16 Horsepower
Encyclopedia
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
music group based in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. Their music often invoked religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
imagery dealing with conflict, redemption, punishment, and guilt through David Eugene Edwards
David Eugene Edwards
David Eugene Edwards is an American musician.He is the lead singer of Wovenhand, and also the main songwriter and the principal musician on the recordings of the band. He is the former lead singer of 16 Horsepower...
's lyrics and the heavy use of traditional bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
, gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, and Appalachian
Appalachian music
Appalachian music is the traditional music of the region of Appalachia in the Eastern United States. It is derived from various European and African influences, including English ballads, Irish and Scottish traditional music , religious hymns, and African-American blues...
instrumentation cross-bred with rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. For the bulk of its career, the band consisted of Edwards, Jean-Yves Tola, and Pascal Humbert, the latter two formerly of the French band Passion Fodder. After releasing four studio albums and touring extensively, the group broke up in 2005, citing "mostly political and spiritual" differences. The members remain active in the groups Woven Hand
Woven Hand
Wovenhand is a band from Denver, Colorado led by former 16 Horsepower lead singer David Eugene Edwards. Woven Hand's music combines elements of neofolk, alternative country, post-rock, punk, industrial music, folk rock, old-time music and native American music, among other influences.-History:The...
and Lilium
Lilium (band)
Lilium is a musical project begun by French musician Pascal Humbert, a member of the alternative country groups Sixteen Horsepower and Woven Hand. Lilium is presently a two-piece augmented by frequent guests based in Denver, Colorado, USA.-History:The project began in 1984, centered around home...
.
Band history
David Eugene EdwardsDavid Eugene Edwards
David Eugene Edwards is an American musician.He is the lead singer of Wovenhand, and also the main songwriter and the principal musician on the recordings of the band. He is the former lead singer of 16 Horsepower...
and Pascal Humbert formed 16 Horsepower in 1992
1992 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where they had met building movie sets for Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
’s Hollywood Studios. Friend, co-worker and trained jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
drummer Jean-Yves Tola joined shortly after. The trio performed once as Horsepower before they parted ways with Humbert as Edwards and Tola re-located to Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
.
In Edwards's hometown of Denver, the band once again became a trio with the addition of Keven Soll, a luthier
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
and accomplished double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
player. Frustrated by misconceptions about the name Horsepower being related to heroin and inspired by a traditional American folk song about sixteen horses pulling the coffin of a beloved to the graveyard, the name was changed to 16 Horsepower. The band spent the following years rehearsing and gaining a reputation for their intense live performances while touring extensively across North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and eventually they released a seven-inch single, "Shametown", in 1994 on Ricochet Records. By this time they had gained the attention of A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, and recording of Sackcloth ‘n’ Ashes began in 1995. For various reasons A&M decided to postpone the release of the album, and so the band returned to the studio and recorded their eponymous debut EP which was released the same year.
The debut full-length studio album Sackcloth ‘n’ Ashes was eventually released in 1996, garnering praise from the international music press. At this time Pascal Humbert had re-located to Denver and joined the band as a second guitarist, although his primary instrument is the bass. Following differences about the musical direction, Soll was asked to leave and was replaced by Rob Redick, later known as the bassist for Candlebox
Candlebox
Candlebox is an American alternative rock band from Seattle, Washington. Since their debut, the group has released four studio albums, which have achieved multi-platinum and gold certification, as well as numerous charting singles, a compilation, and a CD+DVD....
. Redick did not last long because of what the band has referred to as "kind of a mutual unhappiness", and Humbert took over the bass duties. Jeffrey-Paul Norlander joined on second guitar shortly before recording began on the second album, Low Estate
Low Estate
Low Estate is the second full-length album by 16 Horsepower. Released in 1997, only a year after Sackcloth 'n' Ashes, it drew heavily upon compositions pre-dating the band's first album.- Track listing :...
, with John Parish
John Parish
John Parish is a British musician and producer best known for his work with singer and songwriter PJ Harvey,. His sister is the actress Sarah Parish.-Partial discography:Solo*Rosie *How Animals Move...
as producer. Edwards and Norlander had previously been in several bands together, most notably The Denver Gentlemen.
Norlander departed in 1998 and was replaced by Steve Taylor, the band's guitar technician, who had already been performing on a handful of songs on the bands European tour in 1996.
Spending two years touring and writing new material, 16 Horsepower’s third full-length album Secret South
Secret South
Secret South is 16 Horsepower's third full-length studio album. Released in 2000, the album marked a distinct change in direction compared to previous efforts as it focuses more on storytelling over a more laid back soundscape.- Track listing :...
was not recorded and released until 2000. The album marked a distinct change in sound and tone from earlier releases as the up-tempo rock influences had all but vanished completely and left room for a more melodic folk-inspired sound. A planned European tour during the summer of 2001 was canceled because of what seemed like internal conflicts within the band, and rumours of a break-up began to circulate shortly after. This rumour was further fueled by the fact that the band members had begun to focus on solo and side-projects. Humbert had released his solo-debut with his project Lilium
Lilium (band)
Lilium is a musical project begun by French musician Pascal Humbert, a member of the alternative country groups Sixteen Horsepower and Woven Hand. Lilium is presently a two-piece augmented by frequent guests based in Denver, Colorado, USA.-History:The project began in 1984, centered around home...
the previous year and Edwards had begun recording and performing live with his new project Woven Hand
Woven Hand
Wovenhand is a band from Denver, Colorado led by former 16 Horsepower lead singer David Eugene Edwards. Woven Hand's music combines elements of neofolk, alternative country, post-rock, punk, industrial music, folk rock, old-time music and native American music, among other influences.-History:The...
