Ruthven aka Sean Nelson has always had a certain fervour associated with him. The South London musician first broke onto the scene in 2017 as one of the first signees to Paul Institute, the label created by enigmatic brothers A.K and Jai Paul. With a distinct mode of expression underpinned by infectious playful hooks, he quickly caught the attention of critics - Pitchfork called him “an antidote to lazy, laid-back pop music” adding that “Hypothalamus” packs “as much punch as they do dulcet melody”, while The Fader said he “creates Prince-like jams with the contours and sleekness of sports cars.” 

Having gently unravelled his unique blend of classic R&B-influenced soulful maximalism with careful consideration, Ruthven has found himself supporting and touring with Sampha (including a performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk and Later…with Jools Holland). His recent work with Sampha and Little Simz on “Satellite Business 2.0” sits neatly alongside his collaboration with electronic music sensations Overmono, who sampled “Hypothalamus” on the new single “Gem Lingo (ovr now)”. 

Now, with his debut album Rough & Ready, Ruthven further enters the rarified air of these artists. Out 25 October via Paul Institute / XL Recordings, the album’s title is a play on words on how Ruthven is pronounced - “Rough’n” - while introducing listeners to his intimate world. Across the 12-track project, he leans into classic songwriting while maintaining lush instrumentation to create a portal that traverses decades. "It’s jazz-influenced, but it also takes from so many genres,” he says, “even Yacht Rock artists like Michael McDonald and Steely Dan, deeply influenced me." The result is an album that blends all the sharp angles of early Prince b-sides like “17 Days” with the smokiness of  Voodoo-era D’Angelo’s  “Africa”.