Race Horses Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 11th 2010 1:05PM by Lais Martins Waring
Comments

Race Horses are an indie band who originally hail from west Wales, but have since moved to Cardiff. They are influenced by a multitude of bands, and have all been friends for years. They are playing SXSW this year, so Spinner spoke to bassist Dylan Hughes to get some more information about the band themselves.

Describe your sound in your own words.

Like a microphone falling in front of a monitor in the forest - but if there's no one there to hear it... does it feed back?

How did your band form?

Me and Meilyr [singer] were in school together and have always played music together. Gaff [guitar] was in university in Aberystwyth at the time and we met and formed the band - later Gwion [drums] joined through a mutual friend. We were based in Aberystwyth, west Wales, but have since moved to Cardiff.

What are your musical influences?

In no particular order:

Dexy's Midnight Runners, Roy Orbison, Fiery Furnaces, the Turtles, Beach Boys, Sparks, the Stooges, Velvet Underground, the Beatles, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Serge Gainsbourg, Clifford T Ward, Queen, the Shaggs, Patti Smith, the Libertines, George Formby, Syd Barrett (& early Pink Floyd), David Bowie, Joe Meek, Elvis Costello, Deerhoof, Love, the Kinks, Harry Nilsson, Jimi Hendrix, Gilbert & Sullivan, the Only Ones, Os Mutantes, Fats Domino, Pepe Le Pew, Arnold Schoenberg, ABBA, Kate Bush, ELO, Dungen, Antony and the Johnsons, Tim Ten Yen, Kevin Ayers, the Fall, Harry Patch, CAN, Suicide, Jerry Yester & Judy Henske, Meic Stevens, Elvis.

How did you come up with your band name?

I think it was Meilyr who came up with the name - we all sort of liked the energy in the name and the gambling connotations with the name. It also sounded quite youthful and sort of captured the excitement we felt when we started.

What's your biggest vice?

Racehorses

What's in your festival survival kit?

1. Antibacterial handwipes

2. Glue

3. Pepto-Bismol tablets

4. Tent with adequate sleeping bags.

Beatles or Stones?

Beatles (stoned).

What's the craziest thing you've seen or experienced while on tour?

Having to wait 45 minutes after ordering a fish pie at the Hog's Head in Nottingham, only to be told there was no fish pie left. That was crazy (and annoying).