Ruby Aldridge on Performing Live—and Her Favorite Summer Playlist
Pre-show jitters are an occupational hazard for models during fashion week, but as Ruby Aldridge will tell you, nothing quite compares to the stage fright that comes with performing in front of a live audience. “We played our first show at an art opening in New York a few months ago,” she says. “We did a cover of ‘Astro Zombies’ by the Misfits and three of our own songs. I was so nervous about the show, I almost didn’t show up!” Coachella is a chance for the 20-year-old music head to indulge her favorite passion, and this year one of her favorite British punk rock groups, the Buzzcocks, made the lineup. “I almost missed their set; it was devastating! Luckily I caught the end,” she says. Other bands on her Coachella must-see list? Psych rockers the Black Angels, Britpop legends Pulp, and Dr. Dre. “I don’t go to many festivals, but Coachella is enticing. People are excited, and it’s like a three-day break from everyday life,” she says. As for her fledgling music career, Aldridge is taking baby steps towards the limelight with her band, tentatively called Texture. Now a little over a year old, the new project was born out of an improv session with artist and bassist Bozidar Brazda at Smash recording studios in New York. “I don’t consider myself a musician yet,” says Aldridge, who is currently on the hunt for a guitarist to complete the group. “I’m just a fan who’s excited to be making music for the first time.”