Ruth Theodore

Ruth Theodore

Ruth Theodore is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist based in London. Originally from a rural area near Winchester, she starts out on violin before teaching herself guitar while busking on the south coast of England. She later moves to London, via Edinburgh, and settles on the post-industrial waterways of the city’s east side.

Solo work

Theodore releases her debut album, Worm Food, in 2007. White Holes Of Mole Hills follows in 2010 and attracts attention in the UK national press, including coverage in The Guardian and The Observer, as well as airplay on BBC Radio 3’s The Late Junction and BBC 6music. Her third album, Dear Lamp Love Moth, is recorded while she is recovering from emergency open surgery and is issued through River Rat Records. In 2016 she releases Cactacus.

Band projects and collaborations

She founds the band Victor Menace and performs with it on violin. The group is described as a collaborative high-speed musical sextet, and it tours the UK festival circuit, headlining the world music stage at Bestival for two years running. Theodore also opens for Ani DiFranco at London’s Union Chapel.

Record label and live work

In 2007, Theodore and multi-instrumentalist, engineer and producer James Hurst form River Rat Records. Hurst is also associated with Lola Colt and Victor Menace. Theodore performs at festivals including Larmer Tree, Moseley and Glastonbury.