Ruth Theodore - I Am I Am (Album)

• VINYL 12" standard weight Royal Blue 140g coloured vinyl with full colour label art. Presented inside a full colour ‘Murmuration’ sleeve on 300gsm white board, with 3mm spine, and a classic gloss finish. The coloured vinyl is protected in a classic white paper inner bag along with a full colour 12" double sided insert on 150gsm gloss art paper and the full product is individually wrapped in recycled shrinkwrap

• CD Full colour high quality compact disc presented inside a 4 panel ‘Murmuration’ digipak with full artwork on each panel complete with a classic gloss finish and each individually protected in a recycled shrinkwrap.

British alt-folk artist Ruth Theodore announces her signing to Righteous Babe Records and her album I Am I Am, which is out now.

The playful defiance in Theodore’s early albums caught the ear of acclaimed American folksinger Ani DiFranco, which led to invitations for Ruth to appear as special guest for Ani on multiple London shows. After receiving a preview on the tour bus, it was immediately clear that DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records would be the perfect home for Theodore's next joyfully rebellious album release.

"The last time I played the London Palladium, Ruth was on the bill with me. I watched from the wings and was inspired by her authenticity, her connection with my audience, and her free artistic spirit. That night I saw her as a true Righteous Babe. Last fall, when she reached out with her new album, it seemed the perfect time to reunite and help introduce her to North America.” — Ani DiFranco

I Am I Am will be Theodore’s second outing with the Tony and Grammy Award winning Todd Sickafoose, following Ruth’s popular 2016 album Cactacus. Mathias Kunzli, also returns on drums and percussion for I Am I Am, this time bringing his deft touch as third co-producer.

The release of Cactacus saw Theodore break into more commercial territory, earning rave reviews in mainstream media and music press, ranking #1 in Roots album of the month, and gaining national airplay on multiple UK radio stations. However, on returning from an EU tour in 2019 Theodore was diagnosed with breast cancer and soon underwent successful chemotherapy treatment that spanned the worst of the pandemic, and beyond. In her hands, this time of healing was an opportunity to channel her energy into what she loves, creating music every day, and the result is a trove of new material.

With I Am I Am, Theodore will reclaim the momentum of Cactacus to deliver a striking moment of personal celebration. A response to this period of reflection that saw her staring down mortality, and ultimately come out the other side having unearthed pain and beauty that delivered an unshakeable new perspective on the precious ‘now’. In her own words, “everything is amazing”.

“Hold on Me” is a ‘sibling song’ to Theodore’s 2023 single “Thompson”, which also tackled the theme of intimate disconnect. With today’s release, both singles are packaged on digital streaming sites with the previously-released reflection on vengeance and clarity that was “Full Metal Jacket” and the cross section of the current British socio-political landscape that was “People People”. Together these four songs offer new audiences a vista that overlooks the breadth of I Am I Am; from playful lust, to illustrations of societal injustice, from warm humor to intimate explorations of loving and being loved.