Premiere: Ruby Velle Showcases Indian Roots in New Video For ‘Straight Out the Mud’ 

Born a first-generation Indian in Canada and having grown up in the U.S., singer-songwriter Ruby Velle was part of musical programs throughout her schooling years, founded a band called Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics in college, and later moved to Atlanta to pursue her dream of becoming a full-time artist.  

Velle’s well-crafted soul music is focused around “raising the vibration and ultimately the levels of consciousness within the collective.” She adds, “I do this simply by tapping into experienced emotions, telling vivid stories and not overcomplicating the sonic landscape.”  

The artist’s latest offering is the hypnotic and soulful track “Straight Out the Mud” accompanied with a music video premiering on Rolling Stone India that embraces Velle’s Indian upbringing, culture and heritage. Read our interview with the singer below.  

When did your new song “Straight Out the Mud” begin to take shape? 

“Straight Out the Mud” was written and recorded over the summer of 2018 when I was last in L.A. The song pretty much wrote itself, which never ceases to amaze me, but I’m grateful for those moments of channeling when an entire song is written and tracked in one day. My manager/mother to my music, Kristin Juel, holds such resounding belief in my abilities as a writer and vocalist that she paired me up with the amazing Grammy Nominated producer/writer/modern mystic Rune Westberg in L.A. I remember walking into Rune’s beautiful home studio and was greeted just outside the door by a statue of the benevolent Quan Yin, Bodhisattva of Compassion. Once in the serene studio, Rune was soulfully picking away at the electric guitar and I immediately felt the presence of the late and fabulous Bill Withers, which you will hear stylistically imprinted on the song. I remember being overwhelmed with joy that the words and vocal melodies were flowing like water and instantly fitting the musical vibes Rune was creating. We were like two kids in a candy store.  

What can you tell me about the song itself? 

Lyrically the song speaks of the lotus journey, a deeply spiritual and natural journey that not only spiritual seekers, but also many religious folks can relate to. The Buddhist monk and ‘Father of Mindfullness’ Thích Nhất Hạnh says this about the lotus journey, “There is mud, and there is the lotus that grows out of the mud. We need the mud in order to make the lotus.” 

I had come through many difficulties in order to create music, and govern myself as an artist. I learned so many lessons the hard way and when I let go, the universe brought me a soul who felt it was their dharma to help me blossom. So, this song is a thank-you note to my manager Kristin, for being that empowering soul sister, a best friend and badass co-creator on this musical path.  

A beautiful additional meaning came later as my husband Alex and I started a family and I became a mother. It is uncanny how the lyrics also resemble how we begin our Earthside experience – the journey a small fetus takes to be born is the same blossoming from the darkest of places to the light.  

I read that the music video and its concept for the song is based on your Indian background. What can you tell me about putting the video together as well as your experience on set? 

When making the video, we created it with several intentions in heart and mind – to explore, educate and further immerse myself in my Indian roots, to share our ancestry through creative expression, to work closely with others who share a similar cultural background/ancestral experiences, and to celebrate a new generation of artists as conscious beings from blended cultures.  

We chose to share some spiritually based art from our family and shared faiths. We found that both Sikhism and Hinduism have passages in scripture alluding to the lotus and triumph over adversity. You will see a shloka from the Rig Veda in the beginning that exemplifies this idea.  

The shloka was translated by my cousin, Prnay Chopra, who is also performing Kuchipudi dance in the video. The classical art forms of India are exacting in their ability to express the lotus journey and Prnay has been training most of his adult life. I cried tears of joy when Prnay performed his first movements on set.  Being in awe of each other’s artistry is something that comes easily to us, but to share in a production together gave me a new sense of pride that bridging cultures is what we do best –  empowering others to be themselves, like Tyra Marie Watkins, whose beautiful expressions of free movement light up the screen alongside Prnay. 

While we had storyboards full of concepts surrounding my baby bump, filming this video while I was six months pregnant was a surreal and profound experience I will always cherish. Director/producer Marium Khalid, producer Shaunya Bhayai and Benjamin Ziccardi made me feel comfortable, confident and fabulous on set. And we soon came to learn that Marium was also expecting, so we hope this video marks the debut of the next generation of multi-cultural creatives. 

What’s next for you? 

The band and I are continuing to play live shows in the U.S, hoping to tour in India and Europe soon, and working on our third studio album with Soulphonics. My husband Alex ‘Mistermind’ is co-producing and engineering with us, so the project has become more meaningful as a family affair, recorded in our home studio in Atlanta.  

I’ve got more solo songs to release, including a few more amazing tracks written with Rune Westberg. During the pandemic I trained to become a certified sound healing ceremonialist and wish to dive deeper into the realm of healing through India’s many instruments of sound. 

Watch the video for “Straight Out the Mud” below: