The early '00s was a profitable enough time for Irish music, with acts such as JJ72, Snow Patrol, The Thrills, Damien Rice, Paddy Casey and the rest of the Two Pints Tuesday crew all reaching international heights and acclaim (even if just for a short while). But you know what they say - it's better to burn out than to fade away. But for all those early '00s Irish rocks bands, however fondly or otherwise remembered, at least their hit(s) hang in the public consciousness, passed down like Director's Reconnect or Royseven's We Should Be Friends.

Then there are the forgotten hordes who flicker for a while until they peeter out into into basement bins. Rubyhorse are in the latter camp, but for a minute they were the next big thing in Irish music. That doesn't always work out, though. Just ask My Little Funhouse. They were Ireland's answer to Guns'N'Roses - even renowned record label owner David Geffin thought so - but for whatever reason, it just didn't work out. What My Little Funhouse were to Irish music in the '90s, so too would Rubyhorse be in the '00s.

Like My Little Funhouse before them, Rubyhorse would be picked up by a major American label in Interscope. This didn't go well, however, and the group left the label and headed to Nashville to record the album 'How Far Have You Come?'

The independent success of the album prompted Island Def Jam, a different division of Universal  founded by Jimmy Iovine (described by Rolling Stone as "The man with magic ears") to re-sign them. Iovine cut his teeth in the studio, working with John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen. Whilst working on 'Born To Run' he moonlighted and literally produced Patti Smith's 'Easter'. When he got caught burning the candle at both ends, he convinced Springsteen to give Smith a song he'd elected not to include on the album.

That song was Because The Night, which remains Smith's biggest hit. Iovine would go on to produce Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty, U2, Simple Minds and Bon Jovi amongst others. When Iovine moved from the production suite to the boardroom the hits kept coming, and the musical powerhouse would help the careers of many of today's biggest stars of hip-hop and rock'n'roll. More recently Iovine founded Beats with Dr Dre.

Rubyhorse joined a roster of acts at the time that included industrial megastars Nine Inch Nails. The Cork group found themselves on the road with international superstars such as REM, INXS, Def Leopard and Sheryl Crow. They even found themselves in the studio with ex-Beatle and Travelling Wilbury, George Harrison, who laid down slide guitar on Punchdrunk.

Rubyhorse found themselves riding high in the Billboard Top 20 with several singles, including what would become their signature track, Sparkle, which they played live on The Late Show with David Letterman - the top rated US talk show of the day.

Despite having the man with magic ears in their corner, Rubyhorse only released one album on Island Deaf Jam - 'Rise' in 2002). The group's disquiet at two major label disappointments is reflected in the title of their 2004 follow up 'Goodbye To All That'.

But it was goodbye to Rubyhorse soon after, as the group peetered out in the following years, struggling to make a dint in the the market without the major label marketing budget behind them.

Fast forward to 2016, and The Frank and Walters invite the group to open for them at their 20th anniversary shows. The dormant music bug reborn, the group set about writing and recording new material for the first time in over a decade.

It’s been over a decade since you released any material what was the catalyst behind the decision to release new music?

When you write a great tune you don’t have a choice.

Do we have The Frank and Walters to thank/blame?

You can thank us and blame them.

There’s a romantic story about you guys going to America with a few grand and a phone number in your back pocket? It can’t have been that simple can it? And whose number was it?

It really was that simple. He’s been ex-directory ever since.

How did you go from playing in bars to playing at Fenway Park?

Taxis.

You’ve opened for some huge acts such as REM and INXS, what’s your abiding memory from those times on the roads?

If you can remember, you weren’t there.

You also signed with Island Def Jam and counted Nine Inch Nails as label mates. What’s the reality of being on a roster like that?

Loads of cash, babes everywhere, don’t eat, wear black, look miserable.

Do you ever look at something like the Defiant Ones on Netflix with Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine and think, 'fuck, that could have been me'?

It was me.

Around the time you guys recorded your album for Def Jam, you were regarded as being “tight as fuck” live, so why didn’t it work out in the studio?

Too tight to pay the bill.

What was it about producer Jay Joyce’s approach that was able to get the best out of you?

No bullshit approach to recording a band on fire.

Who have you been working with this time around, and what can fans expect from the new album when it arrives?

Most of it is done in Decks studio. The single was mixed by Jeff Tomeii. I think we are committed to making music that drives us on. If it moves us and we feel compelled to record and play it live, then that’s it.

You’ve not played Dublin in a minute, what kind of show will you be putting on for the Dubs?

Up the rebels.

Rubyhorse play Whelan’s 14th September. Tickets €20.00 on sale now.