Serena Rutledge

Singer-songwriter and musician Serena Rutledge has embarked on a career in music.

The 14-year-old Ripley girl released her debut EP (Extended Play CD), "Our Best Fight," last month, and it is now available on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play!

At the CD release back in December, Serena said it was "pretty surreal" to be launching an EP at such a young age. The CD showcases four songs: "Ecstasy of the Unknown," "Weeds," "2 Faced," and the title song, "Our Best Fight." Hard copies are $5 each, and are available at local stores.

The launch, held at the Best Western Plus Governor's Inn, included a silent auction, and was a fund-raiser for the Women's House Serving Grey and Bruce.

Joining Serena and a crowd of family and friends, was fellow singer-songwriter and musician, Kolton Stewart, 16, who was raised in Kincardine and now lives in Toronto. He co-wrote the song, "2 Faced," with Serena.

Kolton, Serena and several other artists entertained throughout the evening.

You can download Serena's EP at the following websites:

https://open.spotify.com/album/5rKMLsdUl67c2i0zWfXg2l

https://play.google.com/…/a…/Serena_Rutledge_Our_Best_Fight…

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/our-best-fight-ep/id1066308919 - The Kincardine Record - Liz Dadson

Ripley native Serena Rutledge thought it would be years from now before she’d come out with her first album.

“I didn’t think at 14 I’d be able to do it,” she said, recently while on her lunch break from Kincardine & District Secondary School. “I always wanted to do it when I grew up -- make CDs -- but I didn’t think I could do it now.”

Come Saturday, Dec. 12, at the Governor’s Inn, Best Western Plus, Rutledge will have surpassed her own expectations with an EP release concert for her first album titled, “Our Best Fight.”

“I’m pretty excited,” said the music student of Lucknow’s Scott Chow. “I’ve recorded single songs before, but I haven’t released them before on iTunes or anything or had a physical CD. So it’s pretty exciting.”

The process of how she got here started last January when at the encouragement of her mother, Anita Rutledge, she did what turns out to be one of the most Canadian rock and roll moves one can think of -- she applied for a government grant, specifically from The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings, or FACTOR for short.

“And that’s kind of the way Canada’s music industry works is even big bands they still use FACTOR funding because they can. I think that’s a great thing about Canada,” she said, citing the band Marianas Trench as proof that established groups used government funds.

Even still, after having applied for the money, she didn’t think it was going to happen.

“I didn’t think it was for me,” she said. “I thought it was more for people already developed who had a fan base and everything.”

However, she did not have to wait long as she was on March break when she got word back form FACTOR.

“I was in Florida. I was sitting by the pool and my mom got an email, and she went over to my dad and she shows him her iPad screen, and she’s like, ‘Am i reading this right?’ And I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’

“I think I screamed. I don’t know if I screamed. I jumped up and ran over to look at her screen. I was not expecting to get the grant, especially at 14 ... I just didn’t think that at 14 they would give me $1,500,” she said.

But FACTOR did. And in doing so Rutledge was reassured that she was doing the “right thing” in pursuing a career in music.

“It just kind of confirmed that what I was doing was good,” she said.

The “pop, rock with a little bit of punk” album includes all original material by Rutledge and was produced and recorded by Siegfried Meier of Beach Road Studios in Goderich.

It contains the songs, “Ecstasy of the Unknow,” “Weeds,” “Two Faced” and “Our Best Fight,” which she decided to name the album after because of its message.

“It’s probably my favourite message of all the songs. That’s the one about kids and how we have to put up our best fight to be ourselves and make our way through the world. So that was the main idea I wanted to get across. So it just made sense to make that the title,” she said.

Proceeds from the launch party and silent auction will go towards the Women’s House Serving Bruce & Grey as it not only does important work, Rutledge said, but is also connected to themes in her album.

“The whole idea of the women’s house is to support women who have gone through a lot,” she explained. “And that kind of tied in with one of my songs, ‘our best fight.’”

The song, she said, is about her generation fighting against stereotypes and expectations to be our true selves. But the song can be interpreted to be about fighting through all kinds of struggles.

“It can be taken as for women or for anybody that’s been through tough times and needs help, and they need to put up their best fight to get through those things. And the theme of the concert kind of worked with the Women’s House,” she said. “And it’s amazing what the Women's House is doing for women around here. It was kind of a no brainer.”

Now that she’s made her first album, she will continue to apply for grants and continue to write and sing and perform. And who knows, maybe even make a music video for one of her songs.

“That would be very awesome,” she said. - The Kincardine News - Darryl Coote

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153527491771085&set=a.10150258851756085.369897.654401084&type=3&theater - Now Magazine

Serena Rutledge

Serena Rutledge A natural performer, Serena Rutledge has been playing the piano and singing since the age of 4. A decade later, at just 14, she has already performed at many festivals, talent showcases, local charity fundraisers, and many different restaurants and cafes. She says performing live is her favourite part about pursuing music because of the feedback and interaction with audiences when they hear her original music.

Serena creates music in an alternative/pop/rock genre with hints of punk, under the influence of some of her favourite bands like We Are The In Crowd, 5 Seconds Of Summer, and Paramore. She enjoys the ability to express herself and tell stories through the lyrics of her songs, and strives constantly to improve as a musician and songwriter. She has recently started learning how to play the guitar.

There is nothing Serena loves more than creating and performing music. Always a part of her, she eats, sleeps, and breathes music. Serena has found her voice through music and there’s nothing she’d rather be doing with her life.

Email: rutledgeserena@gmail.com
Website: serenarutledge.com
Twitter: serena_rutledge
Instagram: serena_rutledge
YouTube: serenarut22 - Honey jam