Ruthann Friedman

*2025 stock* In 1967, the folk-pop group The Association had a massive hit with a song called “Windy” penned by an unknown young woman named Ruthann Friedman. Two years later, she released her own album Constant Companion on Warner/Reprise Records that sounded nothing like “Windy” – it had more in common with her labelmate Joni Mitchell or cult-hero Linda Perhacs. Decades later, Ruthann would be declared an “astral folk goddess” and championed by the likes of Devendra Banhart.

Around that time, reissue producer Pat Thomas compiled a collection of previously unreleased demos, home recordings, and lost songs circa 1965-1971 from Ruthann's personal archive including the original version of "Windy." Titled Hurried Life, Ruthann recently declared, “That’s the one that I really like - that was the first time going back into the archives to find songs that might be reissued. I think those were representative of me.”