Man Your Horse

Imagine the sonic force of art rock meeting the ferocity of rapid fire punk, all clocking in at under three minutes per song.  Meet Man Your Horse, a Vancouver 3-piece who have recently been filed down to a duo, “Unfortunately, our good buddy and long time bassist, Calum, is moving to Victoria.” Says vocalist and guitar player Julian “So, the first step for us is to get used to playing as a two piece while we look for a new member.”   

Thankfully with the help of a looping pedal, the show goes on as the band continue their tour with a special Halloween show this evening under the Man Your Hearse stage name.

Man Your Horse provide high energy compositions rife with melody and dissonance all at once.  In a way, their songs call to mind surf style guitar playing, possibly played on some intergalactic beach.  But at the same time, the machine gun drumming lends to a sound comparable to The Minutemen as it is both rhythmic and primitive.

The origins of the group date back four years now while they initially struggled with a few obstacles.  “We originally started jamming together under a different name 4 years ago. Scott, our drummer, had some health issues and we ended up taking some time off until he was better. We started playing as Man Your Horse in April 2009.” Says Julian.  

2009 would see the release of the band’s first EP Tails on Scratch Records.  The recording was a demonstration of the rock sensibilities of the trio as well as it providing a taste of the clever songwriting that would come to be closely associated with future releases.  In July of 2010, Man Your Horse released At Most: At Least which further showcased the raw talent and unique sound coming from the Vancouver group.  

More recently, the band have put out their latest EP Shorts.  The 6 track album is available for free download at manyourhorse.bandcamp.com.  Each tune speaks to the great varitey offered up by the group.  The album opens and closes with the instrumentals “Breakfast for Dinner” and “So Bronze it’s Gold” respectively.  Both maintain a manic and pulsating nature which is as intense as it is catchy.  “Grass Baskets” demonstrates the pop sensibilities inherent in the music very well as it is near impossible not to tap ones toe while having a listen.

A sense of humour and real playfulness is omnipresent within the music.  Visiting their website and other points of reference for Man Your Horse, it becomes very clear that having fun while making music is of the utmost importance to the band.  Stories from the road are shared on their blog (manyourhorse.blogspot.com).  “Tour is generally a whirl wind of funny things every day.  I think this is probably one of the funniest stories: It was our first of four shows in NYC, a jam packed loft show with two amazing bands - Noxious Foxes and Multitudes.  We were mid set when a crazy lady sporting a yellow jumpsuit, massive non-stylish glasses, and unkempt curly blonde hair came running through the door and started pushing and shoving Scott yelling "You're not supposed to be here!” Julian recalls.  “Scott followed in pursuit. Calum, our bassist, and I were left standing with our instruments in hand. "Did that just happen?" I asked everyone in attendance.  Shortly after, Scott burst back into the loft, grabbed another set of sticks, and we kicked back into the interrupted song.”

After a 911 call and some clarification with New York’s finest regarding what had transpired, all was well.  Julians final thoughts on the whole episode? “Brooklyn rules”

Man Your Horse offer an eclectic sound which dabbles in hardcore, pop and art rock just to name a few.  For the style of music they play, it is in essence sparse and stripped down, but what remains is a full bodied sound based on incredibly tight drumming driving the song, unique and melodic bass lines and innovative guitar licks worthy of Television.  

What’s next for the band?  “We've written a bunch of songs since we returned from tour and look forward making a new record in the fall/winter.”  Says Julian.  “Touring will definitely follow.”

For more info on Man Your Horse you can check them out at manyourhorse.bandcamp.com or at myspace.com/manyourhorse.