Rulers of the Planet sign with top German label

Christmas has come early for Cork band Rulers of the Planet who have secured a lucrative record deal with leading German label ZYX.

The deal will see the band’s as yet untitled second album, due out in April of next year, released across the continent.

Just three years ago the chance of them receiving recognition outside of their native city seemed remote at best.

Guitarist Ian O’Connell admitted with a smile that “it was a good time to be in the Rulers”.

“While the music scene in Cork is thriving, it is notoriously hard to break beyond that,” said Ian. “For a start, the kind of money needed to even take on a small tour of Ireland is beyond the reach of most bands.”

“Then there is that bit of luck that every act needs to get recognised,” he added.

That slice of luck came courtesy of talent scout Ray Deasy who saw the Rulers play at a live showcase event in Manchester.

“We subsequently played a gig in Germany attended by the head of ZYX records, who had been tipped off by Ray.

“He offered us a recording deal almost straight away,” said Ian.

“To be honest, this is the kind of deal that any aspiring band dreams of. It means that the new album will be released in Germany, Austria, France, Spain, and Eastern Europe to a potential audience of millions,” he added.

ZYX were so impressed with the tracks from the upcoming album that they arranged a four-month European tour for the band, timed to coincide with the record’s release.

The tour will also include presenting their own shows on the label’s television station.

“The tour will take us to Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Poland, as well as one-off festival performances in Slovakia and the Czech Republic,” said Ian.

“The best thing about the whole thing is that the company will be paying for everything.

“There is no way that we could ever have afforded to pay for the kind of exposure the tour will give us,” he added.

Fans have the chance to see the Rulers of the Planet live tonight at the Half Moon Club, Cork.

Article courtesy of The Evening Echo newspaper.