Ruari Brownell Drops 'Pretty Little Thing,' a Country EP Driven by Honesty and Heart

Written by: Tom White

Ruari Brownell has now come out with his new EP, “Pretty Little Thing,” and it gets right to work on proving why Ruari Brownell is quickly becoming one of country music's most exciting new narrative artists.

“Pretty Little Thing” is based on reality, as Brownell is never one to draw inspiration from fictitious events for song ideas, drawing instead from his own relationships and experiences to shape his craft. This project brings to mind both the bitter and sweet feelings associated with relationships because just like “Devil's Hallelujah” and its companion “Pretty Little Thing,” those tracks lean more into the experiences from relationships where one may have been undervalued.

But on the other side of this emotional spectrum lie tracks such as “If I Was A Betting Man” or “Terrified of Losing You,” which delve into vulnerable feelings that emerge from genuine moments of connection. It is here that Brownell is at his most authentic and takes those moments of confidence to new heights because of his willingness to take unknown paths. This makes his performance on these songs stand out because of his struggle between his need for something good to happen and his fear of losing it.

The fact that Brownell is capable of writing at such a deep level traces all the way back to his childhood growing up in rural Iowa. Brownell was exposed to all the themes that have come to be associated with his style growing up around farms and being around country radio before ever thinking about pursuing music as anything serious. It all traces back to his childhood riding to school in his dad's old Chevrolet every morning.

Ruari Brownell's own musical evolution didn’t begin with country music but rather with his saxophone. And while his education was focused on jazz, but also covered the range of genre-specific music from blues to rock to R&B, Brownell simply followed his nose for all things new and interesting at every step of his way. It wasn’t until 2023, picking up his first guitar and experiencing his first stage at an open mic performance, that Brownell understood country music was where all his diverse elements should come to meet his own special fusion of grit and powerful vocals.

With Ruari Brownell’s EP “Pretty Little Thing,” it is already emerging as the foundational sound of his discography to come. Brownell is already churning out new material for his next song cycle and getting as many shows under his belt as possible while plotting his next move forward. In the meantime, be sure to listen to Ruari Brownell’s new EP below.

Image credits: Lost Boy