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Grammy-winning and BRIT-nominated singer-songwriter RuthAnne Cunningham has quite the repertoire of hits under her belt. The brains behind ‘Too Little, Too Late’ by Jojo, ‘Work B*tch’ by Britney Spears, ‘Slow Hands’ by Niall Horan and many more, RuthAnne’s own solo work includes the viral hit, ‘The Vow’, and her new powerful single, ‘The Way I’m Wired’.
The mastermind behind Irish Women in Harmony (who will be playing support for Alanis Morissette’s Dublin show in June), RuthAnne will soon be adding yet another string to her bow with the release of her book, It’s Not Just A Song.
The book will serve as an essential guide for aspiring songwriters, featuring insights from industry heavyweights and candid discussions on navigating the music business and sustaining a career. Exploring the psychology of the writing room, building relationships, production, what makes a good (or bad) deal, royalties and revenue, and the art of staying inspired, the book will also delve into Ruth’s experience navigating the traditional music industry ‘Boys’ Club’ and provide invaluable tools for female artists to get a step ahead in their early career.
Read on for our interview with RuthAnne…
Even when you look fine on the outside, you can be in the most severe pain and experiencing intense fatigue. Oftentimes people living with this condition are pushing themselves to do simple things like take a shower, go out with friends, put makeup on. They can then be crippled with pain in bed for days after. It’s a full body condition – not just a reproductive one. It’s not just about periods. It affects the whole body, mentally and physically.
The vision was to show the brave, everyday woman who is living with this condition and to also show the body paint. We wanted to start off looking fine to the camera, and then reveal the body paint to illustrate what it feels like. That image went viral in 2020, so it has been five years with little to no progress. We wanted to redo that image, to point out there has been so little progression for women. But we also wanted to use the video to show people that we are not alone – there are so many people out there suffering with chronic illness.
I have been quite open about my mental health struggles and when Electric Ireland asked me if I’d like to be an ambassador for this year’s Darkness Into Light campaign, it was an absolute yes from me. I am very proud to be involved in such an amazing cause. I know how important it is to have someone to talk to when you are going through a hard time, and Pieta provides such an important service — anything I can do to help, I’m happy to use my platform for. It’s so important that everyone registers because each sign-up fee of €22 allows Pieta to provide two potentially lifesaving phone calls, so I’m encouraging everyone to sign up for Darkness Into Light 2025.
Honestly, I feel so lucky that I’ve had so many highlights. Just getting up and getting to do what I do every day is a highlight. Obviously, being nominated for a Grammy was incredible and the success of my song ‘The Vow’ has been amazing but for me, just being able to connect with people through my music is a highlight.
It’s the book I wish I had when I was starting out as a songwriter and a singer. What I realised over 20 years of doing this professionally is that writing the song is one thing, but navigating the music industry is another. There are a lot of artists that don’t understand how it works – from reading a contract, or getting a manager, to the psychology of the writing room… and then navigating all of that as a woman.
I want this book to inspire and empower creatives and help them learn from all the mistakes that I made. They will also get insights from all the biggest songwriters and producers I interview in the book — some of the best in the world. It also includes tips on how to write hit songs for any aspiring artists.
One of my favourite lyrics is from ‘Fix You’ by Coldplay – ‘Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you’. I love conversational lyrics that you feel like you could have said to someone. Especially being an ambassador for Darkness Into Light, this lyric shows that human empathy of trying to fix someone and help someone through. I just love how simple it is but also how visually beautiful it is.
Jeff Buckley but he’s gone, Amy Winehouse but she’s gone… So of the living, John Mayer.
MOIO, Allie Sherlock and Tolü Makay.
I have an album coming and I’ll be releasing a song every six weeks from the album. I am really excited for people to hear it – keep your eyes peeled.
Music is like air to me – I know that sounds cheesy but it’s everything that I love to do. It keeps me sane and it’s my way of expressing myself. It’s how I get out all my creativity and my art. The process of making music is my favourite part, before you start to get opinions and before it belongs to the world. When you are making it, it’s just yours. The process of it is so pure and inspiring for me, and getting that finished piece of art that you’ve made—I don’t even know where it comes from—is always so exciting. You just blink and you have a song. It’s an insane experience when it happens. I live for that feeling of making music in the moment.
Keep up with RuthAnne and follow along with her journey here.