Ruel has shared details of his next musical project: His first-ever covers EP, entitled Adaptions. The EP is set for release this coming August, although a specific date is yet to be set. To coincide with the announcement, the Sydney-born singer has shared the EP’s lead single – his version of the 1997 Sixpence None The Richer hit ‘Kiss Me’, which came out five years before Ruel was born.
“When the idea floated around of a [covers] EP, I immediately made a playlist of hundreds of songs that were either underrated gems or my fave hits,” said Ruel in a press statement. “[I] then paired up with [producer] M-Phazes to bring them to life. I’m so happy with what we came up with, and I’m hyped to see what you guys think.”
Ruel went on to note that he found the Adaptions EP a challenging one to approach as an artist, given that he saw covers in general as “a hard task to tackle”. “It’s a tricky balance to make sure you do justice to the original and put your own spin on it,” he said. “For [‘Kiss Me’], I thought stripping it right back and keeping it simple was the best way to go.”
Ruel – ‘Kiss Me’
Despite seemingly struggling with covers, Ruel has nevertheless performed several across his career. Among these include One Direction‘s ‘Night Changes’, The Weeknd‘s ‘Call Out My Name’ and Billie Eilish‘s ‘Bellyache’. He has also appeared on triple j‘s Like a Version twice: Once with M-Phazes, singing on a cover of Jack Garratt‘s ‘Weathered’ in 2017, and once as a solo artist covering Lenny Kravitz‘s ‘It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over’ in 2021.
Outside of working on the Adaptions project, Ruel has been collaborating with Sydney indie alternative band DMA’s on new music. The first of two collaborative singles between the two acts, entitled ‘What A Life’, was released in March 2024. The second, ‘Pair of Diamonds’, is set for release later in the year. “Ruel is a special talent, and we worked really well together through the writing and recording process,” said DMA’s vocalist Tommy O’Dell on the collaboration at the time.
Further Reading
Ruel On Playing Tyler, The Creator’s Festival, Album Plans & Staying Grounded At 15
RUEL Joins DMA’S Live in Sydney to Premiere New, Unreleased Collaboration
Ruel Urges You To Overcome Self-Sabotage On New Single ‘You Against Yourself’
