The duo of Small Fools are made up of brother and sister Nathan and Ruthie Prillaman. Born in Potomac, Maryland, the siblings reside at opposite ends of the United States, with Nathan in New York and Ruthie in Los Angeles. Both are composers in their own right, with Nathan writing for film, ballet and theatre. In film, he specialises in writing historically accurate pieces performed on period instruments, while focussing on neo-classical music for ballet and immersive electroacoustic sounds for theatre. In 2021, Nathan composed a new score to choreographer Norbert De La Cruz III’s work ‘Fluency’ at Juilliard School’s Center for Innovation in the Arts where he is currently serving as part of the music technology faculty.
Ruthie has written for television and has been commissioned by choirs and orchestras across the United States, having premiered a new children’s orchestral work called ‘What About The Duck?’ with the Utah Symphony in 2024. The short 15-minute piece is an intended sequel to Prokofiev's ‘Peter and the Wolf’ inspired by composer Andrew Maxfield’s son. Ruthie has also co-written a best-selling novel with Kate McMillan entitled ‘Maple’s Theory of Fun’, aimed at pre-teen readers.
As Small Fools, the siblings have been releasing music since early 2023, beginning with the bluegrass single ‘Horseradish’ and continuing with the well-received four-track EP ‘Crying In My Subaru’. The latter combines Nathan’s electronic tendencies with Ruthie’s choir layering and minimised lyricism. The result is like driving through a medieval town in an EV.
‘A Secret Dialogue on the Side of a Mountain’ is a purely instrumental single, fusing folk stringed instruments and further exploring the electronic sound heard on their EP. The dreamy ‘Spruce Grouse’ followed in the summer of 2023 and ‘Haunt This Place’ was released for Halloween.
With the highly layered nature of their work, their studio playthroughs recorded by the band on their YouTube channel explore just how intricate their arrangements are. Nathan plays the mandolin, classical guitar and banjo parts for ‘A Secret Dialogue’, while Ruthie breaks down the five vocal lines for ‘Departures’ (even the pitched down one!). On Instagram and TikTok, the siblings have boosted their following through their wit and storytelling whilst incorporating their songs in fun and exciting ways. From: https://www.mothsandgiraffes.com/theactualcontent/shb5k7gocpamug6ctrthla937qo1ze
