Ruby Waters Wants You To “Pay As You Go”
Today, Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Ruby Waters released “PAY AS YOU GO,” the new single from her recently announced sophomore album, SUPPRE$$IONS. Written mostly from her home in the BC mountains, the smokey-voiced singer dives into the dark waters of how her vices and the pressures of the world began to overwhelm her. SUPPRE$$IONS is out January 15, 2027 on Wet Records.
Also out today is the accompanying video for “PAY AS YOU GO,” a bouncy indie rock tune on the relatable financial limitations that can keep a person feeling stuck. “It’s about the struggle everyone is f***ing feeling in this economy,” says Waters, who spent her early adult life couch-surfing while making money as a busker on the streets of Toronto.
“The song’s pop veneer is wrapped in a melancholy awareness, anchored by Waters’ compelling voice let loose across miles of gauzy melodies,” praises Beats Per Minute in exclusive premiere. “And while there’s more than a bit of cynicism laying beneath its polished veneer, the song never falls into outright hopelessness, proving that the burdens we face can be overcome – and we can maintain our momentum forward.”
“PAY AS YOU GO” comes out on the heels of the recently released genre-blurring single “GET A GRIP” and her breakout track “WET T-SHIRT,” which has surpassed 11M Spotify streams and became a Canadian Alternative radio hit.
With “GET A GRIP,” Waters showcases her prowess for moving freely between grungy rock, dream pop, soul, and R&B. The spiralling lyrics are accompanied by a synth-y dream pop sound that makes the song float. One of alternative music’s most compelling, rising voices, she pairs her signature dexterous and raspy vocals with an honesty that can be vulnerable, provocative, and sharply funny, often all at once.
Rattled by the relatable definition of “to suppress,” Waters poured her abundant feelings into her sophomore album. “It’s the act of holding back or preventing something from developing, functioning, being seen, or being expressed,”reads Waters.
She adds,“A lot of that is what the album is about: hanging on to old habits and stopping myself from becoming the best version of myself. It’s also about the pressures of being seen by the world and wanting to hide like a little crab underwater in a safe little shell. Or the opposite, being weighed down almost underwater by suppressed emotions.”
Written and recorded with her longtime collaborators Sam Jackson Willows (The Beaches, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie), Harper (Burna Boy, Russ), TJ Whitelaw (John Legend, Syd) and mastering engineer Alec Ness (Alabama Shakes, Sam Smith) over the last two years, her 20-song opus honestly admits to many of the distractions and habits that she’s used to escape her real life: sex, drugs, nature, and rock’n’roll. The candor comes with maturity as the artist details these crutches alongside her path away from some of them.
“I’ve been dealing with addiction and mental health issues for a very long time,” admits Waters. “This album stems from wanting to change or being in limbo between wanting to change and building up the courage to do so. It’s an acceptance album. Accepting all of these feelings, wants, and needs instead of suppressing them.”
Waters takes diving into dark, overwhelming waters literally on the SUPPRE$$IONS cover, wearing a collection of fishing lures as earrings and nose rings, and being lifted by a hook out of the water on the back cover. The iconic cover photos were shot by renowned photographer Lissyelle, who’s done cover art for the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Tate McCrae, and Chappell Roan.
(CREDIT: LISSYELLE LARICCHIA)