The Sit Down with A Thousand Horses
After a six year wait, Nashville rockers A Thousand Horses are set to return to the UK next week with shows in Glasgow, Manchester and London. Their return to our shores comes hot off the release of April’s deluxe version of their 2024 album The Outside. We caught up with lead singer Michael Hobby to find out what they’ve been up to since we last saw them in 2019
Hey there, Michael.
Hey Ian. Good morning, or morning for me at least!
Well thanks for getting up for us.
Oh, of course, always.
Are your bags just about packed yet?
Man, I am going to start packing today. I was just thinking that after this interview I need to pack!
Can you believe it's been six years now since you last came this way?
I can't believe it. It's wild to think about that. A lot has changed, but we're excited to be back, you know. I'm glad we get to come back.
You were meant to have been here 2020 for C2C and we all know what happened there! A few other acts are making their first visits since too this year. For you has it been about waiting for the right time to return to Europe or has it been due to the sheer volume of shows you’re doing Stateside?
Man, a lot has happened since then in our world, both personally and professionally. It's wild it's taken us this long as every year we're like, we got to go to the UK, we got to go to the UK! Circumstances and things that we were going through just meant we weren't able to get there. Now that we are back at it and doing it, it was the first thing on our list of places to get to. Even if it's for just a few shows this time until we can come back and do more - we're going to make it happen and keep coming back. I know everybody says that, but for us, it really is like we want to come back a few times a year.
This trip also includes the Festival Country de Craponne outside of Lyon in France.
Yeah, that'll be fun. That'll be my first time in France and actually for all of us. We're looking forward to that show as that'll be the first show on the run.
Have you looked into the festival? It's not one I've heard of before. Do you know much of it?
I do not. No, I got sent a little bit of information on it and it sounds like quite country music festival, so I'm thrilled we get to play man. I'm so excited to start there and then we an get into the run in Glasgow and Manchester and then London.
Talking of Manchester, I know you've done some Oasis covers recently. Have you managed to time it with an Oasis show while you're here as there London dates start this week.
No, we don't have any tickets - unless somebody wants to invite us to go! We play the first and are meant to leave on the second, man I would definitely stay an extra day if I could for that!
Hey there, Michael.
Hey Ian. Good morning, or morning for me at least!
Well thanks for getting up for us.
Oh, of course, always.
Are your bags just about packed yet?
Man, I am going to start packing today. I was just thinking that after this interview I need to pack!
Can you believe it's been six years now since you last came this way?
I can't believe it. It's wild to think about that. A lot has changed, but we're excited to be back, you know. I'm glad we get to come back.
You were meant to have been here 2020 for C2C and we all know what happened there! A few other acts are making their first visits since too this year. For you has it been about waiting for the right time to return to Europe or has it been due to the sheer volume of shows you’re doing Stateside?
Man, a lot has happened since then in our world, both personally and professionally. It's wild it's taken us this long as every year we're like, we got to go to the UK, we got to go to the UK! Circumstances and things that we were going through just meant we weren't able to get there. Now that we are back at it and doing it, it was the first thing on our list of places to get to. Even if it's for just a few shows this time until we can come back and do more - we're going to make it happen and keep coming back. I know everybody says that, but for us, it really is like we want to come back a few times a year.
This trip also includes the Festival Country de Craponne outside of Lyon in France.
Yeah, that'll be fun. That'll be my first time in France and actually for all of us. We're looking forward to that show as that'll be the first show on the run.
Have you looked into the festival? It's not one I've heard of before. Do you know much of it?
I do not. No, I got sent a little bit of information on it and it sounds like quite country music festival, so I'm thrilled we get to play man. I'm so excited to start there and then we an get into the run in Glasgow and Manchester and then London.
Talking of Manchester, I know you've done some Oasis covers recently. Have you managed to time it with an Oasis show while you're here as there London dates start this week.
No, we don't have any tickets - unless somebody wants to invite us to go! We play the first and are meant to leave on the second, man I would definitely stay an extra day if I could for that!
You've just released the deluxe version of the outside. What made you decide to do a deluxe album rather than making it its own EP like you've done?
This time we had a new song that we wanted to release that we didn't put on the record when it came out. We also record all our live shows and we were like, man, we've never released a live track, so it then kind of started to snowball from there! We looked at each other and we're like, well, we have these acoustic tracks that we've already done that would be like a Wood and Wire thing, so why don't we just add them to the record instead and introduce Til My Heart Don't Beat as that will bridge the gap into this new record that we're making. We just decided to do a deluxe and re-release it all and throw a live track on there because doing Highway Sound live is always great. Then there’s the acoustic songs you've heard before, which we love to do.
You also included a reimagined version of Smoke. How important was that for you to revisit that track as it is now incredibly 10 years on since Southernality?
