Mileage Ruthie Foster

• 1Mileage04:11
• 2Rainbow03:29
• 3Good For My Soul03:31
• 4Heartshine04:49
• 5Slow Down03:15
• 6Six Mile Water05:21
• 7That's All Right02:59
• 8Done02:39
• 9Take It Easy03:15
• 10See You When I See You (Live)01:52
• Total Runtime35:21

Info zu Mileage

As the milestone tenth studio album from folk-blues luminary Ruthie Foster, Mileage finds the singer-songwriter reflecting on a life full of professional triumphs, personal loss, and a musical journey that took a self-described “little Black girl with a guitar” from singing at churches in rural Texas to chalking up multiple Grammy nominations and collaborating with fellow greats such as Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks.

Working alongside acclaimed producer Tyler Bryant (of Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown fame), Foster unveils a collection of songs that was born from heartfelt conversations about her story. When the two native Texans first sat down (joined by Rebecca Lovell, Bryant’s wife and one-half of the duo Larkin Poe) to work on a song together, they were still warming up to each other as songwriters and feeling out the possibility of a full project. As the ideas, lyrics, and melodies began to flow, the album that emerged is one that reverberates with a beautiful creative synergy.

“One of the things I loved most about working with Ruthie was hearing her story,” said Bryant. “Every writing session started with a conversation and my wife Rebecca and I were both continuously inspired by Ruthie’s way of speaking her unique truth in song. I learned quickly to just have the microphones on, ‘cause when Ruthie starts singing, it’s gonna be a moment worth capturing.”

Even when she wasn’t singing, it was often the way Ruthie would speak her truth in conversation that became the inspiration for a song. The trio were kicking around the idea of a traveling song and the topic of Ruthie’s age came up. “I told them, ‘Honey, I got mileage!’ and Tyler’s ears perked up,” Ruthie laughs. “He said, ‘That’s a song!’” And thus the wide-open road, wide-open heart title track was born.

The album’s soulful first single, “Rainbow,” is a hopeful message of simply letting love be love. “People ask me what is love?” sings Foster. “I just point to you. People get so hung up; I just run to you.” It’s a powerful message from a queer Black female artist speaking to her journey through love and life.

The opening notes and backing choir (the vocals all performed by Foster) of the inspiring “Good For My Soul” hearken to the singer’s gospel roots. It was a song that Bryant had been working on for his band, but it wasn’t the right fit. When he played it for Foster, it was immediately clear that it was her song. (As a thank you, she offered up her voice for “Happy Gets Made” on Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown’s Electrified album.)

Some songs, like “Heartshine,” emerged around a word or a phrase that stood out during the writing sessions. One of the first songs the trio put together, the track made the group realize they were all working towards the same goal: create something that gives you goosebumps when you hear it. “That’s when we really settled into how we were going to write together,” said Foster. “Taking the conversation, turning it into poetry, and just letting me run with it, melodically.”

“Slow Down” might be an unusual title for a song with such an incredibly upbeat tempo, but illustrates its lesson by showing Foster's vocal mastery at its best — calm, commanding, and soothing the audience in the midst of the hustle-bustle. “That one was fun to sing!” remembers Foster. “It was like riding a bronco, trying to sing it.”

“I’d started on the idea of this track,” said Bryant of “Six Mile Water.” “Then Ruthie just started talking about the place she was from…” With its Hammond B3 organ and horn section, the resulting song is a resonant journey back to rural Texas — with memories of fishing, picking muscadines, and Foster musing on the meaning of “learning to be my mother’s daughter again.”

Foster’s laid-back take on “That’s Alright” is a salute to the legendary Sun Records, the label on which Mileage is released. But while Elvis put the song on the mainstream map, Foster wishes to pay homage to Arthur Crudup, the Black blues artist who wrote and first recorded it in 1946.

A holy marriage of gospel and blues, “Done” brings together Foster with Lovell in what was intended as an end-of-day session to quickly make note of a song idea before they forgot it. “I’m just gonna get in where I fit in,” Ruthie had declared in an earlier discussion about the group writing together. Her play on words, along with her memories of her grandmother begging her to hush, inspired the lyrics to the song. Singing into a single mic, the pair played off of each other in what ended up being a single-take recording session, with Megan Lovell coming in afterwards to add the lap steel guitar that would complete the track.

