The sun is shining on the face of Huddersfield singer Ruby Wood.
The Birkby girl is off to a flier in 2011 after she was hand picked to front yet another band.
The Leeds College of Music graduate is already involved with nine-piece hip hop group Extra Curricular, dub-step jazz fusion Submotion Orchestra and five-piece female acapella group Solaris.
Not happy with that she also performs as acoustic soul duo Ruby and Noah and works part-time at The Media Centre.
Now, only a few weeks after her hometown band Extra Curricular announced they had been signed she is celebrating after she was chosen by British downtempo maestro Bonobo as singer for his European tour.
The electronica act have just released their fourth album Black Sands and former Royds Hall girl Ruby will be taking over from regular singer Andreya Triana who is concentrating on her own solo project.
Ruby has only just returned from a sell-out 11-date tour of the UK with Submotion Orchestra, but has already had to re-pack her bags for a six-week trek around Europe including dates as far away as Slovenia, Russia and Turkey.
The 31-date tour kicks off in Bordeaux, France tonight and local fans will have a chance to see her in action when it rolls into Leeds on May 3.
But there will be no break at the end of the tour as the 24-year-old will arrive back home just in time for the release of Submotion Orchestra’s debut album on Exceptional Records.
Then it will be back to her roots to support Extra Curricular when they are launched as the first live act in the stable of superstar DJ Doorly’s new Pigeonhole This label including a performance alongside Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe at the Bates Mill Afterparty.
This will leave little time for her to catch her breath before the three month summer festival season starts.
Ruby said: “It’s all happening so fast at the moment I haven’t really had time to take it all in.
“I still can’t believe it’s happening, it’s a dream come true.
“Bonobo used to be one of my favourite bands, they still are, so it’s a real honour.
“Submotion Orchestra have supported them a few times, including at the Big Chill Festival, so when Andreya couldn’t do it they asked me.
“I’m a super fan and I know all the songs already so it hasn’t been that much work to learn them.
“I only do six songs so it’s quite relaxed compared to my other groups where I’m on everything.
“It’s a tough touring schedule but I’ve been working towards this for years so I’m determined to enjoy every minute of it.
“I can’t deny there’s going to be more than a bit of home-sickness for my friends and family back in Huddersfield though.”
Ruby said it was looking like 2011 was turning out to be the turning point for her music career.
She said: “It’s amazing, everything seems to happening all at once, I’m a little bit overwhelmed.
“I think I will be able to manage, it’s just going to mean being a bit more organised.”
Bonobo play Leeds University on May 3.