We realised that we'd never released an acoustic version or a reimagined version of it. This was a great opportunity to revisit it. It all just kind of fell into place and gave us the opportunity to re-release the record with this deluxe version that we'd never even done that before.
This time we had a new song that we wanted to release that we didn't put on the record when it came out. We also record all our live shows and we were like, man, we've never released a live track, so it then kind of started to snowball from there! We looked at each other and we're like, well, we have these acoustic tracks that we've already done that would be like a Wood and Wire thing, so why don't we just add them to the record instead and introduce Til My Heart Don't Beat as that will bridge the gap into this new record that we're making. We just decided to do a deluxe and re-release it all and throw a live track on there because doing Highway Sound live is always great. Then there’s the acoustic songs you've heard before, which we love to do.
You also included a reimagined version of Smoke. How important was that for you to revisit that track as it is now incredibly 10 years on since Southernality?
We realised that we'd never released an acoustic version or a reimagined version of it. This was a great opportunity to revisit it. It all just kind of fell into place and gave us the opportunity to re-release the record with this deluxe version that we'd never even done that before.
While we're talking on reimagined songs, you got to do Drop In The Bucket on Brooks and Dunn's Reboot II. How on earth does something like that even come around and end up in your inbox?
So, we just got a phone call from their manager and yeah, they said, hey, would you like to be a part of the Brooks and Dunn Reboot Two and I said, I'll stop you right there. Yes, whatever you're about to say we’ll do it! Then they said, great, the guys have a song in mind for you that they think would fit. They sent us Drop In The Bucket and they said, just make it your own. Don't copy us. Reimagine it. It's your song. We went in and cut it with Ronnie and Kix in there with us. We cut it live and that is one of the coolest days of my career for sure. We just rock and rolled up Drop In The Bucket. I'd never really heard that song before, which actually was kind of great because it wasn't ingrained in us that it had to be a certain way. Obviously, you get Neon Moon or any of the other big hits and the sound is how they are. You know them and it'd be hard to reimagine such a big song, but Drop In The Bucket being one that I'd never even, I'd never heard of, and neither had the guys, gave us a great opportunity to really dive in and make it our own.
Even though they tell you to make it your own, are you still quite nervous when you introduce them to your kind of final cut of it?
Yeah, because we would work on it during sound checks when we were on tour. That was like a big goal. It's like, all right, let’s work on Drop In The Bucket today. When we went in and played it down, we're like, we like it, do you kind of like it? And man, they loved it. We actually had a few other ideas that we could do with it, but we settled on that one and we didn't even have to bring those other ideas up. They loved what we did with it and it felt like us. They love Southern rock music and they love rock. I don't know, man, it was a crazy experience. I was definitely nervous, especially when Ronnie Dunn's in there watching you sing and I didn't know what he was going to do on the track and Kix is playing harmonica and singing on the way down. I'm like, damn, this is wild.
It must have been one of those moments when you get that phone call when you have to just double check and make sure it wasn't someone pranking you!
Well, yeah. You just pray that it goes through and you keep thinking what if they don't want us anymore? What if they changed their mind? But it came out and we made it to the finish line.
So, we just got a phone call from their manager and yeah, they said, hey, would you like to be a part of the Brooks and Dunn Reboot Two and I said, I'll stop you right there. Yes, whatever you're about to say we’ll do it! Then they said, great, the guys have a song in mind for you that they think would fit. They sent us Drop In The Bucket and they said, just make it your own. Don't copy us. Reimagine it. It's your song. We went in and cut it with Ronnie and Kix in there with us. We cut it live and that is one of the coolest days of my career for sure. We just rock and rolled up Drop In The Bucket. I'd never really heard that song before, which actually was kind of great because it wasn't ingrained in us that it had to be a certain way. Obviously, you get Neon Moon or any of the other big hits and the sound is how they are. You know them and it'd be hard to reimagine such a big song, but Drop In The Bucket being one that I'd never even, I'd never heard of, and neither had the guys, gave us a great opportunity to really dive in and make it our own.
Even though they tell you to make it your own, are you still quite nervous when you introduce them to your kind of final cut of it?
Yeah, because we would work on it during sound checks when we were on tour. That was like a big goal. It's like, all right, let’s work on Drop In The Bucket today. When we went in and played it down, we're like, we like it, do you kind of like it? And man, they loved it. We actually had a few other ideas that we could do with it, but we settled on that one and we didn't even have to bring those other ideas up. They loved what we did with it and it felt like us. They love Southern rock music and they love rock. I don't know, man, it was a crazy experience. I was definitely nervous, especially when Ronnie Dunn's in there watching you sing and I didn't know what he was going to do on the track and Kix is playing harmonica and singing on the way down. I'm like, damn, this is wild.
