Given Chicago’s proclivity for putting out punk and rap artists, the Horse’s Ha’s woozy, jazz-tinted orchestral folk is a nice change of pace. Formed by British singer Jim Elkington and Janet Beveridge Bean in 2002 as a way to make money by playing cover songs in expensive restos, they became a genuine article in the last three years. The band released their debut album, Of The Cathmawr Yards, in 2008 and are touring with Yo La Tengo this winter.
The Varsity: I understand the band started as a plan to sing cover songs in wine bars.
Janet Beveridge Bean: Yeah, that was the original intent. Jim and I met each other through music, and he played a show, and I was really taken by his voice. And we enjoyed working together, so we thought, why not do this? Fifty bucks a shot and free wine for the night. It sort of revealed itself that it’s more difficult to remember other people’s lyrics than your own, I found. We had this good idea for making money and we ended up making it a non-money-making venture.
TV: What was the impetus for doing this as a way of making money off of music?
JBB: It just seemed like a much more civilized idea. People were quiet, and you could sit down, and it was low stress, and there wouldn’t be shit on the stage or things that come with playing in rock venues.
TV: So the problem was that you couldn’t play other people’s music?
JBB: We just thought it would be a fun side project. Nothing profound, it’s just the natural progression of musicians to want to write your own songs, even in the face of a lucrative idea.
TV: Listening to the music, it does sound like the collection of two sensibilities. How did you find the process of trying to work together?
JBB: I don’t think the sensibilities are that far removed from each other. Jim’s previous band, The Zincs, was a great pop band, and I love great pop music. And he had been a fan of Chicago music for a long time, and I had been playing there for a while. We have a similar place where our tastes meet. He’s a big fan of folk music from England, and I like folk music as well, but from a different place. That in-between spot is where we meet. Somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic, I guess.
TV: As an outsider and a Canadian, there’s something that seems distinctly Chicagoan about the project, something very improvisational on the record.
JBB: If you’re from Chicago, you’re incredibly lucky. We have this incredible improvisational jazz scene, and everyone loves playing with each other. That’s pretty distinct to the city.
TV: On the record there seems to be a lot about nature and the supernatural.
JBB: That’s a pretty good assessment. A lot of what happens on the record happens in dark places. That’s where the most interesting things happen. We’re actually working on a song-cycle now based on a book by Llody Chapman Andrews—he was an explorer; I think that Indiana Jones is based on this guy. He wrote a book for children in the ’50s called Nature’s Own Way and we’re writing the cycle based on the book, about odd animals.
TV: Where does this interest stem from?
JBB: It’s certainly evocative lyrically to sing about elements in nature. It’s ideas that sound beautiful. I can’t say I know why, it wasn’t a choice. When we got together, Tim brought these songs and I brought mine, and I had all of these references to the moon, and bugs and trees. And I thought, “Oh, that’s really funny.” It’s not something we had set out to do, it just kind of emerged.
TV:The moon is pretty notable—it seems to come up at least 10 times in the record.
JBB: Yeah, it really does. I think it’s a good rhyming word. I don’t think it’s left our repertoire for new songs either—the moon isn’t going anywhere.
TV: What do think Jim will write about next?
JBB: Jim is a remarkable songwriter. I’ve always advocated that he write a book of poetry, or even prose. I think he has an incredible gift for evocative imagery, and a way of putting words together that kind of reminds me of Cole Porter. Just very smart lyrics. The new songs we have now reference witches and the desert wanderer. Just iconic imagery that speaks about common experience. It’s all very mysterious.
TV: Do you find it daunting, being referential to grand figures in the western literary canon?
JBB: In regard to the reference to Dylan Thomas in the band name, it’s this very inscrutable short story about this town in Wales set upon by zombies. I wanted to use one of the lines from the story in the record name as well, and I know Jim was hesitant at first because he thought that was pompous or something. I was so worn out trying to explain what the band name was, that it would answer the question to just explain where it’s from a bit more. I don’t think it’s daunting; as he’s just a great writer.
