There’s a point in every music journalist’s journey where the music landscape starts to blur together. After immersing yourself in genres too obscure for their own good, and spinning through the catalogues of countless artists, and soaking in five albums before breakfast you begin to grow fussier than the average listener. It’s not that you’re over it, just that you’ve heard it all—or almost. And that’s when the chase begins. You're searching for that elusive spark, something to make you sit up and pay attention. The last artist who made me do just that, headphones on and eyes wide, was Ruby Bell. Interviewing her at this stage feels like capturing lightning in a bottle, watching something significant just before it ignites.
It shouldn’t surprise you that Claire Montgomery, a.k.a. Ruby Bell, grew up in a music-obsessed household. She and her sister would whip up theme songs for their games, a playful prelude to her career as a musician. When she was just ten, her mom drove her from Connecticut to California to see Tears for Fears—a band she still reveres. Talking about them lights her up, and during our interview, she eagerly credits her inspirations, favorites, and creative circles, never taking them for granted. Her level-headedness is palpable; she isn’t the kind of artist who thinks she’ll conquer the world overnight. She knows, of course, that she’ll get there, a sentiment echoed in her song We Were at the Club, where she sings, “If you sit and watch me then you'll start to get the hype / It's not really something you'll ever describe.” Yet, whenever she makes a self-affirming statement, it’s always paired with an acknowledgment of the broader ecosystem of influences, and support. “I don’t see the music landscape as a competition because if I did, I’d fail immediately,” she explains. “There are so many talented people who can play every instrument under the sun. I draw a lot of inspiration from them, especially other pop stars, particularly women my age. I always think, ‘This is awesome that this is happening for them.’”
She mentions at one point in our interview that collaborating with different people is "her favorite thing ever." To Ruby Bell, music is best when shared, a belief that pulses through her debut EP, Greatest Hits, which feels like a dancefloor anthem just waiting to spark a party. What sets this project apart is the revival of joy in the act of making music. The lyrics strike with directness and honesty, cutting through any fluff to get right to the heart of the matter. When she’s heartbroken, you feel it as if it’s your own heartbreak; when she’s bored at a party and itching to leave, you’re ready to make your exit too. Each song becomes a shared experience between her and those who listen.
The EP draws heavily from the influences of PC Music, both sonically and thematically—a movement that has fundamentally shaped Ruby's approach to musicianship. 'The moment I realized I didn’t have to be a classically trained singer, my life changed,' she admits, reflecting on how that revelation unlocked her creativity. At times, the EP seems designed to challenge the very concept of what it means to be a trained musician. With its heavily pixelated sounds, songs that kick off with a robotic voice repeating 'Ruby,' and melodies that borrow from trap, it may feel like there’s too much going on. Yet this chaotic energy is something Bell embraces with pride.
"There are a lot of sounds and influences going on in this project. Dylan and I really connected because we listen to so many different types of music, and we tried to showcase that. Every song on this EP had at least four different versions. For example, we added banjos, took them out, and played with a lot of different versions. What separates this project from the classic PC sound is its inconsistency and being all over the place."
It would be easy to box Ruby Bell into a category, especially with her star-studded crew—Dylan Brady of 100gecs, the founder of Dog Show Records where she’s signed, and Happy Hardcore producers Replicator and Gupi. You might be tempted to slap a label like "hyperpop" or "bubblegum pop" on her, but she defies easy classification. "What I’m working on right now doesn’t sound like my current EP at all—not that I wouldn’t go back to it," she explains.
Her creative process thrives on a deep-seated eclecticism, cultivated through years of absorbing diverse sounds. “I’m learning my sound. I’m trying different things. Every genre I can try, I’m trying. Just give me a beat, and we’ll do it,” she says, almost like an open invitation to join her jam session. It’s clear that Ruby isn’t merely teetering on the edge of something big but she’s diving into the musical landscape with an adventurous spirit, poised to conquer one genre—and one beat—at a time.
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