It must have been one of those moments when you get that phone call when you have to just double check and make sure it wasn't someone pranking you!
Well, yeah. You just pray that it goes through and you keep thinking what if they don't want us anymore? What if they changed their mind? But it came out and we made it to the finish line.
Since 2019, there's been loads of changes for you as a band, which obviously includes Zach leaving a couple of years ago. How has that departure changed the band's to be a three piece?
Man, you know, not greatly actually. Zach leaving was such a natural progression of life with everything he had going on with his family and having kids and his other business. We're all still friends and he wants to see us successful and we want to see him successful. It was an adjustment for sure, now it wasn't the four of us anymore, it was just the three of us. Bill, Graham and I, we all grew up together. We've known each other since we were kids in middle school. We just dove into it being the three of us, like we always do. It was like, okay, well, what are we going to do now? It was a little bit of an adjustment period and a little bit of a change for sure and we miss Zach. We loved him and still do love him. We had to readjust, but it's worked out great. We just started working on another record together as the three of us and crafting that vision for what we want that to be and that was it. The show must go on.
Another huge change has been the transition from a major label in Big Machine to now being with your own label. How refreshing has that been to take back that creativity and control of all your music?
Man, it's been great. Big Machine was a great experience for us and now being independent is also a great experience for us. I love the creative freedom. I love us kind of being in charge of what we do and just having that artistic and creative freedom to do what we want to do when we want to do it. Being independent has its pros and its cons just like anything else and being on a label has its pros and its cons just like anything else. We're just happy that we're still here making music and getting to do it our way. We got nothing but love for Big Machine and now we keep going onward and upward for us on our own.
Have you noticed anything different in the way you write your music now that you've become independent or do you still feel that of side of it is the same for you?
No, I mean, we write how we write. It's always been how we do it. I don't feel any difference there, as far as more freedom, you know, we're not trying to thread any needles and we really want to be truly authentically us as that was really important on this new record. What's been fun is having no boundaries or having a format you got to fit. We can just be the band that we want to be. I find it liberating and inspiring.
Man, you know, not greatly actually. Zach leaving was such a natural progression of life with everything he had going on with his family and having kids and his other business. We're all still friends and he wants to see us successful and we want to see him successful. It was an adjustment for sure, now it wasn't the four of us anymore, it was just the three of us. Bill, Graham and I, we all grew up together. We've known each other since we were kids in middle school. We just dove into it being the three of us, like we always do. It was like, okay, well, what are we going to do now? It was a little bit of an adjustment period and a little bit of a change for sure and we miss Zach. We loved him and still do love him. We had to readjust, but it's worked out great. We just started working on another record together as the three of us and crafting that vision for what we want that to be and that was it. The show must go on.
Another huge change has been the transition from a major label in Big Machine to now being with your own label. How refreshing has that been to take back that creativity and control of all your music?
Man, it's been great. Big Machine was a great experience for us and now being independent is also a great experience for us. I love the creative freedom. I love us kind of being in charge of what we do and just having that artistic and creative freedom to do what we want to do when we want to do it. Being independent has its pros and its cons just like anything else and being on a label has its pros and its cons just like anything else. We're just happy that we're still here making music and getting to do it our way. We got nothing but love for Big Machine and now we keep going onward and upward for us on our own.
Have you noticed anything different in the way you write your music now that you've become independent or do you still feel that of side of it is the same for you?
No, I mean, we write how we write. It's always been how we do it. I don't feel any difference there, as far as more freedom, you know, we're not trying to thread any needles and we really want to be truly authentically us as that was really important on this new record. What's been fun is having no boundaries or having a format you got to fit. We can just be the band that we want to be. I find it liberating and inspiring.
On your last visit in 2019 you only had one studio album released in Southernality. Since then, you’ve now got three studio albums! Looking ahead to these upcoming shows, is it getting quite tough to pick the tracks you want to play live when you've got so many that people here won't have heard compared to compiling a set list for a show in the states?
Yes. Yes, it is. We were building the set for this run and going through songs and I was like, I don't know, maybe we should play that one and then the guys were like, well, we should play that one too if we're going to play that one! I'm like, Oh boy! I mean it's an awesome problem to have! In the beginning of your career, you're like, how the hell are we going to play an hour? We only have eight songs! Now, we're like, well, if we're going to play that, we all need to relearn it because we haven't played it in so long. Putting together the set list is always the real dirty work of the band, everybody getting in there, getting what they want to do and I can tell you, we’ve got a good set lined up. We’ve got the staples that are always going to be in the set; we're going to touch a lot on the first record; we’re going to bring in this new record. We're headlining now, so we get to play as long as we want and as long as the venue will allow!
At the same time, do you find with fans in England requests those deeper cuts that you wouldn't maybe necessarily expect people to want you to play?
