Matt Batey’s Ruler creates a textured soundtrack for moving forward, for getting better, for working through fears, anxieties, addictions and failures. This isn’t therapy, it’s indie rock with some pretty killer songs.
No platitudes or love songs here—only raw interior monologue and deep character analysis. For most us, this stuff is hard to confront and even harder to articulate. Batey’s lyrics are pointedly specific—so much so that they’re immediately relatable. And they’re set to soaring tunes that are beautifully, earnestly upbeat. Amid his brilliance and artistry, Batey exposes himself as one of us. That’s his purpose and his gift, spelled out in Ruler’s bold, beautiful songs: Life hurts, but it’s great, and that’s it.