Horse: Owasso’s greatest thrashers
By Olivia Kerber
Picture of Horse taken by Abby Despopoulos
The number one complaint I hear from music-lovers is almost always that touring artists never come to Oklahoma. While this may be true for bigger artists, Tulsa has a lively local music scene including genres such as post-emo, progressive rock, and hardcore. So, even though many popular musicians might not visit the midwest as is, even those musicians started their careers in local venues. Supporting these local artists is essential.
One local band that is surely worthy of your consideration is Horse. The four piece band, made up of two current Owasso High School students and one Owasso alumni, is a progressive grunge-gaze band based in our own community. The band frequently performs at venues in Tulsa, such as Mass Movement Community Arts, Noise Town and Chimera Cafe.
Owen Johnson is a Senior at Owasso High School, and has been performing with the band longer than anyone else.
Johnson states, “So probably two years ago, I started a band with our drummer, Chaz, and we've just been jamming ever since. Then, probably like six months ago … Coda and Maggie [the lead singer] joined.”
Before Coda Snell (the bassist of the band) and another Owasso High School student joined, the band had two members leave to focus on other responsibilities. Snell had shown interest in Horse before, and this led him to become their new bassist.
“I was next up,” Snell explained.
As you learn about this splendid local band, you might find yourself asking one question—why did they name their band Horse? As you ponder this question, you might think of the spectacular animal of a horse, and tell yourself that they probably chose the name because of the beautiful and powerful creatures. Well, I’m here to tell you that you are very, very wrong.
When asked about their band name, Johnson said the name was chosen because, “I just like the word horse. It's simple.”
While their name choice might be amusing, their music is something to be taken earnestly. The band’s live shows are electric, and trust me because I've seen them three times. With an alluring mix of original music and covers, the band has an atmospheric draw that cannot be denied. The rhythmic, yet gloomy, tunes of the band turns a genre stereotyped as “loud” into something more accurately described as “passionate.”
So what’s next for Horse? While the band already has a single, merchandise and many shows to attend, they have something even more exciting planned.
Snell exclaims, “We are releasing an EP next year, hopefully!” Johnson adds on, stating “Our drummer, Chaz, is [producing it].”
In the meantime, showing up for your community is what matters. So keep supporting local music, like Horse, in order to have good representation for our hometown in the music scene. And if you see Johnson or Snell in the hallway, ask them about their merch, and then go ahead and buy a shirt.