Rubyhorse
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Headquarters | Cork , Ireland |
Area served | Ireland, United States |
| Products | Albums, singles |
Rubyhorse is a rock ensemble originating from Cork, Ireland. Their initial album, A Lifetime In One Day, debuted in Ireland on 2 June 1995. In 1997, the group moved to Boston, Massachusetts and subsequently released three more albums: How Far Have You Come?, Rise, and Goodbye To All That. The band ceased activities in 2005.
In 2018, Rubyhorse partially reunited and issued four singles: A Little Rain, You Gotta Hold On, I Wanna Get Lost, along with a remix of their 2003 track Sparkle. Amid the 2020 pandemic, the founding members came together for the first time since 2003 to produce and release Punchdrunk, featuring contributions from George Harrison, recorded remotely across Ireland, the United States, and the Netherlands.
History
The band was established in 1988 at Colaiste an Spioraid Naoimh secondary school in Cork, Ireland, adopting their name from a song by The Wonder Stuff. After extensively promoting their debut album A Lifetime In One Day within Ireland, they relocated to Boston, Massachusetts in January 1997. There, they secured a 60-week residency at The Burren Irish Pub and Restaurant in Somerville's Davis Square and earned three Boston Music Awards within twelve months.
Following nationwide tours and considerable interest from record labels, Rubyhorse signed with Interscope Records after achieving top positions on early MP3 charts as an unsigned act. They moved to Los Angeles to work on a high-budget album produced by Paul Fox; however, this project was never released.
Refocusing their efforts, the band partnered with Ohio-born, Nashville-based producer Jay Joyce to independently create How Far Have You Come using a 16-track recorder in his Nashville basement. After extensive touring, Island Records under Universal Records signed them to refine the album further.
In the summer of 2001, Rubyhorse returned to Nashville with Jay Joyce, recorded new songs including "Sparkle," and enlisted Tom Lord Alge for mixing sessions in Miami Beach. The resulting major-label release, Rise, featured George Harrison playing slide guitar on "Punchdrunk." The band toured across the nation and appeared on notable television programs such as Late Show with David Letterman and Good Morning America. Their single "Sparkle" climbed to No. 17 on the Billboard charts in 2002, earned an Irish Meteor award, and was included in films like Ed Burns' Sidewalks of New York as well as TV shows such as Smallville. The track "Fell on Bad Days" was featured in the finale of the television series Rescue Me.
After original member and songwriter Owen Fegan departed in August 2003, Rubyhorse returned once more to Jay Joyce’s Nashville studio to produce the critically praised album Goodbye To All That, released by Atlanta's Brash Label. Despite favorable reviews and extensive touring in both the U.S. and Ireland, the album did not provide enough momentum to sustain the band, which ultimately disbanded in 2005.
Following the breakup, individual members embarked on solo ventures: Joe Philpott created "Jodavino" and the White Horse Guitar Club, gaining recognition in Ireland and Germany; Declan teamed up with drummer Gordon Ashe for Leftbank, releasing two albums; Owen Fegan introduced the "Maps Of Mars" EP under the moniker "VEMO," receiving positive critical attention.
During the COVID-19 lockdown period, the original lineup reunited virtually to record a "live from home" rendition of Punchdrunk, featuring George Harrison. The video premiered on YouTube on July 2, 2020; an extended single was released on October 16 after obtaining approval from the Harrison estate, with endorsements from Olivia and Dhani Harrison.
Band members
- Joe Philpott – guitar
- Decky Lucey – bass guitar
- Owen Fegan – keyboard instruments
- Gordon Ashe – drums
- David Farrell – lead singer
Discography
| Release Date | Album/Single Title | Record Label | Format | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 June 1995 | A Lifetime in One Day | Horse Trade | LP | Ireland |
| 7 July 1998 | Mini Hummer E.P. | Horse Trade | EP | United States |
| 14 November 2000 | How Far Have You Come? | Horse Trade | LP | United States |
| 21 May 2002 | Rise | Island Def Jam | LP | United States |
| 6 August 2002 | "Sparkle" | Island Def Jam | Single | United States |
| 3 September 2002 | Any Day Now | Island Def Jam | EP | United States |
| 22 June 2004 | Goodbye To All That | Brash Music | LP | United States |
| 7 August 2018 | "I Wanna Get Lost" | Self-released | Single | Worldwide |
| 16 October 2020 | "Punchdrunk (feat. George Harrison)" | Self-released | Single | Worldwide |