Ruth Hazleton

AUSTRALIA | 2021 PARTICIPANT

One of Australia’s most highly regarded folk singers, Ruth Hazleton is an award-winning instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. In a career spanning over 25 years, she has recorded and toured nationally and internationally and worked with some of the world’s most iconic folk musicians including Andy Irvine (IRE) and Nancy Kerr & The Sweet Visitor Band (UK).

Equipped with an electric guitar and a 5-string banjo, Ruth began her solo journey in 2019, releasing ‘Daisywheel’, produced by acclaimed musician Luke Plumb (Shooglenifty). The album was nominated for ‘Best Folk Album’ at the 2020 Music Victoria Awards and described as “…compelling and intimately fierce” (Living Tradition – UK).

‘Daisywheel’ is a lyrical voyage of history, struggle & resilience in song; a collision of ancient and contemporary and a cross-cultural zeitgeist. At times unapologetically political, the repertoire incorporates the many influences that have shaped Ruth’s musicianship over the years, escaping boundaries of genre. There are flavours of Celtic trad, old-time American & Eastern European musics.

“…[a] peerless command of traditional music…pushed outwards into beautiful new territory.” ~ Jeff Lang