Ruthie Foster – Just Say Yes
Today, Austin-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Ruthie Foster released her new studio album, Just Say Yes, following last year’s Mileage, which won Foster her first-ever GRAMMY Award. Produced by Tyler Bryant (of The Shakedown) and his wife Rebecca Lovell (of Larkin Poe), the 10-track LP spans soul, roots, rock, and blues. Her boldest chapter yet, Just Say Yes, is out now on Sun Records.
In celebration of the new album release, Foster will be meeting with fans in Austin for an in-store record signing and live performance at Waterloo Records on Monday, August 31st. Continuing the tour, upcoming stops include AmericanaFest in Nashville this September and New York City this October.
A fearless, soul-stirring statement from one of music’s most vital voices, Just Say Yes finds the blues powerhouse fully embracing all of life’s offerings: connections, celebrations, and challenges. Also out today is the video for the infectious focus track “Yes,” which serves as an exhilarating invitation for listeners to do the same while Foster preaches, “When life comes knocking, asking is anybody home? You better say YES.”
Emphasizing the album’s central theme is the feel-good song “Take Time,” featuring Foster’s signature vocals soaring over a Southern soul organ line and a melodic electric guitar solo. Inspired by her mother’s encouragement to get ahead in hard times, it celebrates the small steps that lead to big wins in life.
Produced in Nashville by Tyler Bryant and co-written alongside Bryant, Rebecca Lovell, Lovell’s sister and Larkin Poe collaborator Megan Lovell and her husband Mike Seal, the eclectic album depicts Foster living life in all its complexity. Navigating her life experiences as they come, she sees both obstacles and opportunities as catalysts for growth, transformation, and forward motion.
“I wrote this thing on a sticky note and it just said ‘Just say yes,’” she recalls.
Capturing the full scope of the Texan’s journey, passionate tracks on the album like “Tangled” and “Thank You” highlight the push and pull of emotions during challenging periods. On the introspective “Thank You,” Foster meditates on feelings of imposter syndrome as she gets questioned of her authenticity as a blues performer, despite her various accolades. Meanwhile, “Tangled” is equal parts defiant and cathartic, as the unapologetic anthem’s beat and lyrics urgently cry out, “Tired of being tangled up.”
Just last year, the blues legend took home her first-ever GRAMMY Award, winning Best Contemporary Blues Album for her album Mileage. The award was a long time coming for the star, who has been hustling to make a life as an artist possible for over three decades. Foster was first signed to a major label after completing her tour of duty as part of the US Navy. She then abandoned music in 1993 to take care of her mom, who had fallen ill. Shortly after her mother’s death, the singer decided to find a path back to music as an independent artist.
Furthermore, Foster blew out her meniscus last year while running to catch a flight and needed to get knee surgery in December. While enduring her injury, she was also facing uncertainty in her relationship. She and her partner were living separately at the time and the relationship was under considerable strain. She felt like both her body and her defenses were breaking down simultaneously, forcing her to peel away the layers and re-discover herself at the core.
She decided to take advantage of her winter break from touring by planning a week in Nashville to record before getting her knee surgery. Foster reunited with her Mileage collaborators, Tyler Bryant and his wife, Rebecca Lovell, in Nashville, staying at an AirBnB near their house so she could work out of Bryant’s new studio.
Foster ultimately underlines, “Every last one of these songs are about some aspect of my life… This was my way of being true to who I am and knowing that I’m in yet another transition in my life, which is how these albums tend to happen.”
TOUR DATES
Sep 12 – Las Vegas, NV – Big Blues Bender
Sep 13 – Cerritos, CA – Cerritos Center For The Performing Arts
Sep 16-18 – Nashville, TN – AmericanaFest
Sep 19 – Jonesboro, AR – The Sunken Lands Songwriting Circle w/ Roseanne Cash, Rhett Miller, John Leventhal
Sep 23 – London, UK – The Lexington
Sep 24 – Paris, FR – Le Duc Des Lombards
Sep 26 – Assen, NL – Crossroads Festival
Sep 30 – Natick, MA – The Center for the Arts
Oct 1 – Rockport, MA – Shalin Liu Performance Center
Oct 2 – Portsmouth, NH – Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club
Oct 3 – East Greenwich, RI – Greenwich Odeum
Oct 5 – New York, NY – Cafe Wha?
Oct 7 – Wayne, PA – 118 North
Oct 8 – Red Bank, NJ – The Vogel
Oct 18 – Manassas, VA – Mountain Stage
Oct 20 – Richmond, VA – The Tin Pan
Oct 21 – Joplin, MA – The Coda Concert House
Oct 22 – St. Louis, MO – City Winery St. Louis
Oct 23 – Chicago, IL – City Winery Chicago
Oct 24 – Hopkins, MN – Hopkins Center For The Arts
Oct 31- Nov 7 – San Diego, CA – The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise
Nov 13 – Cedar Park, TX – Haute Spot
Nov 19 – Tomball, TX – Main Street Crossing
Feb 13 – Feb 20, 2027 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – XOXO Caribbean Cruise
Feb 26 – Mar 5, 2027 – Miami, FL – Cayamo
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