Music > Interviews
Brown Horse
05/05/24
Music is the language of life- its lyrics are shaped by our own experiences, and it can be the voice we need to hear on the darkest of days to make us realise that we are not alone. And nothing captures the power of this language greater than the albums created by bands, musicians and duos, which take their listeners through compelling conversations over the course of their soundtrack.
To celebrate the release of their debut album, ‘Reservoir’, local country rock band, Brown Horse, embarked on a UK tour throughout the course of March and April, covering 22 venues across the country!
A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to catch up with Rowan from Brown Horse before their Dublin tour date to discover their journey as a band, the inspiration behind their music, as well as how their tour had been going so far!
When did your journey as a band begin?
Rowan: Me, Patrick and Emma met in Norwich whilst studying, but it wasn’t until we met Nyle that we started playing open mics and a few pub shows. It was more of a folk set-up at that point, but we were doing a few of our own songs and just getting to know the Norwich scene in 2019. So then, through the pandemic, we were sending stuff back and forth and working on things. The first gig we played afterwards was at the Norwich & Norfolk festival and we ended up hanging out with Ben, who was also on the bill. We had all been listening to his album “Lemongrass” and so it was great when he was up for playing with us. That allowed us to really expand our sound and a few months later we got the chance to support Phoebe at Voodoo’s. When she asked us back for the “Middlenite” album launch at the Arts Centre, we played a song all together for the first time.
How would you describe your music?
Rowan: I think it hopefully reflects a range of interests. There’s definitely a grungier 90s side to it and I think it’s nice not to feel too restricted to work within any genre. For the second album, we are definitely broadening our sound. The influences you can hear on “Reservoir” will still be there, but with some heavier stuff too. Then, there’s also more hooks and a bit more variety. So really, we’re just trying to make songs we might listen to ourselves. We love playing together and hopefully that excitement comes through.
What was the inspiration behind the name?
Rowan: It was a bit of a joke, like if you try to imagine a horse it’s probably brown. One of us just said it and someone else said let’s call ourselves that. It’s kind of cartoony and stuck for some reason. We got to know the Spencer Radcliffe song later and people sometimes ask us if that’s where it’s from and yeah that would probably be cooler.
Where do you look for inspiration for your music?
I’m sure people always say “everywhere”, but I think we do definitely draw from different things. We’re all quite big readers. Nyle’s songs have all kinds of things in them and you can find references to films, science fiction, or just strange historical events. Emma’s songs often use landscapes and local places as the backdrop for really atmospheric stories, like “Reservoir” and “Bloodstain”, and her writing definitely has a literary quality.
What motivates you all to create music?
We’re quite a strange bunch of people maybe. The others might have better answers, but I guess I like listening to music a lot and just having fun playing with friends. It’s really exciting to work on a song and for each member of the band to contribute something to it.
How are you feeling after the release of your debut album, 'Reservoir', this year?
The response has been amazing, and it’s got a lot more notice than we expected. It’s been really nice that it’s reached a lot of people and we’re still getting used to the idea that people outside Norwich know our songs. So yeah, it feels good.
What has been your proudest moment as a band so far?
For me, probably playing shows like the Arts Centre and Voodoos. It’s really nice to see that people know the songs and come to every show we do here and to see so many friends in the audience. Playing to a ridiculously big crowd in Oslo was also pretty funny to us.
How has your UK tour been so far (how are you feeling for the final date in Ireland)?
It’s been fun to play in some cities for the first time and to get a good response. In places like Edinburgh, Birmingham and Leeds, we had really nice crowds and then shows like the Arts Centre and Shacklewell Arms, where we saw lots of familiar faces, helped to keep our spirits up after weeks of touring. We’ve played with loads of great acts, including some of our friends and also bands that were new to us. It will be great to head over to Ireland, having finished our UK tour. Dublin's a city we love and have always wanted to play.
What power do you believe live music holds?
Nothing really compares to seeing live music. Catching an artist for the first time can be such a meaningful experience.
What is your favourite element of the local music scene in Norwich/ Norfolk?
It’s great that people come to the shows and come early to catch all the bands. So even at our first shows, a decent crowd was there and gave us a chance. We’ve been lucky enough to be on the same bill as acts like Janani.fx, Santa Rita, Aphra and Murmarations and have gradually got to know lots of really talented people connected with the scene.
How important do you believe it is to support the local musical scene/ community?
Well yeah, go and see live music. And support young musicians and any venues, shops and publications that are supporting them. It’s very important and we have to do anything we can to ensure the community is inclusive and welcoming and to keep the scene healthy and alive.
What advice would you give to any aspiring musicians?
I’m not sure how qualified we are to give advice, so I could only say to play music with people you like and try and enjoy doing it. We played for years without ever expecting anyone to notice and so the last year has come as a real surprise.
Have you got any plans for 2024?
Yeah, pretty busy. Lots of festivals coming up. We are playing Green Man and End of the Road, which will be huge shows for us, and we’ll be working on new music whenever we get a chance.
To keep up to date with the amazing work (and music!) of Brown Horse, then you can head to their Instagram (@brownhorse_band)!