overwhelmed me with intense happiness
And a sky in mid-July that held no clouds
During mid-July, the sky remained clear with no signs of clouds
So I followed your small ankles through a large metropolis
I trailed behind your slender ankles as we explored a vast city
But I lost them when they reached those subway crowds
However, I lost sight of them when your ankles disappeared among the crowded subway
Oh, like a fool
Oh, I acted foolishly
I lost them when they reached those subway crowds
I lost sight of your ankles when they merged with the busy subway crowds
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Justin Rutledge
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind