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Coming on like Fleetwood Mac covering dEUS via Fugazi and early Verve, Horse Party got together after a night spent drinking in a church. Ellie Langley, Seymour Quigley and Shannon Hope were united in a love of Bjork, Savages, Daughter and terrible movies.
When the band’s first song ‘Clarion Call’, appeared on Soundcloud in January 2013 it received widespread airplay and scored the band plenty of bookings. Over the next year they played 50+ gigs with support slots including Tunng, Pinkunoizu, Shonen Knife, Heartless Bastards, Ghostpoet, The Nightingales, Vuvuvultures and Dingus Khan. Among all this, a particular highlight from their first year as a band was a live broadcast via BBC Introducing from the new John Peel Centre for Creative Arts. The band also collaborated with singer Jaq Gallier at a special Elliott Smith Tribute at London's Brixton Windmill.
After further releases including the single ‘Back to Mono’ and a live EP ‘Scarlet & Blue’, the band signed to UK independent label Integrity (Million Dead, Valentiine) in October. The release of single 'What Do You Need' in November (played on air by Amazing Radio and John Kennedy at XFM), rounded off their busy 2013.
The band grew out of Bury St Edmunds’ thriving music scene. Bury was little more than a sleepy Suffolk town with a Tory constituency, until restrictions on live music were lifted in the 90s and bands such as Mansun started touring through the town. An exciting punk and DIY scene emerged with kids including Ellie, Seymour and Shannon picking up instruments and getting noticed by the nation. Not only did John Peel pronounce it ‘The New Seattle’, but the town came second in Rolling Stone’s culture capital of the year list 2002. Really.
The scene disintegrated for a few years but its second wave is coming with full force. Along with their own music Horse Party run a monthly club night called Washing Machine at The Hunter Club in Bury St Edmunds for new bands. In a recent interview with Q Magazine [1] Seymour said: “we're running three or four nights a month and I can't keep up with the number of people wanting to play. We get 15 year- olds talking to us about Devo, Fugazi, Talking Heads and Melvins plus early 90s hip-hop, and referencing those bands in their music."
The band are tireless supporters of other Suffolk musicians. They run their own label called Sturm Und Drang Recordings and a magazine, plus they also have a Riot Grrrl-inspired fanzine called 'Shut The Fuck Up' which they hand out free at gigs.
Horse Party are a band who have naturally tapped into music’s power to stir a stagnant mentality – as such their upcoming album is a harmony of raw, lo-fi expression and liberating rock-your-cares-away hooks. More than anything else though, Seymour describes Horse Party as “the most fun I’ve ever had with other humans”.
Horse Party will be playing the following shows in support of the album:
FEBRUARY
Friday 28th - Sudbury (Suffolk), White Horse
MARCH
Saturday 1st - Bury St Edmunds, Washing Machine @ The Hunter Club
Thursday 6th - London, Camden Monarch
Friday 21st - Norwich, Blossom Records
APRIL
Thursday 3rd - Cambridge, Portland Arms
Friday 11th - Stowmarket, John Peel Centre with Dingus Khan
Saturday 12th - Colchester, Soundhouse with F.O.X.
Saturday 19th - London, Brixton Windmill
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