If you’re listening to the radio right now, there’s a good chance Ruth Anne Cunningham is behind the track.
However if the name doesn’t sound familiar, that’s because the Dubliner is the person who makes acts – from One Direction to Britney Spears – shoot to No1.
She wrote Work Bitch, has two tracks on the new 1D album – and is becoming one of the people to go to if you want a surefire hit.
Back from Los Angeles for a break and to perform at a concert in memory of Billie Barry, Ruth Anne tells Goss.ie about how she became of Ireland’s biggest musical success stories.
New tracks: Ruth Anne has two songs on One Direction’s new album
You’ve written songs for massive artists – including Britney Spears and Pixie Lott. Who was your favourite to work with?
Probably Alex and Sierra, they won the X Factor last year in the US. I wrote five songs on their new album that came out in America and they went into the top 10.
They were so great to work with and I formed a really great friendship with them. I also especially loved working with Mark Feehily from Westlife on the Greatest Hits album.
You co-wrote two songs one One Direction’s upcoming album which is coming out soon, are you excited?
I really didn’t think the songs would make it on the album, just because they’re such a big boy band. I’m absolutely chuffed, they’ll be performing them on the next leg of the tour, it’s very exciting.
Huge talent: Ruth Anne is behind some of the world’s biggest pop songs
How does the song writing process work?
It works all different ways. Sometimes you’re in with the artist, sometimes you’re not. It kind of just depends on the project.
Is there any artist you haven’t yet written for that you would love to?
Definitely: Beyonce. I just had a song recorded by Kelly Rowland which I really love and I was a huge Destiny’s Child fan so I’m really excited about that. I’d also love to work with Ed Sheeran.
What is it like when you hear songs you’ve written on the radio?
It’s amazing, when I first heard Work Bitch on the radio, the Britney Spears song, I was dancing in my car I was so excited.
It’s just really weird feeling, but every time its just as exiting. If I’m in a shop and a song I’ve written comes on I always get really exited or if I’m in the gym, especially with Work Bitch! because it’s constantly played in all my gym classes, it’s just really cool.
How did you get started in singing and song writing?
I wrote my first song when I was seven, then I started a girl band when I was 13. My dad entered one of our demos that I’d recorded into the Jacob’s song contest when I was 17, and then I ended up winning that.
My old manager at the time found me in the press and brought me to America. He was managing Danny and Mark from The Script at the time. He kind of mentored me, and thought me how to co-write over in Los Angeles.
On my third day there, on my first trip when I was 17, I co-wrote Too Little Too Late which JoJo sang, it came out two years later, that’s kind of how it all began.
Billie Barry: Ruth says she always wanted to be a singer
Did you always want to be a singer?
Definitely, I always wanted to sing and song write. I can’t remember never doing it, I always was writing songs, always singing. I was in the Billie Barry Stage School – I’m actually home to  perform in Saturday’s Billie Barry reunion ball – so I was always performing it’s totally been my whole life since I was a kid.
What was it like moving to Los Angeles when you were so young?
I didn’t initially move straight there, I would come back and fourth like a month there and a month back home in Ireland. I moved three years ago to Los Angeles.
It was weird because I was so young, I’d never been outside Europe so it was a bit of a culture shock. I couldn’t drive or drink. Over the years I grew to love it there when I could drive and be more independent. I really love it there now.
What’s it like now when you come back to Ireland?
I love coming home, its my favorite feeling. There’s something in the air the minute I land I just love it. My mum has all my favourite food – Superquinn sausages and Brennan’s bread and all the stuff that I literally crave in America all the time.
My parents and my family are always so excited – and a lot of my best friends from when I was younger are here. It’s always very fun to see everyone.
You’re obviously an artist yourself, can we expect any new music from you?
I have a new single coming out with Cedric Gervais, he’s a DJ he won a Grammy for his Summertime Sadness remix by Lana Del Rey. We just shot the video and it’s coming out in a few days. The single is out December 1, and it’s called Missing You featuring me under my artist name which is Rooty and I wrote it, so that’s amazing.
