All My Shades Of Blue

Language available : english

Faced with the darkness of their working-class hometown of Scunthorpe in England, brothers Rupert and Henry Stansall seem to have come straight out of another era. Introduced by their father to the Rolling Stones’ rock and the Everly Brothers’ country, they gave their first concerts in the family kitchen. A childhood that clearly shaped their musical ears and led to the formation of the Ruen Brothers, a name that uses the first syllables of both their first names. Growing dissatisfied with their public of drunkards in local pubs, the brothers decided to move to London after the success of their first track Aces that propelled them as the newest BBC sensation. Multi-instrumentalists and composers, they combine traditional influences with a new look that caught the attention of legendary producer Rick Rubin. The man took the matter into his own hands to reveal to the world the talent of these artists with their first album All My Shade of Blue. With Henry on the acoustic guitar and his brother on electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica and bass, he knew very well that rock’n’roll would erupt. The first track on the album, Walk Like a Man, is subtly introduced by these wild-dog cries, quickly replaced by the boisterous rhythm of an acoustic guitar. The duo undeniably radiates boundless energy. But the Ruen Brothers are equally skilled when it comes to intense ballads like All My Shade of Blue or covers of Hank Cochran’s sublime Make The World Go Away. There are no contrivances in their compositions, except for the fire added by their producer. The album features big names such as Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers on drums, Dave Keuning from The Killers on strings and Ian McLagan from the Small Faces on keyboards. A fantastic opportunity for the two young men to work on a first album with highly seasoned musicians. As talented songwriters, they are able to convey in their songs the sadness, the hatred and the energy generated by bad lot in a title like Vendetta, as well as their boundless ambition in An Evening Dreaming. A first album that travels through the Stones’ England and along Route 66 up to Texan bars. Rick Rubin had already pinned down the project’s angle by wondering how an album combining Roy Orbison with the Everly Brothers, produced by Spector, would sound. And the answer is: All My Shades of Blue. © Clara Bismuth/Qobuz