Ritt Momney has always been Rutter’s way of finding his own voice. Raised Mormon in Salt Lake City, by the time he was in high school he was a “closeted nonbeliever,” and his debut full-length ‘Her & All My Friends’ explores the conflicting feelings of doubt and isolation he grappled with during the formative time in his life. As Rutter was leaving the church, he and his girlfriend broke up, and most of his bandmates left to go on missions after graduation, leaving Ritt Momney as a solo endeavor. Struggling with a penchant for writing exclusively melancholic songs, in spring 2020 he recorded a cover of Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Records On” in an attempt to beat writer’s block. The beat-driven, falsetto-indebted cover showcased Rutter’s own offbeat production and quickly gained traction on TikTok, landing him a major label deal. Infused with brighter, more straightforward instrumentation that counteracted Rutter’s internal headspace, ‘Sunny Boy’ is the second chapter in Rutter’s ongoing confrontation with what it means to be both an artist and a person. Still a work-in-progress, Ritt Momney’s new record is a full circle moment in many ways. As soon as he took away the pressure of deadlines or expectations, he fell back in love with the process. Heavier, riffier, and more all-encompassing, the new music feels weightier, and more grounding, than what has come before it. “Being able to come back to writing for yourself is the most important thing.”
