From the Forbidden Planet
CVLT Nation Interviews HORSEBACK

Horseback is an awesome band that creates music that moves you beyond the boundaries of your imagination & then some. CVLT Nation had the opportunity to interview these transcendental music makers. I will go on record one more time: ‘The Gorgon Tongue: Impale Golden Horn + Forbidden Planet’ is a very special album that comes out on May 25th via Relapse records. This is what happens to me: from the very first song, I find myself transfixed in a state of blissed-out euphoria. So after the jump, enjoy this thought-provoking interview with Jenks of Horseback.

Hi Horseback, how are things in your universe?

Very busy. Ever-expanding.

So Horseback started as a one-man-band then expanded into a three-piece…why the transition?

My writing process involves figuring out how different voices can fit together as a whole. This process is usually smoothest when I have time to sit down and write each part, one at a time, fitting the pieces together like a puzzle. However, I won’t pretend that I’m an expert on every instrument; live (and often on recordings), it’s best if others assume certain responsibilities. John Crouch, for example, of the mighty Southern psych-metal band Caltrop, is one of my favorite living drummers. He lives just down the road a ways. I’m lucky to have the opportunity to work with him live and in the studio.

At what point in your life did creating music become something you had to do for your sanity?

I’ve played music since I was very young, maybe five or six years old. Music became the focal point of my life after I graduated from college. Before then I was too wrapped up in my studies to give music my complete attention. And yes, now it keeps me sane.

How important is it for you to have an open mind when it comes to the music you listen to? Are there any genres that inspire Horseback that the listener would never guess?

This is critically important. I’m always trying to learn about new music and to further understand music that seems strange or initially unappealing. My favorite artists are often those who initially repulse or confuse me, and thus require me as an audience to work towards a new understanding. Lately I’ve been listening to raw black metal like Blasphemy, Black Witchery, and Ibex Throne, classic country like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, Brian Eno’s first few ambient records, and Kate Bush. My favorite records so far this year aren’t metal records. That list would include Arbouretum’s The Gathering, PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake, Current 93’s Honeysuckle Aeons, and Zomes’ Earth Grid.

Please explain how important these concepts are to you & what role they play in what you create: juxtaposition, repetition & rhythm?

Repetition is very important. I’m interested in cycles, wheels inside of wheels, that kind of thing. Repetition helps me focus, or unfocus. I suppose juxtaposition comes naturally as contexts and symbols shift and take on new meanings. Rhythm can be important, but so can its absence.

Do you create songs with the intent to expand the listener’s imagination?

I don’t want to assume anything about the listener, or how Horseback’s music will be interpreted. However, if it does expand a listener’s imagination, that’s wonderful.



I feel like the music you make paints a picture of the world we exist in…meaning in one moment everything is peace & calm…then the next moment it’s harsh & heavy. How does your music reflect your world?

The qualities you’re talking about — calmness and harshness — exist simultaneously, and contain each other on some level. So I guess my goal, in part, is to play with that tension. The simplest melodic phrase or sound can become harsh with enough repetition, and the most grating sound can become relaxing if you’re exposed to it for long enough and concentrate properly. There’s a great deal of similarity between Eno’s ambient records and Merzbow’s orgies of noise.

What would you say are the biggest inspirations for what you create?

My single largest source of inspiration is this thing inside me that forces me to create as much as possible, as often as I can. I don’t really know how to talk about it. Aside from that, I listen to a lot of music and watch a lot of movies. I live in the woods with my girlfriend and our dogs; that can be inspiring, too.

When did you realize that you could sing in a super sick black metal voice?

Ha! When I was recording The Invisible Mountain.

How has your environment shaped your creative spirit?

I’ve made a conscious effort to live in a town that allows me to spend time making music. I don’t understand how artists living in big cities are able to pay their rent while staying productive creatively (that is, I’ve thought about it and I can’t figure out how I could make it work). So there’s an important economic factor there. Furthermore, I like living in the woods. There are trees outside my window and there’s a farm across the road. I like Southern USA: its’ weather, music, food, and people all feel like home to me. Our politics are sometimes backwards, but we’re working on it.

Any last words for the community?

Thanks very much for your interest and support! And thanks for the interview.