Let’s face it: rock as it used to be is dead. Scattered amongst the wreckage is the nature of rock. The deliberately angry and rebellious nature. Indie rock today has taken aspects of the old myth and made it new, and with the new comes Australian band, An Horse. Playing out like a cult movie from the nineties, An Horse was formed in a record store. Indie darlings, Tegan and Sara, came to play a show at the record store, liked their demo, and invited An Horse to tour with them. Now An Horse, currently coming off a tour with Kaki King, are gearing up to record their new album this summer. Despite their hectic schedule, Kate Cooper took some time to answer some questions any fan would like to know: her top five rainy day albums and whether world domination is a goal of An Horse. The answers just might surprise you.
Many different reviews of your music say it is meant for the angry, rebelling teenagers. Were you guys angry when you recorded Rearrange Beds?
No I wasn’t angry. I was a bit sad when I wrote some of the songs but when we recorded them I was very happy! I was never an angry rebellious teenager. The teenagers I meet who come to our show seem pretty happy too. They often tell me our songs help them out of bad times etc. I think to the untrained ear, rock/indie/pop/rap probably sounds rebellious. The Beatles were total rebels at the time. Now they are sweet, sweet pop.
As a band, what is your main priority: selling a lot of records or complete world domination?
Our main priority as a band is to be happy. I don’t care for world domination. The fact that we sell records amazes me.
What are the top five albums you would play on a rainy day?
Ohh that’s tough. 1) Electrelane – No Shouts, No Calls, 2) The Finches – Human Like a House, 3) The Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound, 4) Gillian Welch – Revival, and 5) Jessica Lea Mayfield – With Blasphemy So Heartfelt.
I read that you guys met while working at a record store. What records did you recommend the most?
I recommended a lot of records! I worked there for 3 years so I got to listen to a lot of great stuff. I recommended my favorite records by artists like Tegan and Sara, DCFC, The Jealous Sound, Sleater-Kinney, Fugazi etc. etc.
An Horse has toured a lot over the last few years. Do you have any interesting stories from touring so much?
Yes we have book loads of tour stories. Most of which probably don’t translate well! We get to see some pretty crazy places and do some even crazier things. We also see a lot of the same hotel rooms.
Eventually after bands have been around for a few years they get covered by other artists/bands. Who do you think would do a good cover of an An Horse song?
The Cancer Bats.
What was the first concert you attended and how old were you?
The Rolling Stones and I was 15. My parents pulled me out of school for it. The second concert I saw was also when I was 15 and it was Bob Dylan and Patti Smith. It was amazing.
What is your favorite aspect of being in a duo as opposed to a full band?
There are a lot of things I like about being a duo. I guess the most obvious is that there are less cooks in the kitchen.
What kind of impression do you hope people leave with after going to one of your shows?
I just hope they have a good time and think we are making honest music. I couldn’t really ask for more!
As an indie rock band, what do you think when people say “Rock is dead’?
I think I agree. The “rock” cliche probably only existed briefly for a couple of years in the sixties. I don’t really think too much about all the rock and roll myths. I know that I don’t fit into any and I don’t really care to. I just like writing songs. The fact that some people like listening to them is a bonus.
