Ruby Kelly trousered our Single Of The Month gong last month and with good reason: she’s one of finest singer/songwriters working in the region today.

‘St Elmo’ was the track that I made Single Of The Month in our November issue and to recap: it’s brilliant. A glorious slice of rabble-rousing Americana about the Old West, of it Ruby Kelly says: “I find past life so intriguing, things like Vikings and cowboys. When writing this track I envisioned how a woman would be accepted in that kind of western 1860s society. This track not only shows an exciting story of a crazy woman madly in love, it also shows how far we have come in today’s world and is a credit to women of the past who have fought and struggled to have a voice.” The Sunderland-based singer/songwriter (who was born in Wales) has also shown that ‘St Elmo’ is no one-off either, as previous singles such as ‘The Roots’ (released earlier this year) speak of a rare talent. Fans of First Aid Kit etc, will find plenty to love in her stuff (that voice!) and I can’t wait to hear what she does next. DP

Seek: facebook.com/rubykelly2002