Single Exclusive: Georgia Ruyi – Held by Strings

Held by Strings marks the debut from 16‑year‑old singer, songwriter and multi‑instrumentalist Georgia Ruyi, who moved from Malaysia to Houghton‑le‑Spring in 2020. Though she’s played piano all her life, she only began writing songs last year, making her first solo appearance at the Young Musicians Project’s Stripped Back Socials. Drawing on the jazz‑flecked intricacy of Mei Semones and the quiet intimacy of Adrianne Lenker, Georgia shapes something entirely her own.

The track is a captivating, melodic piece, carried by a spellbinding, Joni‑esque vocal that slips between light and shadow. Its elegant, dream‑leaning soundscape sways and unfurls with shifting intensity, drawing you deeper with every turn. For a debut from such a young artist, it radiates a luminous confidence in its songcraft. We’re delighted to be given an exclusive listen to it ahead of release.

Here, Georgia tells us a little more about the track, “The song was very loosely inspired by a weird dream I had that made me question what I wanted my future to look like, the feeling of repeating mistakes, and thinking about losing connections with people.”