Thundering drums and driving riffs underlaid by atmospheric synths define the sound of Spook The Horses. Imagine the soundtrack for a grey dawn looking out at the harbour in the band’s hometown, Wellington.
Creative tension within the band fuelled the stormy songs that became their latest album, Rainmaker.
“It was the first album we’d written more collaboratively as a band,” says vocalist Callum Gay.
They tried to understand how each member worked as a strong writer. Once they realised everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, the songwriting process became more natural, he says.
Guitarist Donnie Cuzens says it wasn’t a perfect process. “We still bicker. We’re still at each other’s throats sometimes. But at the end of the day you get better songs out of it.”
Gay adds: “It’s way better to be arguing. If everyone’s agreeing all the time there’s no point being in a band.”
Struggle through writing music as a group, and the result is better than if one person had done everything on their own, he says.
“You don’t get there by everyone being on the same page all the time.”
LISTEN: Spook The Horses interview with Music 101
Video filmed and edited by Ezra Simons, Gussie Larkin and Ben Bamford. Live footage shot at an Eyegum Collective party on June 6, 2015.
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