"I like for my music to be that reminder for people to just be kinder to each other, really. Especially with this album that I just put out “Healing Time” it’s really what it is, it’s just a reminder to be kind, be good to yourself, be gentle with yourself first and I think people learn by watching how other people live."

Ruthie Foster: The Healing Time of Blues

Ruthie Foster’s ninth studio album “Healing Time” (2023) represents a new high water mark for the veteran blues artist—a collection of songs possessing pure power, like a tidal wave of musical generosity. Healing Time finds Foster pushing her boundaries as a singer and songwriter more than ever before, creating a truly live-sounding atmosphere with the help of her band, who sound refreshingly loose and lived-in throughout these 12 songs. We’ve all been in need of some healing in recent times, and Foster’s latest provides a guide for how to move through the world with equal parts compassion and resolve. Healing Time is the latest jewel in Foster’s accomplished career, which includes multiple Grammy nominations and collaborations with fellow luminaries like Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. For her latest, Foster contributed more to the writing process than she had on any of her previous albums, effectively refining her own songcraft in the process.                     (Ruthie Foster / Photo © by Jody Domingue)

Work on the album began in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as Foster enlisted previous collaborators like Gary Nicholson and Grace Pettis to pitch in during the writing process—as well as every member of her band. Veteran producer Mark Howard (Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams) came in to bring new ideas to Foster’s table as recording began at Studio 71 West in Austin, TX, New Orleans’ famed Esplanade Studios, and Blue Rock Studio in Wimberley, TX. Producer Dan Barrett, who also worked with Foster on 2017’s Joy Comes Back, then took the helm at Black Pumas co-bandleader Adrian Quesada’s famed Electric Deluxe studio in Austin. Along with several Black Pumas members, Barrett brought in a collection of Austin’s finest backing musicians, like Glenn Fukunaga (The Chicks, Shawn Colvin). Healing Time is ultimately a work that explores such extremes as being human often brings to the surface, reminding listeners that even when we feel like we’re at the top, we’re ultimately still finding our way—a beautiful reflection of the essence of living itself.

Interview by Michael Limnios / Katerina Lefkidou (transcription) 

Special Thanks: Ruthie Foster & Bryan Ros (Missing Piece Group)

Ruthie: I think mostly because we started recording during the lockdown, during the pandemic and I felt very close to a lot of the musicians who would actually die because of this, we had lost John Prine, so many really key musicians in the music world and I felt a healing was something that I needed. The album kind of started with that in mind and I called my bandmates, to help me write for this album and one of them did actually came up with the title “Healing Time’ and we finished that song and we just sort of decided to call the album that.    

Is the blues a “Healer” as John Lee Hooker said?

Ruthie: The blues is about healing, and I think that’s really what the album is, every title of it is really so close to each and every one of us in the band.

New music, new songs, new lyrics, what characterizes your music philosophy, where does your lyrics and creative drive come from?

Ruthie: My lyrics and the idea for my lyrics actually come from my own life, living my life as a musician and then coming home and being in my family and putting on another hat when I’m coming home, and then putting on another hat when it comes to running my band, being a band leader and I just think it’s really about that, being a daughter to my dad, it’s just about life. Again, it really comes back to what the blues is about. The blues, it’s a witness to your life and song.

"The most important lessons I’ve learned from my experience in music and as a working musician is to always give myself time. Even if I have to get up early, I get up and give myself, I give myself yoga, I move my body, I give myself nourishment, I drink water, I make breakfast, I may have no breakfast, I may just have an espresso." (Ruthie Foster / Photo © by Daniel Nguyen)

What are the lines that connect the legacy that connect black American music from the blues to gospel, folk, jazz and beyond?

Ruthie: I think there’s a huge connection between gospel and blues and soul music even, especially folk music, because folk music to me is all of those elements put into one genre. In fact, I still perform at a lot of folk festivals, I basically do the same music that I do at a blues festival, even a soul festival and having lived the black American experience, it’s huge, each one of these particular genres I’ve been exposed to. I’ve managed to interlink them all and I think I’m able to get away with this because I have background in gospel and I started out as a gospel singer. I have a background in folk music. I love just playing guitar and I have a background in blues music because very early on, learning how to play guitar, was listening to blues music. So, I try to mix those elements in all of my shows and it’s obviously in all of my music so hopefully that goes well.

