Ruffdog Elliott is not your normal run of the mill singer/songwriter, he’s been round the block a few times having experienced life from both ends of the positive and negative spectrums. He has performed across the country in venues from pubs, festivals and football grounds to the world-famous Troubadour in London. He takes his influences from proper singer/songwriters such as Billy Bragg, Frank Turner and Bob Dylan; but with an affiliation with the Punk movement that coloured his early years.
After the release of his album “Letters in the Rain” he returns with a new single “Straight n’ Narrow” that collaborates with Matt Black on piano, along with Norny Byrne on backing vocals. He has returned to Echotown Studio in Dorchester with help on production from Nick Capaldi, with engineering and mastering completed by Gareth Matthews.
The track like all the best troubadours starts off with six-string acoustic in hand, with Ruffdog reminiscing about the forgotten ways of nights in London. The song takes you on a journey through a first hand experience of a typical night in the city, embracing the highs and the lows with a hint of nostalgia throughout the insightful lyrics. They tell the searing truth of the wrongs in society and tell a story that is as honest as it is true, that often features a humorous lilt.
There a message running through the tune that “life’s never straight forward” and that there is always going to be challenges and curveballs in life for us to deal with. Matt Black’s melodic piano and Norny Byrne’s harmonies bolster Rufdog’s sometimes gruff and forthright vocals, which create the real atmosphere of the track. The cockney twang is also a great addition in the recreating of these treasured recollections of days gone by. We all need a little bit of Ruffdog Elliott in our lives, he can teach us a thing or two about how to live a “Straight n’ Narrow” life.
Links
https://www.facebook.com/RuffdogElliott
https://www.grinningdogrecords.com
Article by David Chinery (Chinners).
