We connected with Club Ruby, an energetic band gearing up for their performance at "The Shape Of Punk To Come" on Saturday, November 18th, at Ding Dong Lounge. Originating three years ago at the University of Auckland, this pop-punk ensemble, infused with pop and jazz elements, is basking in the success of their latest EP, "Was God Birthed!?" In this interview, explore how the EP was recorded, standout performances, and discover what we might be able to expect at their live show this Saturday night.
Interview with Club Ruby
ACT UP Entertainment: How did Club Ruby come together as a band, and what's the backstory behind your formation?
Club Ruby: Club Ruby’s been making music for about 3 years now. We all met at the University of Auckland doing the Pop music Degree/ Jazz music Degree. Everyone in the band had been gigging in the Auckland scene for a while already.
ACT UP Entertainment: Congratulations on the release of your latest EP, "Was God Birthed!?" Can you tell us about the EP?
Club Ruby: Most of the tracks were written in 2020 by President Ruby and now Melbourne based songwriter Reuben Hudson while studying the Pop degree at the University of Auckland where it was also recorded. The tracks are all recorded live as a band without a click track to give it that rough live feel.
We were super lucky to get Justyn Pilbrow who played guitar in Kiwi legends Elemeno P, to mix our EP as well thanks to our mentor Mareea Paterson.
ACT UP Entertainment: "BADA" is an awesome music video. Are there any plans or creative ideas in the pipeline for new music videos tied to tracks from the EP that you can give us a sneak peek into?
Club Ruby: Oh heck yeah! We've got a music video [for upcoming release] for "Wearing Me Out" which involves a confrontation and an upside-down punch bowl. We’re all about supporting our fellow creatives so we worked with local SAE students from M.I.W Studios to make that one. We’re really excited to show everyone super soon!
ACT UP Entertainment: Reflecting on your journey, can you share details about the biggest show Club Ruby has played to date? What made it stand out, and how did the audience respond to your performance?
Club Ruby: Our biggest show was probably the sold-out Miss June gig at Whammy Bar earlier this year in March. We got a little silly with it and had a pretend car racing skit in the middle of it to promote our Band Merch, which was a homemade chapstick called "Club Ruby da bomb balm". Everyone thought it was pretty funny.
ACT UP Entertainment: On the flip side, every band has its share of challenging performances. Can you recount the scariest or most nerve-wracking show you've played, and how did you navigate through it?
Club Ruby: We had to play the USA vs Vietnam halftime show at the FIFA Fan festival at The Cloud on Queen's Wharf. It was our biggest crowd yet! Around 800 people! We pretty much just hung out as a band beforehand and watched the Barbie movie together on the same day.
ACT UP Entertainment: Looking ahead to the show this Saturday night at Ding Dong Lounge, is there anything special or unique that fans can look forward to during your performance?
Club Ruby: We've been refining a new tune; it's got a bit of spoken word in it which President Ruby has been wanting to incorporate into the set, and maybe Hon might bring his tuatara hand puppet.
Don't miss the chance to experience Club Ruby's performance at Ding Dong Lounge this Saturday, November 18th, where they will be playing "The Shape Of Punk To Come." Tickets start from $16 and are available at dingdongloungenz.com
The Shape Of Punk To Come
Saturday 18 November 8:00 PM
Ding Dong Lounge, 26 Wyndham St, Auckland
Tickets from dingdongloungenz.com
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