The playful, get-you-through-the-hard-times vibe of “Take It Easy” came together during the first writing session of what transformed into the Mileage album. “When Ruthie first came to Nashville, we said ‘Let’s try writing a song and see if collaborating is something we want to do,’” Bryant says. “We wrote this and ‘Heartshine’ on the first day. It really worked; it all just poured right out.”

A gentle, bittersweet closing track featuring Foster behind the keys of the Wurlitzer, “See You When I See You” speaks to love, friendship, and to parting ways — whether for a day or forever. On this song, as with the entire album, “Ruthie’s voice was the star of the show,” said Bryant. “I really tried to stay out of the way of that with the production.”

Mileage marks a profound collaboration with Sun Records, intertwining Foster's narrative with the legendary label's rich tapestry of musical history and inviting listeners to embark on a soul-stirring voyage through the heartland of American music. Foster's partnership with Sun signifies a union of past influences and future aspirations, echoing the label's commitment to fostering unique voices and timeless artistry.

With nods to musical legends and heartfelt tributes to her roots, Mileage is more than just an album—it's an invitation to take part in a conversation about memories, emotions, and shared humanity. It’s a reminder that every journey, no matter how far, eventually takes us home.

Ruthie Foster

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Ruthie Foster
was born in the small rural town of Gause, TX. Raised in a family of gospel singers, Ruthie first learned to sing during worship services at her community church. With a chapel-bred bravado trained on the works of powerful women such as Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin, her sound grew into an inspired blend of blues, folk and gospel.

Seeking to define her own path, Ruthie left her hometown to serve in the Navy. She discovered her love for performing while singing pop and funk tunes as the frontwoman of Pride, a band that performed at Navy recruitment drives nationwide. Ruthie’s time with Pride provided a window into varying American cultures coast to coast, and after her service she moved to New York City to pursue a career as a professional musician.

After diving into the city’s vibrant music scene, she became a staple in the folk community and was soon picked offered a development deal by Atlantic Records. Atlantic envisioned Ruthie as a pop artist, but Ruthie was focused on taking a step back to further explore roots music. She turned her back on the major label record deal and returned to her home state to spend more time with family and the music that shaped her.

Ruthie moved back to Texas and settled in Austin. Her debut, Full Circle, was released in 1997 and was followed by Crossover in 1999. The two albums secured Ruthie as an up-and-coming singer/songwriter in the Austin scene and caught the attention of Texas independent label Blue Corn Music.

Since then, Ruthie has stuck with Blue Corn to release seven albums over the past twelve years. Ruthie’s studio album releases on Blue Corn Music include Runaway Soul in 2002, The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster in 2007, The Truth According to Ruthie Foster in 2009, Let It Burn in 2012 and Promise of a Brand New Day in 2014. The latter three were all nominated for Grammy Awards in the category of Best Blues Album. She has also released two live albums, Stages in 2004 and Live At Antone’s, a CD and DVD release, in 2011.

Ruthie’s career also reaches beyond her own releases and performances. She has collaborated on stage with artists ranging from Bonnie Raitt to The Allman Brothers to Susan Tedeschi, and has recorded tracks with Warren Haynes, Big Head Todd, and The Blind Boys of Alabama, among others. Ruthie has also recently been featured both as an actress, with a guest appearance on NBC’s television series Revolution, and as a classical vocalist, with Austin’s prestigious vocal ensemble Conspirare.

To date, Ruthie’s artistry and creative output have both been lauded with accolades on regional and national platforms. Outside of her 2010, 2012 and 2014 Grammy nominations, Ruthie has been recognized by organizations such as the Austin Music Awards (2007, 2008 and 2013 Best Female Vocalist), Blues Music Awards (2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013), Living Blues Awards (2010 Critics’ Poll Winner and 2011 nominee for Blues Female Artist of the Year).

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