What does it mean to be a female artist in a man’s, man’s world? What is the status of women in music?

Ruthie: I’d think with me being a female in this genre of music is important. And it’s really important for other women and other young musicians, hopeful wannabe singers, to see more women, in particular black women in this genre. I’ve mentored several young singers over the years, in fact I have a mentorship going on right now with one who’s a guitar player, she’s a great song writer. And I really wanna see more of that out here. And you know what? There are a lot of us who are out here.  And working on a daily basis. And I like to call them my friend. From Shemekia Copeland to Bettye LaVette, these are all friends of mine who I love and I respect. And we cover the range of ages and backgrounds when it come to the blues, and gospel and soul. And we all support each other. I think because in a so-called man’s world we have an advantage to bring a different background, a different voice., different aspect to the blues. That’s really important and should be heard.

"The blues is about healing, and I think that’s really what the album is, every title of it is really so close to each and every one of us in the band."

(Ruthie Foster / Photo © by Jody Domingue)

You were born and grew up in Texas; from Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lightnin' Hopkins, to Juke Boy Bonner, Janis, Winter, SRV, and many others… Why do you think that Texas Blues music scene, continues to develop such a devoted following?

Ruthie: I think with Texas we really are exposed to different types of music. I think Texas blues to me comes from something deeper and especially in rural areas where you have Blind Lemon Jefferson, these guys were, a lot of these guys in a lot of aspects were preachers. They were singing gospel music and you hear that influence, in not only what they sing, they are great singers, but they are also great guitar players and I think there is something that’s real special in the Texas blues guitar players, Texas blues singers, Texas artists. We’re just exposed to so many different types of music from being so close in proximity to Mexico, we have conjunto, we have Tex-Mex, even the music out of West Texas is different, the blues out of West Texas is different from East Texas. I can’t explain it, maybe there’s a huge gospel influence, we had many people passing through Texas, who never left, coming from the East Coast or the West Coast, they just stayed here.

From the Navy to the musical industry. What is most difficult to you, to be in the Navy or in the music business?

Ruthie: (laughing) Music business for sure, when I was just talking to my friend here, how I used to run my own business myself and how difficult that was, and I had to get help when it came to dealing with the business side of it. Just so that I could be free to make music, make more music, to be able to write. And even now, with my fifth Grammy nomination, I’m finding I have to do more, I have to be more places, it’s like success brings so much more work, but I’m joyful, I’m very grateful to have it. It is challenging on some days yeah, but I’m very lucky that I have great help. I have a great team.

What is happiness for Ruthie, what do you think is key to a life well-lived?

Ruthie: I think to a life well-lived is to know when to stop and just be grateful. It really is about being grateful for every day. I just lost a very close friend of mine, a guitar player. He started out with me, and he was like my big brother. To the end that’s who he was, he was just grateful to be anywhere that there was music happening, anywhere where he could teach more about the guitar, cause he taught me all these things. So, I think he was on his way to my show, when he died. That to me is very fresh on my mind and on my heart. Just, I think that speaks to the question that you’re asking. I think it’s really just being grateful.                         (Ruthie Foster / Photo © by Jody Domingue)

"I think there’s a huge connection between gospel and blues and soul music even, especially folk music, because folk music to me is all of those elements put into one genre. In fact, I still perform at a lot of folk festivals, I basically do the same music that I do at a blues festival, even a soul festival and having lived the black American experience, it’s huge, each one of these particular genres I’ve been exposed to."

What is the balance in music between technical skills and soul emotions?

Ruthie: What’s the balance...Everyday it changes. Like today is a very laid-back day for me, you know I have this interview with you and then just kind of play and just kind of pick the guitar and play today. And I think it’s really important to mix that, work and play. And then I’m gonna go pick up my daughter from school and if she wants to play videos, I’ll do that. I think it’s about putting, as they say in gospel music, you lay your burden down once in a while and just have fun. And that is the balance, that’s the true balance between work and play.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past, and what are your hopes and fears for the future of music?

