Standing Still, the gorgeous new album from Nashville songbird, Ruby Amanfu, was recorded live in just five days in a remote log cabin near Leiper's Fork, Tennessee. Upon arrival, the furniture was moved out and the six-piece band set up in the cabin's picturesque great room. Producer Mark Howard strategically set up amps around the house in bedrooms, bathrooms, closets and even the basement. Candles were lit and incense burned, and the mood was set for Ruby to sing. "I felt at ease with my feet on those wood floors, gazing out onto the forest outside the windows while I sang," recalls Ruby, "It was simply nature and it was simply music - both in their purest forms. All that was left to do was breathe." The album's songs embody that purity and were recorded live, without bells, whistles or ProTools. Each and every song is a reverent moment.
Standing Still embodies an eclectic mix of songs from both past and present, including a captivating rendition of "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)", which was originally released by Irma Thomas in 1964 and has now been passionately reborn through Ruby's one-of-a-kind voice. Other album tracks include Texas troubadour Jimmie Dale Gilmore's "Where You Going" and Kanye West deep-cut "Streetlights", which leave listeners' awestruck of Ruby's ability to translate and interpret.
The first single, "Shadow On The Wall", was produced by special guest Patrick Carney (The Black Keys) and was mixed by Tom Elmhirst (Adele, U2, Mark Ronson, Arcade Fire, Lana Del Rey, Amy Winehouse, The Black Keys).