New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The video for "Get To You," the new single from up-and-coming Seattle artist Ruler's forthcoming debut album Winning Star Champion, is premiering at MAGNET. MAGNET raves that "the Dan Fromhart-directed video [reinforces] that feeling of isolation we all sometimes have even when surrounded by others," while adding that "this is [frontman and former sideman Matt] Batey's show, and he proves to be more than up to the challenge."
Due May 25 on Barsuk Records, Winning Star
Champion is available for pre-order now at https://www.barsuk.com/shop/bark172.
Ruler is the project of Seattle-based singer and songwriter Matt Batey (best known for his work with Rocky Votolato and Cataldo). The band is set to tour throughout the Pacific Northwest this summer, including performances at the Upstream Festival in Seattle June 1-3, and at the TIMBER! Summer
Music Festival in Carnation, WA July 12-14. See below for a complete list of shows; additional tour dates to be announced shortly.
In anticipation of the new release, Billboard recently premiered the album's first single, "Petrified," at https://bit.ly/2EMFn3F, while Gold Flake Paint premiered the track "Cars and Houses" at https://bit.ly/2J4gF15 and Brooklyn Vegan premiered the video for the track "Unhindered Pace" at https://bit.ly/2HaMZxW. Batey explains to Billboard "I've struggled with anxiety my whole life, and [writing 'Petrified'] I was feeling especially afraid and anxious about what the future holds." He goes on, "I don't think I'm super old or anything, but a lot of people around me in my life are kind of quitting music and making families and doing other stuff. So choosing to continue to play music at this point is another level of deliberately choosing to do this."
Upon the band's recent signing to hometown label Barsuk Records, Ruler released a slew of singles including "Not Your Friend," which Under the Radar raves "beautifully captures the emotive current of the Pacific Northwest indie sound" (watch the video HERE); "Easy Life," about which PopMatters notes, "with [Batey's] idiosyncratic vocal delivery at the forefront, perched beside the catchy ebb-and-flow of his musical arrangements, the tunes he's churning out under the moniker [Ruler] are decidedly fresh and exciting" (watch the video HERE); and "Complicated Mind," with KEXP praising the track for "just how expertly crafted Batey's songwriting really is" while hailing Ruler's "totally life-affirming live shows" (listen to the track HERE).
At 30 years old, Batey is already a seasoned veteran of Seattle's high-achieving music scene. The Montana native arrived 12 years ago intent on tapping into the city's longstanding creative legacy and immediately joined a band seeking a singer-songwriter-frontman. Buoyed by genuine instrumental chops but a streak of bad luck, the band toughed it out gig after gig, EP after EP. In four years Batey wrote more than 120 songs, songs he says nobody heard. Combined with his talent and ambition, these songs propelled him out of the collective setting and into solo territory. Finally on his own, he picked a name that felt triumphant and playful; a fist-in-the-air kind of name. Ruler would be all Matt Batey.
RULER LIVE
May 19 Bothell, WA Bothell Block Party & Brewfest
June 1-3 Seattle, WA Upstream Festival
June 3 Portland, OR Holocene
June 16 Tacoma, WA Alma Mater
July 6-7 Yakima, WA Yakima Folk Fest
July 12-14 Carnation, WA TIMBER! Summer
Music Festival