Ruthie: That’s a big one. My hopes and fears for the future of today versus what is used to be, I really would like to see more song writers being real about what their struggles are and even their triumphs. What rewards they’ve gotten from music as they’ve learned. I feel there are a lot of song writers who, they don’t write anymore, it’s about a riff. And that’s fine, I write song all the time that start with just a guitar riff, but I think it’s important to speak and have spoken, say something. It’s about not just living your life, we all have a story and I think it’s important that we tell our story, through music. Because a lot of people who wouldn’t' even listen to someone speak, but they will listen to music. And that’s where they can get your story. And I think it’s really important for musicians to really at least have that one song that you go back to and that is the grounding song for you.

Too many experiences in your life, too many experiences in music, what are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience?

Ruthie: The most important lessons I’ve learned from my experience in music and as a working musician is to always give myself time. Even if I have to get up early, I get up and give myself, I give myself yoga, I move my body, I give myself nourishment, I drink water, I make breakfast, I may have no breakfast, I may just have an espresso. Even when I’m on the road, that’s the same thing, I try to be good to myself first. Because I’ve done the opposite, where I did not take care of myself and I’ll be almost turning 60, I’ll be 60 next February and realizing things are really good, because I’ve been trying to be good to myself over the last 30 years at least of my life, first 30, eh (laughing), not so good to myself.

What is the impact of your music - and music in general - on the sociocultural implications: Human rights, civil rights, spiritual, and political? How do you want the music to affect people?                             (Ruthie Foster / Photo © by Daniel Nguyen)

Ruthie: I like for my music to be that reminder for people to just be kinder to each other, really. Especially with this album that I just put out “Healing Time” it’s really what it is, it’s just a reminder to be kind, be good to yourself, be gentle with yourself first and I think people learn by watching how other people live. I had that growing up with my grandmother, I watched how she lived and that was my education on how to treat people socially. Political I don’t get into. My partner should tell you that, I don’t get into political antics, because I think a lot of that, it’s just people showing off, honestly. In a lot of cases, it is showing who you truly are, but for the most part I think with what I’m trying to get across with my music, it’s just to remind people to be kinder. And stay true to yourself, your own story, because people are watching you, people are listening.

You have met so many great musicians and personalities: Willie Nelson, Allman Brothers, William Bell, The Blind Boys of Alabama and many others. Which meetings have been the most important experience for you and what was the best the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Ruthie: All of those experiences with those artists were huge for me, because they were all different. The Blind Boys of Alabama took me back to how I grew up in the church and I basically when I get a chance to perform anywhere with them it takes me back, and I feel very comfortable in that world, because I grew up in that world and gospel music and with William Bell same thing, I grew up with soul music, so he and I got along really really well. Another soul was Warren Haynes, what I love about hanging out with Warren is he’s very much a good dad and I love watching him with this family and he works hard, his work ethic. I really connect with that. Gosh, there are other really great experiences for me... The best advice, you know, I’ll have to say the best advice I repeat over the years working with different artists, would be from Bo Diddley. He was like this fatherly figure to me, I was on tour with him for two months and he wanted to talk to me just about every night about my music. And the biggest advice he gave me was to always own my own music, because that is my social security, that is what’s gonna keep me in a warm house, that’s gonna keep my car running, that’s gonna get my kids in school. That was a big one for him, he always said “Always own your own music”.

John Coltrane once said, “my music is the spiritual expression of what I am”. How do you understand the spirit, the music and the meaning of life?

Ruthie: That’s beautiful, I wish I’d said that (laughing). Wow, I think I’ll have to concur, I will have to agree, my music is truly who I am as said. I wouldn’t record it and put it put there if I didn’t, one of the things I say to myself, this was about a year ago, every year, I try to write a mission statement for myself, you know? That I wanna have a new album, I want to put out... And one of the things I remember putting on my list was never again recording music I don’t believe in. Never again. Because I have done that, and I’ve done pretty good about sticking to that. I don’t record, put out music of my own, my own album, unless I feel that it speaks the truth, and it speaks my truth.

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(Ruthie Foster / Photo © by Jody Domingue)