Ruti – I’LL BE YOUR FRIEND

Ruti is a London-via-Essex singer-songwriter, born to a Nigerian father and English mother, who grew up listening to gospel, disco, and Fela Kuti. They first gained attention with the 2024 EP Lungs (later remixed by drum and bass producer Calibre), followed by Maybe I Got It Wrong in 2025, written across London, LA, and Stockholm with collaborators including Tom McFarland (Jungle) and PomPom (Suki Waterhouse, Noah Kahan). “I’ll Be Your Friend” is the first single of a new chapter, out now on Big Family Music.

Written and produced with Theo Hutchcraft (HURTS) and Will Bloomfield (Fred Again, Bastille, Alfie Templeman), it’s a clear shift from the stripped-back piano confessionals that defined earlier work. Guitar strums open it up, claps come in, and Ruti’s reverb-heavy vocals follow. There’s a subtle post-punk pulse running underneath, steady enough to anchor the anthemic push without tipping into stadium rock. The production is lighter than the ambition, which works in its favor.

What catches me is how much the vocal carries. Ruti describes Maybe I Got It Wrong as “the most me I’ve felt”, and this single sounds like a continuation of that confidence rather than a reinvention. References include Florence and the Machine, Gigi Perez, and Adrienne Lenker, which maps the range: big feeling, folk intimacy, and something a little left of center. Last year Ruti supported Bastille at their Birmingham stadium show, played BST Festival, and supported Amber Mark at the ICA. Worth watching closely.

“I’ll Be Your Friend” is out now on Big Family Music.