Interviews

Pulled Apart by Horses

Chris Lowe 04/03/2008

Interview, 19th Feb, 2008, Leeds.

You must remember the monster disco rock unit 'Mother Vulpine' right? What about tech filthery, fuck faces 'Concentration Champ'? Well I do and it would seem a new horse just rode in to town with four riders saddled to it. 'Pulled Apart by Horses' are a new sickening rock dirge act from high upon Leeds who seem to be getting a little bit of attention even though they've only played about four gigs and have two tracks on myspace. I think I'm gonna ask this motley crew what the deal is.


Please sate your name followed by initials here then initial each answer.

James Brown - JB (guitarist)

Rob Lee - RL (Bass)

Lee Vincent -LV (drums)


Tell me what the hell this name is all about. It's very good but still, what on earth are you on about?

JB - It's a sick torture technique my good friend. Four horses and some rope attached to each limb and something like a gun to get them galloping/trotting. I think Rob has had it done to him before?

RL - Yeah I have, It really hurt as well, took quite a few paracetamol to get over that one I'll tell you. There's a lot of imagery in the name that fits the band; harnessing four lots of untamed energy to cause one sick, twisted effect. Or something.

LV - James came up with it and I love it. It's brutal!

Ok, now I've cleared that up tell us how this all happened? All of you had previous adventures in great bands (Mother Vulpine, Concentration Champ, It Takes Bridges) and now we are here in 2008 with this sick rock unit. Explain.

JB - I run the label that released Mother Vulpine and after they disbanded I joined up with Lee from Champ and Rob and we later got Tom to come along to a few practices and it just all went off rather quickly. I really love this band and I cant wait to get a tour sorted.

LV - I'd finished doing Champ and was playing solely in Year of the Man, then I got a message from the man Brown saying he wanted to do a band that sounded like Jesus Lizard. It didn't quite turn out that way but I'm glad I said yes.

RL - I'd just been trying stuff out with different bands and musicians for years. Surviving on biscuits and hair products. I met James a while ago through various intoxicated sojourns, which eventually led to a fateful night when we were stood outside the Brudenell, the conception and birth place of many a ridiculous idea. In fact James was born upon that very doorway. That's when he revealed his evil plans to me and I asked if I could get in on the action. To which he replied, “You're already involved, there's no stopping it now.”

So how do you feel PABH will develop and what are you hoping to do this year?

JB - I'd love to get an EP and a single out on vinyl this year. Maybe tour Europe as well. Maybe grow my hair a bit like the strokes and get some silvery leather slacks. It's too early to say how we'll develop really. Kraut-rock would be cool.

LV - I think we'll write a shit-load of tunes and play a shit-load of gigs.

RL - We're still getting gig offers, and we'll definitely be doing some more recording with Ben Gardener. It's an unusual way of working in a band, because we had gigs booked before we even had a completed set of songs. So we had to work pretty hard and quickly to get something together that we were really happy with.

The pressure of that short time scale helped us to be productive and really get the band started. It's often the case that indecision or perfectionism or egos get in the way of bands making music and that can all happen when you have too much time to think about things. One of the main ideas in this band is to get things done fast, keep it raw and keep the energy involved in it. So, while we've been concentrating on getting the first set together over the past few months, we've still got a lot of ideas that will be coming together soon. I think summer is going to be an amazing time for us.

Who writes the lyrics? I love the lyrics!

LV - Tom is revolutionising the spoken word with his Macho Poetry….

I feel subtle tones of underground DIY dirge put also sly melodies and catchiness in places. Are you local black and white A5 fanzine based or hoping for NME full colour?

LV - We're Railway Modeller meets Razzle.

JB - I love fanzines. Can you get a lego fanzine? Lego is well swish. The NME is a lovely, juvley magazine……………………….cough.

RL- We're actually working on a revolutionary new subsection of society, which will be led by a monthly magazine. It's for rock orientated bikers that can't afford a motorbike and have a keen interest in fishing. We're calling it Hell's Anglers.

People seem to like you looking at your myspace comments but it's still very, very, early days for you guys. What are you going to do that every one else hasn't already done?

JB- Cover and re-work pop idol finalist's songs, make a music video about eggs, smash the world record for breaking guitars at one gig and maybe pan fry kippers on stage…for a bit. People have been really nice so far on myspazzer. Its nice.

LV - We're going to write a grindcore opera

RL- At this stage we're just really excited about doing something that we've never done before, rather than what other people have or haven't already done. I think people are seeing how much we're enjoying this and responding to that.

I see flamboyant and adrenalin based live videos on youtube. When can we see you play live over the coming months, any special gigs?

JB - I love gigging. I really love gigging. Gig. Nastyfest in Leeds will be mint on May 17th at The Faversham. Erm,……..still waiting for more gigs really.

LV - Nastyfest, like James said, Hopefully some tour action too.

RL - Can I just say “Nastyvest” as well? (James, what's Nastyvest?)

Any releases in the pipe line as of yet?

JB - Nothing but plans for a free CD we'll give away at gigs with some nice artwork on it.

RL- James is always releasing from his pipeline.

LV - A tune on the next On the Bone compilation, aside from that there's nothing planned yet. I think we'd all like to do a split 7” with some other sexy band before the years out.

RL - We're all into drawing and graphics as well as music, so we're planning on doing some collaborative cover designs that will all be different on each cd. So get one!

What's 'the very ace & spazzy' current myspace track 'High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive' all about by the way?

JB - I would quite like to hear the answer to this actually.

LV - its about rolling on twenties.

RL - That sublime moment when you high five a stranger for the first time, and you know that a whole load of crazy shit is about to follow.

Thanks guys. Visit these horsery ones on the tinterweb at: