Pop singer-songwriter Mike Ruby values love that stands the test of time on his song “unconditional”
Mike Ruby is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Toronto with a story that’s far from ordinary. Mike moved to New York at 19 to pursue a career in jazz as a sax player, receiving a full scholarship at the Manhattan School of Music. That education and exposure gave him a unique sense of musicianship that shines through his melodic writing to this day. After signing a record deal with a subsidiary of Universal Music, he began playing with Brooklyn-based synth-pop band St. Lucia, which opened his ears to a realm of synth and dance-like possibilities. He picked up a guitar soon thereafter and started writing hundreds of songs as a singer-songwriter.
Mike’s second release, “unconditional,” is from his second EP a million you’s which will be released in the fall. It’s a blunt no holds barred love song that is as literal as ever. The chorus creates a snapshot for the song, “No matter what I done it’s unconditional,” referencing anyone with a busy schedule and a partner that stands by them, unconditionally.
The lyrics dive deeper and deeper as the music continues to intensify with the drums, layers of the synths, and Mike’s soaring vocal harmonies. All the layers symbolize the tough situations that arise in relationships, but in the end, it all comes back down to where it started, a simplistic piano line, mirrored by a simplistic idea. Enjoy the dive with your ride or die.
Listen to “unconditional” below and learn more about Mike via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hey Canadian Beats readers! My name is Mike Ruby. For those of you who don’t know me or my music, I am a singer-songwriter born and raised in Toronto. I fell in love with music from a young age and studied jazz performance at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. After receiving my undergraduate and master’s degrees I started playing shows across Europe, the US, and Canada as a musician/sideman, most notably with the synth-pop band St. Lucia. After seeing the world through their lens, I started writing songs on my own, and in 2019 decided to release my first song and EP as a solo artist. After a brief “covid” hiatus, I’m excited to be releasing music once more. My new EP comes out this fall, and my second single from it was released recently entitled “Unconditional”. I hope you are able to give it a listen and enjoy the music, and thank you for reading Canadian Beats!
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
My most recent single is called Unconditional, and yes, it’s a love song, surprise surprise 🙂 The chorus creates a snapshot for the song, “No matter what I done it’s unconditional”, referencing anyone with a busy schedule and a partner that stands by them at all costs. The lyrics dive deeper as the music intensifies with drums, layers of synths, and soaring vocal harmonies. All the layers symbolize challenging situations that arise in relationships, but in the end, it all comes back down to where it began, a simplistic piano line, mirrored by a simplistic idea. The original attraction. Enjoy the dive with your ride or die.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
It comes from many sources, but past relationships are a big one. The music I listen to is another, which tends to be a hodge podge of incredible lyricists. I have a notebook I write in, and I even take it to bed with me so if I wake up thinking of either a line, song concept, or melody, I can write it down when I wake up … and then fall back asleep 🙂 It’s amazing how the subconscious picks up on our emotions, and I try to use that to my advantage when writing.
Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?
At this point, I am in the studio phase of writing more, and mid-releasing these singles, so not quite yet. I’ll keep you posted when I do!
What’s your goal for 2023?
My goal is quite simple this year, and that is to build a bigger fan base. I do have a specific number in mind, but I would rather make true fans who resonate with my music as opposed to many who aren’t as invested in the project as a whole. It’s the true fans that are most purposeful, and these connections keep me going.