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A Thousand Horses mixes rock, country
By John Benson
A Thousand Horses has been traversing the countryside for the better part of the last decade hoping its southern rock style of country music would catch on with new audiences.
There’s something unique happening in Nashville these days where groups influenced by more than country music are dominating the charts.
The latest of which is A Thousand Horses, which boasts a rock sensibility drawing on the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, “Exile on Main Street”-era Rolling Stones and The Black Crowes.
“We fall under that umbrella, that’s who we are and where we’re from,” member Michael Hobby said.
It’s The Black Crowes that the group hears most often from folks describing the group’s 2015 debut, “Southernality.” Then again, that might happen when you write a song with the band’s guitarist Rich Robinson.
“They’ve been a big influence musically since we were kids,” Hobby said. “We were always a big fan of The Black Crowes and it’s cool to be compared to them.
When it came time for A Thousand Horses to write and record “Southernality,” Hobby said the band wanted to capture all shades of the group including a popish side with “(This Ain’t No) Drunk Dial” and “Tennessee Whiskey,” as well as the rocking “Landslide” (not the Fleetwood Mac song) and the mid-tempo “Smoke.”
The latter track so far has proven to be A Thousand Horses’ biggest hit to date going to No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay Charts. There’s currently momentum behind the group, which spent the summer opening for Jason Aldean. The bill is scheduled to play this weekend at Blossom Music Center.