Anglo-American duo Rue Royale bring their acoustic folk-pop to Cambridge on January 26th having toured all over Europe. Patrick Widdess met the couple behind the music.

Brookln and Ruth Dekker greet me from their Nottingham home via Skype. There are keyboards in the background, a string instrument on the wall and the couple are more than ready to talk about the music that has taken over their lives. ‘We met in 1999.’ Brookln recalls. ‘We became a couple, got married and were together for a few years before we started making music.’ It wasn’t till 2006 that they wrote their first song. ‘We didn’t want to be a cheesy husband and wife duo’ Ruth explains. Their music is more commonly described as hypnotic folk indie with a repetitive nature like you’d find in electronic music. Their influences include Fleetwood Mac, Elbow, Air and Americana folk.
    They started in Chicago and built up a following through relentless touring. Four years ago they moved to the UK and since the release of their album ‘Guide To An Escape’ in 2011 they have been touring Europe almost non-stop. They have played 613 concerts in fifteen countries to date.
    ‘Guide To An Escape’ was recorded at their home. ‘It was our dream to make a record by ourselves,’ Brookln says but it wasn’t without difficulties. ‘Not being sound engineers we had a lot to learn. We’d spend half the day reading manuals and experimenting but it was fun.’
    The couple manage every part of their business themselves from recording, promotion and booking gigs. Ruth even hand knits their merchandise and they have hand sewn 9000 CD covers between them. It’s hard work, but rewarding. ‘We’ve been able to interact with people who like our music in a very direct way,’ says Ruth. ‘When people come up to us at shows we know them by name.’
    The duo are ready to record their next album and plan to fund it through online fundraising platform Kickstarter. ‘The album should be out in the autumn and then we start touring again.’ Brookln says. ‘We’ve got a few tours early in the year but hopefully it’ll pick up again and we’ll tour like crazy! That’s what we do.’

Rue Royale play Shindig at St. Philips on Mill Road on January 26th with Subzar, Retrospective Soundtrack Players and spoken word from Fay Roberts, J.S. Watts, and Emily Scialom. The concert starts at 8pm and tickets are £6 advance / £8 on the door.

More info here. Rue Royale website: rueroyalemusic.com