We may earn an affiliate commission for sales made via ads/links on this page.

Horse Party: Friends, Integrity and Bouncy Castles!

/
/
ad-mania

WithGuitars talk to Seymour and Shannon from Integrity Record’s Horse Party ahead of their appearance at this weekends Latitude Festival about fanzines, sweaty gigs and bouncy castles. Still busy in the afterglow of CD/download 8-track album ‘Cover Your Eyes’. Jamie Gambino enjoys a natter with Horse Party talent’s Shannon and Seymour.

You are have a fanzine called ‘Shut The Fuck Up’ can you tell us about it?
Shannon: “We really just wanted something where us and our friends could write about the things we care about. Unlike some fanzines it doesn’t have a particular theme. We’ve had people submit pieces on feminism, music, recipes, books, people have sent us their artwork. We hand the fanzine out at gigs but you can also view it online.”
Seymour:  “Shannon lent me Sara Marcus’ book about the riot grrrl movement, ‘Girls To The Front’, and it was a bit of a “Eureka!” moment – there are things we’re all passionate about, so why not put your opinions out there?  It’s only a bit of A4 paper with words scribbled on, it’s cheap to make and easy to do…  Scenes aren’t just about the music.”

As well as being in Horse Party you also run a night ‘Washing Machine’ where do find the time?!
Seymour:  “We just sort of naturally delegated responsibility, so I’m more in charge of the clubnights, Shannon’s more in charge of the fanzine, and Ellie writes more of the songs.  In the practice room and on stage, we’re totally equal.  We’ve been talking about doing a radio show or podcast, but we all work day jobs so that could be a way off…”

You are on Integrity Records home of Million Dead, Katastrophe Wife and more recently the Australian female grunge band Valentiine, what attracted you to the label?
Shannon: “I like a lot of the bands on the label so it’s nice to be part of the Integrity family. I know Seymour has released through them before and had good experiences.”
Seymour:  “They’re nice, honourable chaps.  Actually, I was hoping they’d ask me for sexual favours, but that hasn’t happened yet.”

Horse Party: Back To Mono

You are about to play Latitude Festival, is it daunting playing on bigger stages or do you treat every gig the same?
Shannon: ” I try to treat every gig the same but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly nervous when playing bigger stages. It’s that good kind of nervousness though, where your adrenaline kicks in and you kind of enjoy it. When I’m playing though I kind of forget where I am and just focus on playing and having fun with my friends.”

Seymour:  In a way I do prefer playing tiny sweaty gigs, because they’re the ones I enjoy going to most.  But you do feel like you want to be amazing at festivals, even if, like us, you’re not naturally inclined to strut around like Bono.
You have all played in various bands before Horse Party, have you found any favourite venues to perform in?
Shannon: “I love Open in Norwich, the sound has always been really good for us and it’s a nice venue. I always have fun playing our hometown venue The Hunter Club because our friends all come together and have a good time.”
Seymour:  “We’ve played some quite interesting places – we did a brilliant gig in the bar at Ipswich Wolsey Theatre the other week, they’d made the place look like a 60’s boutique, with mountains of olives on every table.  I’d quite like to play Brixton Academy, not sure they’d have us just yet though.  And I’m looking forward to playing the New Adelphi in Hull again, everything about it is unlikely but brilliant.”

Your album artwork is quite provocative, who comes up with the bands visual identity?
Shannon: “Kate Wood designed our album cover and takes the photos for us. I think we always wanted it to be Black and White and her photography kind of works perfectly for the image we wanted to have.”
Seymour:  “Artwork shapes how you feel about a record, and people are starting to remember the importance of that – that’s why vinyl’s starting to come back, people want albums to be an experience, a World of their own.  We’re really lucky to have people like Kate Wood and Henry D.C. Williams, who does our videos – they seem to have an innate understanding of where we’re coming from, so their visuals reflect how the music feels.”

I have heard a rumour that you have already recorded album number 2, when can we expect to see that released?
Shannon: “We’re still working on it, we have recorded some new songs that we’ve been working on but I’m sure we will go into the studio again soon and lay a few more down. We believe it’s best to record the songs when they are fresh and still full of energy and excitement, it’s vital for us and the talented George Perks who is our engineer to make sure that energy is captured on tape.”

Seymour, you sing lead vocals on one track ‘Let The Man Die’ will you be singing more on the next record?
”Seymour:  “Yeah, I’ve got a few more on the next one.  But I’m not bothered about being the frontman or anything, I used to be the singer in a punk band and it made me really unhappy, so taking lead vocals makes me a bit uneasy.  I’m a guitarist first and foremost, my main concern is how I can do justice to each song.”

‘Inbetween’

 

Your video for ‘Inbetween’ is like a tourist guide to Bury St Edmunds! What is it you love so much about your home town?
Shannon: “Haha, I guess it is! It’s weird, I used to think I would never settle in Bury, I was younger and it is a small, conservative market town but as I’ve got older I’ve fallen in love with it. My best friends live here, there are some great bands around. I’ve said it before but one thing I personally think Bury needs is a great Record Shop, then we’d be set as far as I’m concerned.”
Seymour: “ I used to think it was the arse of the World when I was growing up, but I toured with bands for years, then I lived in London for a while.  When I came back I realised that Bury’s actually a beautiful place, and there are LOADS of creative people around, and I was lucky to grow up here.  I spend my teenage years complaining that nothing was happening, but it never occurred to me that Manchester didn’t have a coherent music scene before Tony Wilson started his Factory nights, so why not start your own?”

Your list of influences was quite eclectic ranging from Bjork to Savages, who do you rate at the moment and is their anyone you are wanting to see at Latitude Festival?
Shannon: “I’ve recently got Sharon Van Ettens new record, I think that’s really great. At Latitude I’m looking forward to seeing The War On Drugs, Eagulls, Goat, Daisy Victoria, First Aid Kit, Esben and The Witch.”
Seymour:  “I can’t get enough of The Horrors’ new record, Courtney Barnett, The Julie Ruin, First Aid Kit.  There’s a rad Bury band called Voter Kernel, they’re like a walking John Peel show. I think we’re all agreed on The War On Drugs.  And I really enjoyed Sleaford Mods’ singles collection, it’s good to hear someone sounding as angry as everyone should be right now.  At Latitude I’m going to watch Booker T and then go on a bouncy castle.”

‘Clarion Call’

Saturday 19th July Southwold, Latitude Festival (Lake Stage) (for BBC Introducing)

Saturday 23rd August Bury St Edmunds, Homegrown Festival

Saturday 30th August Norwich, Waterfront

Visit www.horsepartyparty.co.uk for more info and to subscribe to the fanzine.

Buy Horse Party’s full album now from iTunes at itunes.apple.com/gb/album/cover-y…eyes/id827101282

Order the album on digi-pak CD from Integrity Records atintegrityrecords.co.uk/order

This div height required for enabling the sticky sidebar

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This
Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views :