Folk-soul singer-songwriter and classically trained guitarist Ruby Alexander looks back at the remains of a relationship on ‘Undertow’, the latest taste of her forthcoming EP. Written gradually over several years and across London, Morocco and Berlin, the song began life as a classical guitar piece before evolving into a reflection on love, loss and the questions that linger after a final goodbye.
That classical foundation remains at its heart. Alexander’s intricate finger-picked acoustic guitar provides a free-flowing rhythm, carrying a gentle melancholy reminiscent of Nick Drake. A subtle double bass adds depth beneath the surface, while delicate vocal harmonies expand an otherwise beautifully sparse arrangement. Alexander’s soft, soulful vocal is just as captivating as her playing, giving the song its folk-soul character without disturbing its intimate, live-in-the-room quality.
“Amongst the beauty and the good always seems to be a sharp edge of darkness – the ‘undertow’ that we fight against,” Alexander explains. That pull can be felt within the music itself: graceful and peaceful on the surface, but with something heavier quietly moving underneath. Rather than dramatise the aftermath of a relationship, ‘Undertow’ allows its memories to drift back naturally, finding beauty in the things that remain unresolved.
