Pulled Apart By Horses are releasing their album ‘The Haze’ on March 17th via Caroline Australia. With 3 singles from the album already released its clear that ‘The Haze‘ is going to be one incredible record. We were lucky enough to have a chat with front man Tom to find out more about.. Well everything !
How did you come up with the band name Pulled Apart By Horses?
Oh man that was James our guitarist who come up with that name. He sort of lied to us in the beginning saying it was a name that was inspired by, we used to practice and some of us to use to live above the this pub called the Pack Horse Pub in Leeds and that is kind of where the band was born. He used to lie by saying that was the reason he came up with Pulled Apart By Horses. But we later found out that he is a massive Radiohead fan and it was one of their rare bside tracks called Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses. But then Tom later released it and he was busted and we all like you’ve just taken it for Radiohead song haha, and that’s about it. But it does sort of describe us in a way, like that intensity from 4 different people trying to pull music in four different directions kind of sums it up really.
You guys have been a band for 9 years this year, what do you think has changed the most?
I think for us it’s always constantly evolving really. One thing that stayed the same is our core intensity and pushing ourselves like when we play live we put absolutely everything into it. But also creating song, we love experimenting and chucking around different ideas and bringing together different influences. But I guess the one thing that’s changed is that we actually learnt how to play instruments rather than just smashing the s*** out of them and hoping for the best. Actually, I think we’ve learnt to smash the s*** out of them but maybe make a better sound.
You are just 11 days away from releasing your album ‘The Haze’, how are you feeling?
Totally psyched. I mean we’ve released two singles and an album track so it’s kinda cool that there’s already something out there for people to digest a little bit, but there’s nothing better than the day that the album comes out and everybody can actually hear it and it’s fullness and as it’s been intended. Its just that weird period at the moment, where we recorded last year, we’ve mixed it and its ready to go. But we have been setting things up and doing some support tours and now it’s just those last few weeks of anticipation really, where you start to get a bit frustrated. Like arghh I just want to get the album out and do our own tour and get back on the road and stuff. So its a weird period but we are super psyched to get it out and go on our own tour.
Is there a reason you chose ‘The Haze’, ‘The Big What If’ and ‘Hotel Motivation’ as the tracks to release before the album?
Yeah yeah. Well the first one was The Big What If, and I think that song was like, when we first wrote it last year that kind of felt like something new, but it had the vibes of some of our earlier stuff that we did when we weren’t over thinking stuff and just going with our gut. But I think The Big What If covers a few different areas of the album really, that song felt like it was a good one to kick the album off with. The same with The Haze as well cause because its the title track of the album it opens up the album so we thought its an introduction as well so it would be cool to get it out. We wanted to get something out different and kind of kick people off a bit. Then Hotel Motivation that’s another one that’s like, well all 3 tracks sort of have their own identity and that’s like another avenue. I think when we wrote Hotel Motivation we all found that there was a little more of a bounce to it and we had been listening to a lot of Iggy Pop and David Bowie. So it had a little bit of more of an old school stomp to it rather than just all playing at 100 miles per hour.
Who has the most influence during the writing process or was it all pretty even?
It’s a big mix really, I mean especially this album some of it started out where I’d write a whole song at home or the barebones of it just sitting at home playing and writing little bits and putting it together and then showing the rest of the dudes. Then other ones we had just turned up to our studio where we practice and stuff and then James might have an idea or Rob would have a baseline or Tommy might have a drum beat and wouldn’t have a plan we just kind of chuck it in the room and overtime it would just happen without us really knowing what was going on. I think we just attacked it from different angles, we didn’t really just roll out one thing. When the writing stuff it’s good to see ideas through rather than just put it ion the back burner and forget about it, I think we try to pursue as much as we could when we were writing. But then you get a bit of a vibe if something isn’t quite working or it doesn’t quiet fit with stuff, or if I’m trying to do lyrics or vocals to match and it feels like it isn’t working then we just sort of leave it and move on quickly really rather than sit there and overthink it.
Do you have a favourite track from the album, if so why is it your favourite?
Oh man that’s tough, that’s like trying to pick your favourite child or something haha. For me it constantly changes like I listen back to the album and be like oh shit I totally forgot about that song or I’ll hear something different in it every time. Uhm, I’m just trying to think. I guess at the moment The Haze like the title track is the one that I enjoy playing the most that I’m just waiting to play live, Just because it’s a really fun tune to play. There’s a little break down bit like halfway through got a bit of a crowd rocking feel to it and I remember when we were playing it we could have played that bit for like half an hour, well I think we did just jamming it out. It’s just awesome to play together that song.
What was it like recording your album with Ross Orton?
It was really cool, we totally ended up becoming friends as well as really getting into it. He’s a northerner as well hes from Sheffield so he already had a really similar sense of humour and he comes from the working class background so we got on really well. At the same time he’s a bit of a f****** nutter. So there was stuff that happened that was unexpected and he’d push us in different directions so you were never in your comfort zone but in a really good way. You never really got tired and too comfortable he would always be like, alright we are going to do this or he’d change something up so he always kept us on our toes.
Did you approach the writing and recording of ‘The Haze’ the same as your previous albums? Do you think working with Ross made that process easier?
I wouldn’t say easier because it was still quite hard going and intense, but I guess every album is when you’re all stuck in each other’s pockets and living in a studio for weeks doing something that’s quite intense and draining. But I think with Ross he’d seen us live a couple of times and he was just sort of saying the last couple of albums we’ve done, he was like I don’t think that they quite match the way you guys sound or the sort of vibe you guys have when you’re playing live. What I really want to do is come in and try and capture that feeling and that intensity of when you’re playing live but lets try and squeeze that into recording really. We also wanted to go back to when we recorded our first album and we didn’t really over analyse anything or over think it, it was more like go with your gut and if it feels good then why f*** about just stick with it.
You recently released a music video for your single Hotel Motivation. Is the visual component a true indication of how you felt when writing the track?
Yeah I guess it does in a sense, plus I think we had to get up at like 6 in the morning or something like to drive down to film the video so we were all a bit on edge and cranky anyways so that added to it. Me and Tommy our drummer we have made music videos for other bands together, and Rob and James went to art college. So we like to get stuck in and get involved when it comes to the visual side of things as well. Either that or we just end up pissing off the director because we try to hard to be involved.
Caller: Sorry Georgia you have one minute left.
Me: No worries.
Tom: The time is ticking hahaha
Do you plan to take your album on the road?
Oh yeah definitely. We are off on tour in a couple of weeks and then hopefully we will put some plans together to head over to the States and then maybe come to see you lot in Australia so will wait and see.
Who are you biggest musical influences?
I guess the best thing to say in terms of what reflects this album I would say David Bowie and Iggy Pop. I’ve been trolling through their back catalogue for the past year and a half or so, well obviously longer but I’ve just become obsessed with both of them again so I’d say David Bowie and Iggy Pop.
What is the worst piece of life advice you have ever received?
Get a job. Get a proper job. That would be the worst piece of life advice I have received.
