THE
RUBENS` PRESS RELEASE
Just
imagine all your favourite American college-rock bands rolled
into one! The Rubens combine the crunchy guitars of Weezer,
Eels and Presidents of the USA, with that cool West-Coast
surf-vibe of Smashmouth, Sublime and a dash of Jack Johnson.
Put simply The Rubens are the soundtrack to your best ever
road-trip, they're the band at your dorm party or on the
stereo at the beach and they're doing it all the Irish way…
a bit wild, but with a lot of soul and way too much drinking,
too many late nights and definitely too many morning-afters!
Formed in Co. Longford in the summer of 2004, the quartet
of college-friends take their name from the term "rube"
(American slang for a country bumpkin). With an average
age of 22, The Rubens first came to prominence with the
release of their self-produced debut EP, Esmerelda.
In late 2004 and early 2005 Longford's finest solidified
their reputation as a hard-working live act cramming over
100 gigs nationwide into a 3-month period. Impressing audiences
in colleges and venues around the country The Rubens completely
sold out their 2,500 copy run of the Esmerelda EP.
Along the way their songs picked up significant airplay
on over 30 Irish radio stations including larger commercial
stations such as 2FM and Today FM.
As their prowess as a live band grew The Rubens sound has
developed and taken on intensity that gives the song for
their new album an unexpected-but-welcome edge.
For the summer and autumn of 2005 the band have been keeping
a very low profile on the live-front, only emerging to play
this year's Hard Working Class Heroes festival in Dublin.
Ask them where they've been and the band's official line
is " We needed to drop off the radar for a few months,
we reckon it was our time to go off and meet the devil at
the cross-roads…"
Industry rumours though speculate that the quartet were
in fact putting the finishing touches to their debut album
with Dublin-based uber-producer Gareth Mannix (The Thrills,
The Revs, The Chalets). Expected to merge their new edgier,
heavier sound with the innate pop sensibility evidenced
on their earlier recordings, the album is scheduled for
release in early 2006. Watch this space…
"…The Rubens add their own magic ingredient
to make the influences of the past seem relevant for today…
big sweeping strings & guitar chords and choruses to
die for… We have no right to ask for more …"
-JACKIE HAYDEN, HotPress
"…If you're looking for the Irish Maroon 5 then
look no further than The Rubens. Actually they're better
than that.
-EYEBALLKID.COM (UK)
"…Interesting, captivating, familiar yet new,
The Rubens unashamedly pilfer all genres but yet make the
song sound like it is the first time you've heard music
like this…"
-JON RICHARDS, Galway Bay FM
"…The Midlands-based indie-rock group The Rubens
are impressing a lot of industry heads with their tireless
commitment to gigging. They've won lots of new fans with
their recent live on-air performances on Anna Livia FM among
other stations they've visited up and down the country…"
- Industry gossip and rumours, IMRO magazine
