About

Ruth Eliza is a clawhammer banjo player and singer-songwriter based in Lancaster, UK. Drawing on her love of old-time Appalachian folk music and contemporary Bluegrass and Americana.

Ruth’s debut album, While The Light Shines, has a strong focus on simple, honest songwriting, producing effective, evocative and timeless results. Subject matter includes reflections on her own life, such as the search for identity growing up in an ex-mining community in the Midlands, being a self-taught musician from a working-class background, as well as some classic songs of love and heartbreak. She joins forces with Matthew Ord, guitarist, singer and fiddle-player (Assembly Lane, Cloth-Eared Mule), to put together the arrangements, plus mandolinist Tom Kimber (Assembly Lane, Pons Aelius), Swedish fiddler Adam Bulow (Bulow’s Kvartett, New Valley String Band) and double bass player Eleanor Wilkie (Midnight Skyracer, Sapphire Storm, Charlotte Carrivick Band).

This fresh Anglo-Folk-Americana sound produced by the band brings a new flavour to the table, with most songs led by clawhammer banjo, in Ruth’s unique style, developed through studying old and contemporary banjo players.

Ruth’s other projects include Blue Lass, a bluegrass/old-time/Americana band, fiddle and banjo duo Jeri Foreman & Ruth Eliza, and old-time group One Night Stringband.

Ruth is also an experienced banjo teacher, having taught group workshops as well as private lessons. See the Banjo Lessons page for more information or email ruthelizamusic@gmail.com