APR 10 – Trey The Ruler, aka Trey Hales, has signed to Headphone Music / Equal Vision Records. The Portland, OR-based spoken word performer will release his new four track EP, It’s All Down Hell From Here, on May 26.
Pre-orders for the EP, which include CD and 7″ vinyl options, are available now at treytheruler.merchnow.com, along with a full streaming premiere of the spoken word EP and “Types of Evil” – the first song to be released from his forthcoming full-length. The first 250 physical EP pre-orders will also include a limited edition single song flexi disc featuring “Types of Evil”.
It’s All Down Hell From Here will serve as a preview of the lyrical material that will appear on the aforementioned debut full-length, which will be released later this year, and will offer alternative song versions of the EP’s poems with the added incorporation of musical accompaniment.
“The flexi single “Types of Evil” is actually one of my favorite pieces I’ve written, about the manipulation from the church and the media on an adolescent who may not share the same values as his or her surroundings,” shares Hales. “I chose this track as the single, after writing the music for it with Anays Torres, because although the original poem is aggressive and dark, the feeling for the song is relaxed and mellow. I thought it had an interesting contrast, and this poem-to-song transformation was the most extreme and for that reason – you get to hear it first.”
This Summer, Trey The Ruler will perform on the entirety of the 2015 Vans Warped Tour as a special guest on the Acoustic Basement Tent. “I’ve always been an advocate for not needing a full band to prove a point on stage and for that reason at Warped Tour I’ll be performing these poems in spoken word/slam poetry solo format in the Acoustic Basement Tent, to an intimate number of kids each day. After working the tour last year, I couldn’t be more excited to see how a spoken word artist does in this environment.”
Having written for nearly his entire life, Hales officially launched Trey The Ruler in 2012 as a written project featured in self-released zines while in high school, eventually evolving into live spoken word performances at local Pacific Northwest shows. After graduating, Hales headed out on the road working for bands on larger club tours, and was soon asked to perform by the bands on the tour packages out of their curiosity to see what the project was all about. Bands were into it, kids were into it, and Hales was super into it, offering a welcome change of pace to shows with a subtle intensity and powerfully unique performances.
Following the November 2013 release of his debut EP / 7″, Hell Is Under My Hair, Hales set out to do something different for future releases, and began the process of evolving his craft to incorporate musical backing, to further evolve the soundscape of the project for future releases.
Additional details on Trey The Ruler‘s full-length release will be announced later this year. All upcoming tour dates can be found below.
TRACKLISTING
It’s All Down Hell From Here (EP)
1. Eight Ball God
2. Soul Trap
3. Creative Drug
4. Black
“Types of Evil” (single song flexi disc)
1. Types of Evil
TOUR DATES
2015 Warped Tour Dates
Jun 19 Pomona, CA @ Pomona Fairplex
Jun 20 San Francisco, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
Jun 21 Ventura, CA @ Seaside Park @ Ventura County Fairgrounds
Jun 23 Mesa AZ @ Quail Run Park
Jun 24 Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
Jun 25 Oklahoma City, OK @ Remington Park
Jun 26 Houston, TX @ NRG Park Main St. Yellow Lot
Jun 27 Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion
Jun 28 San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
Jul 01 Nashville, TN @ Tennessee State Fairgrounds
Jul 02 Atlanta, GA @ Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood
Jul 03 St.Petersburg, FL @ Vinoy Park
Jul 04 Miami, FL @ Coral Sky Amphitheatre – South Florida Fairgrounds
Jul 05 Orlando, FL @ Tinker Field
Jul 06 Jacksonville, FL @ Morocco Shrine Auditorium And Grounds
Jul 07 Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
Jul 08 Virginia Beach, VA @ Farm Bureau Live
Jul 09 Pittsburgh, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion
Jul 10 Philadelphia, PA @ Susquehanna Bank Center
Jul 11 New York, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Amphitheatre
Jul 12 Hartford, CT @ Xfinity Theatre
Jul 14 Boston, MA @ Xfinity Center
Jul 15 Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake PAC
Jul 16 Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
Jul 17 Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
Jul 18 Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
Jul 19 Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
Jul 21 Scranton, PA @ The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
Jul 23 Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center
Jul 24 Detroit, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills Parking Lot
Jul 25 Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
Jul 26 Minneapolis, MN @ Canterbury Park
Jul 27 St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Jul 28 Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheatre
Jul 29 Indianapolis, IN @ Klipsch Music Center
Jul 30 Kansas City, KS @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheater
Aug 01 Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah State Fairpark
Aug 02 Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center Parking Lot
Aug 05 San Diego, CA @ Qualcomm Stadium Parking Lot
Aug 07 Portland, OR @ Portland Expo Center
Aug 08 Seattle, WA @ White River Amphitheater