Yeah, absolutely. That was part of the discussion. That’s what's fun about it, you get to throw on some songs that you don't normally play here in the States. That's what's killer about coming over and I'm excited for it. I'm excited to pull some of those out. It feels good to play some of the old ones that we hadn't played in a while and now the set feels fresh and we’ve been like damn, that song, that song kicks ass. Why don't we play this more?
For these shows you're going to have people who saw you back on the first visit in 2016, at Bar Fly and C2C, then you’ll have people from the 2019 shows and no doubt there will be people who are seeing you for the first time and you have the challenge of keeping everyone happy!
Yeah. I think for this one, since it's been six years, we’ve got to make sure that we play some new stuff, but we keep it back a bit. We want to make it memorable and leave an impact and then come back again. I wouldn't say before the end of this year, but the beginning of next year, I can't believe we're already halfway through the year.
That is the thing. I guess we're starting to plan 2026 now!
Yeah. Let's talk about 2026. When do you want us back in 2026?
Let's get you back on the C2C bill for the UK and European dates! Did you even make it to Berlin in 2020?
We were on the plane, leaving here to go to Berlin and a few other shows for a big C2C run and they let us off the plane. They stopped the plane cause that's when they shut everything down and they let everybody off the plane and we never left the airport! We had so many friends asking what was happening and we're like, I don't know, we'll see you hopefully soon. Well, six years later, here we are, you know, out of your control. I think we're going to be over there for like two or three weeks and like really, I was so pumped, but you know, hey, here we are now. Better than ever.
I for one cannot wait to see you in London next Friday night. It’s been far too long
Well, I can't wait to hang with you and we'll see you next week.
Thank you so much. Now get packing!
Yeah, that's right, thanks
2025 UK Summer Dates
30th July – Saint Lukes, Glasgow
31st July – Manchester Academy, Manchester
1st August – Islington Assembly Hall, London
Tickets are on sale now and available here.
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | X | SPOTIFY |INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE |
Yes. Yes, it is. We were building the set for this run and going through songs and I was like, I don't know, maybe we should play that one and then the guys were like, well, we should play that one too if we're going to play that one! I'm like, Oh boy! I mean it's an awesome problem to have! In the beginning of your career, you're like, how the hell are we going to play an hour? We only have eight songs! Now, we're like, well, if we're going to play that, we all need to relearn it because we haven't played it in so long. Putting together the set list is always the real dirty work of the band, everybody getting in there, getting what they want to do and I can tell you, we’ve got a good set lined up. We’ve got the staples that are always going to be in the set; we're going to touch a lot on the first record; we’re going to bring in this new record. We're headlining now, so we get to play as long as we want and as long as the venue will allow!
At the same time, do you find with fans in England requests those deeper cuts that you wouldn't maybe necessarily expect people to want you to play?
Yeah, absolutely. That was part of the discussion. That’s what's fun about it, you get to throw on some songs that you don't normally play here in the States. That's what's killer about coming over and I'm excited for it. I'm excited to pull some of those out. It feels good to play some of the old ones that we hadn't played in a while and now the set feels fresh and we’ve been like damn, that song, that song kicks ass. Why don't we play this more?
For these shows you're going to have people who saw you back on the first visit in 2016, at Bar Fly and C2C, then you’ll have people from the 2019 shows and no doubt there will be people who are seeing you for the first time and you have the challenge of keeping everyone happy!
Yeah. I think for this one, since it's been six years, we’ve got to make sure that we play some new stuff, but we keep it back a bit. We want to make it memorable and leave an impact and then come back again. I wouldn't say before the end of this year, but the beginning of next year, I can't believe we're already halfway through the year.
That is the thing. I guess we're starting to plan 2026 now!
Yeah. Let's talk about 2026. When do you want us back in 2026?
Let's get you back on the C2C bill for the UK and European dates! Did you even make it to Berlin in 2020?
We were on the plane, leaving here to go to Berlin and a few other shows for a big C2C run and they let us off the plane. They stopped the plane cause that's when they shut everything down and they let everybody off the plane and we never left the airport! We had so many friends asking what was happening and we're like, I don't know, we'll see you hopefully soon. Well, six years later, here we are, you know, out of your control. I think we're going to be over there for like two or three weeks and like really, I was so pumped, but you know, hey, here we are now. Better than ever.
I for one cannot wait to see you in London next Friday night. It’s been far too long
Well, I can't wait to hang with you and we'll see you next week.
Thank you so much. Now get packing!
Yeah, that's right, thanks
2025 UK Summer Dates
30th July – Saint Lukes, Glasgow
31st July – Manchester Academy, Manchester
1st August – Islington Assembly Hall, London
Tickets are on sale now and available here.
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | X | SPOTIFY |INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE |
