The Oot n’ Oots have been nominated for the 2022 Juno Awards Children’s Album of the Year with their newest release, “Ponderosa Bunchgrass and the Golden Rule.”
The Kelowna band is made up of five Cipes family members: Matthew, Ari, Gabe, Ezra and Ruthie.
Their music is “definitely not bound to a single genre,” said 15-year-old Ruthie.
“It's eclectic, family friendly and has good vibes for everyone.”
The nominated album has 12 tracks and is The Oot n’ Oots third album.
The band has been performing for more than seven years and had their first show the day after Ruthie’s eighth birthday.
“Singing has been a core part of my whole life,” she explained.
Ruthie’s powerful vocals are showcased throughout the album and are especially strong in “Once Upon a Dream” which was written by her father, Ezra.
She said she hated recording the song because she felt she could sing it better every time, but she loves performing it live because it requires breathing and body awareness, which she learned during her brief singing lessons around the age of 10.
The Oot n’ Oots have performed at several festivals over the years such as the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Salmon Arm ROOTSandBLUES, Squamish Constellation Festival and most recently, Penticton’s Ignite the Arts Festival.
Ruthie said it is wonderful to experience making art, singing songs and performing with her dad and uncles.
She recalls their song “PJs All Day” transpiring when she was home sick with her dad and he started singing about wearing pajamas all day.
At first, she thought it was annoying, “but eventually we realized we could make something out of that because it was actually kind of funny,” she explained, noting that the band’s songs usually come from jokes.
“My uncle Ari writes a lot of the very silly ones, and my dad writes a lot more folky songs, but we all bring something to the table” she added.
Ruthie is a fan of Björk, Pavement and Beck, and hopes to always make music.
“I'll probably be in other bands throughout my future and probably make solo music at some point. I really want to make music forever if that's what I can do. I think it's something that I feel I'm very naturally inclined to do.”
Ruthie is looking forward to attending the Juno Awards with the rest of The Oot n’ Oots in May.
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