Ruby Roberts isn’t interested in standing still. The alt-pop singer is moving forward with two new singles, off the back of her debut EP Somersault Queens, which saw her quickly gain momentum. From Midsomer Norton, Somerset, there’s a dreamlike, country-tinged edge that threads through the electronic alt-pop she creates. Originating as a bedroom songwriter, she’s since built a sound that feels fluid, instinctive and hard to pin down.
It’s the late-night jam sessions where Roberts finds her footing. Her scattered humming finds its place in the melody, the way random noise turns into lyric. What starts as an attempt to channel the spirit of artists like Prince and Wham! turned a jam session into her new single “Crush”. It’s a track of spontaneity, with a shapeshifting energy that offers a glimpse into her next step as an artist. For many artists, change brings pressure, but for Roberts, it’s the opposite. “It’s always going to keep evolving,” she says with a smile. “I wouldn’t say it’s pressure, it’s kind of fun to move on to the next thing.”
There’s a looseness to it all, nothing feels fixed for long. Speaking over Zoom the day after returning from recording sessions in LA, she carries a brightness and a whimsical excitement. As a new artist breaking onto the alt-pop scene in 2025, Roberts reflected a more sombre side of herself. Tracks were filled with serene, wistful soundscapes and evocative vocals. But that hasn’t stopped her evolving, as seen in her recent run of tracks “Crush” and “I’d Do Anything”. Both separate in style, the latter leaning towards 80s synth inspiration, the former a more classic alt-pop love track.
For Roberts, change is a constant; music is about those moments of fluctuation. “I love freestyling… I’ll just sing whatever comes out.” That fluidity is reflected in the dynamics between her songs. When asked if the alt-pop genre was her genre, she glanced around the room searching for an answer: “When I write songs, I don’t have a specific genre in mind… all of my songs kind of reflect different genres.” Whilst her tracks can be labelled alt-pop, that ambiguity gives her room to move. “Sometimes I come in with something I’ve written on guitar… sometimes it’s a concept.” From there, the track forms, what fits is what stays.
Music starts as a moment according to Roberts – a vibe – but choosing what stays is instinctive. “I listen back to my demos to see what each one makes me feel.” Sometimes it’s a quiet moment by the beach where she can understand why a track works; other times, it’s as simple as “you just get goosebumps in the room.”
Artists like Prince, Queen, Wham! and David Bowie have long created those kinds of moments, and while their influence is present, Roberts is clear she isn’t chasing them. “Music is kind of like an accumulation of everything you’ve ever listened to… subconsciously merging it all together.”
Alongside shaping her own sound, Roberts has found as much of her personality in her artwork. Her earlier tracks’ cover art is filled with drawings that resemble something pulled from a teenager’s diary; they feel intimate and personal. Each carries a bold colour with a sharpie-style feel. The rawness comes from Roberts herself; she originally sent a drawing to her team as a reference for cover art, but they decided the original fit perfectly. Ever since, she has been making her own visuals. Blushing with a sense of pride, she describes how “Some of it looked like it was drawn by a 10-year-old… but that’s the magic of it.” She has taken it to the next step on her latest covers, moving into collage art. The covers are filled with deep reds and gold, images of her as the artwork feels more cohesive with her development as an artist. “I just wanted to still do my own artwork, but elevated.”
As she settles into life as an artist, so too come the pressures of social media. But for her it’s a blessing. “It’s such a good tool for small artists… we’re lucky to be in this era.” She spent years posting guitar covers online before releasing her own music, with TikTok becoming an early space to share her creative vision. She was heavily involved with it from the beginning: “I was posting every day… I just really enjoyed it.” It’s a refreshing take in a landscape where many artists shy away from socials, and a clear window into Ruby’s passion.
Ruby has come a long way from singing covers in her bedroom in Somerset and uploading them to TikTok. Now she is performing at Reading and Leeds Festival later this year; the stage is her new platform. “The first shows I was shaking,” she says plainly. “I was terrified of performing.” But after wrapping up her sold-out UK tour, that fear has shifted: “Now it’s one of my favourite parts.” It’s become about the fun of it, starting with small shows where only a handful of people came. “You can see everyone,” she laughs, before adding: “It’s so fun… connecting with people.”
As Ruby has found her footing on stage, she hopes her music leaves her listeners feeling “comforted”, “hopeful” and most importantly “connected to themselves.” It’s what got her to make music. “I always kind of wrote music as something I enjoyed doing for myself… almost as kind of therapy.” In her latest tracks she has moved herself forward, bringing parts of her old self with her, while stepping into something new and letting it unfold.