.
16 Horsepower, short of Steve Taylor, returned in 2002 with Folklore
Folklore (16HP album)
Folklore is the 4th studio album by 16 Horsepower, released in 2002.As hinted to by its name, most of the material on the album is drawn from traditional folk music. Only four of the songs on the album are original 16 Horsepower compositions.-Track listing:...
. As hinted by the title, this fourth studio album took the band further into traditional folk territory and featured only four original 16 Horsepower compositions. While the band went on several tours in support of the album, their creative output was focused on Woven Hand
Woven Hand
Wovenhand is a band from Denver, Colorado led by former 16 Horsepower lead singer David Eugene Edwards. Woven Hand's music combines elements of neofolk, alternative country, post-rock, punk, industrial music, folk rock, old-time music and native American music, among other influences.-History:The...
and Lilium, Tola having also joined the latter. Olden
Olden (album)
Olden is a compilation album by 16 Horsepower, released July 8, 2003. It would be the last record released by 16 Horsepower before their break-up....
, a compilation of previously unreleased versions of early material was released in 2003. This release was supported by a tour in early 2004, including their first US dates in three years, featuring a set split between early material and Folklore-era songs. In April 2005 the band announced their official break-up, as a result of personal, political and spiritual differences as well as finding the constant touring incompatible with their daily lives.
Alternative Tentacles Records, a San Francisco-based record label run by former Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
frontman Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
absorbed American distribution of the band's latter records shortly before their breakup. Since the band's demise, the label has released two DVD-format retrospectives, and in 2008 released a two-CD set Live March 2001. Humbert joined Woven Hand in 2007.
Styles and themes
It has always been difficult to describe the band's music in simple terms as it borrowed just as heavily from folk musicTraditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
, and traditionals as it did from rock music. 16 Horsepower and Edwards' later project Woven Hand
Woven Hand
Wovenhand is a band from Denver, Colorado led by former 16 Horsepower lead singer David Eugene Edwards. Woven Hand's music combines elements of neofolk, alternative country, post-rock, punk, industrial music, folk rock, old-time music and native American music, among other influences.-History:The...
were described by one critic as "incendiary gospel, hallowed folk and mordant tones infused with a high, dark theatricality worthy of Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
." []
Edwards' grandfather was a Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
and young Edwards often went along as his elder preached the gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
to various peoples. This experience coloured his approach to songwriting as well as the instrumentation employed to develop the band's unique sound. On several tracks over the course of the band's career, Edwards evoked decisive Christian imagery, particularly that of the redemptive capacity of Jesus Christ.
16 Horsepower, especially in their early days, saw themselves first and foremost as a rock band. David Eugene Edwards, however, had an interest in all things from past times, including musical instruments. One instrument that was paramount during the nascent days of 16 Horsepower was the Chemnitzer concertina
Chemnitzer concertina
A Chemnitzer concertina is a musical instrument of the hand-held bellows-driven free-reed category, sometimes called squeezeboxes. The Chemnitzer concertina is most closely related to the Bandoneón , more distantly to the other concertinas, and accordions.- Physical description :It is roughly...
. It was erroneously credited as a bandoneon
Bandoneón
The bandoneón is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It plays an essential role in the orquesta típica, the tango orchestra...
(a closely related instrument) on Sackcloth 'n' Ashes
Sackcloth 'n' Ashes
Sackcloth 'n' Ashes is the first full-length studio album by the band 16 Horsepower. It was released in 1996.- Track listing :# "I Seen What I Saw" – 3:24# "Black Soul Choir" – 3:52...
. The antique instrument used on the early tours and recordings was falling apart and quite cumbersome to tour with; some time before the sessions for Low Estate, it was replaced with the more modern American-made Patek brand instrument.
Influences
Acknowledged influences on the band included Joy DivisionJoy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, The Gun Club, Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
and The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
. 16 Horsepower would eventually share the same management as Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and tour with them. http://www.16horsepower.com/kaffeinebuzz2004.html They also collaborated with French band Noir Désir
Noir Désir
Noir Désir was a French rock band from Bordeaux. They were active during the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, and have had two albums certified double platinum in France and three certified gold. They have been an influence on numerous French musicians including Cali, Louise Attaque and Miossec...
on a cover of The Gun Club's "Fire Spirit" for the 1998 EP The Partisan.
Legacy
Sixteen Horsepower are among the Denver-based bands credited for laying the foundation for what today has become known as Gothic AmericanaGothic Americana
Gothic Americana is a style of alternative country that fuses Americana music with elements of gothic rock, gothabilly, psychobilly, deathcountry...
. American metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band DevilDriver
DevilDriver
DevilDriver is an American heavy metal band from Santa Barbara, California, formed in 2002. The band was originally named Deathride, however, due to copyright issues and the name being taken by several bands, Deathride changed its name to DevilDriver, which refers to bells Italian witches used to...
paid homage to 16 Horsepower with a cover of "Black Soul Choir" on their latest release, Beast
Beast (DevilDriver album)
Beast is the fifth studio album by groove metal band DevilDriver. It was released on February 22, 2011 in the US. It is also their last album to feature longtime bassist Jon Miller who left in 2011.-Recording and production:...
.
Former members
- David Eugene EdwardsDavid Eugene EdwardsDavid Eugene Edwards is an American musician.He is the lead singer of Wovenhand, and also the main songwriter and the principal musician on the recordings of the band. He is the former lead singer of 16 Horsepower...
– vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, Chemnitzer concertinaChemnitzer concertinaA Chemnitzer concertina is a musical instrument of the hand-held bellows-driven free-reed category, sometimes called squeezeboxes. The Chemnitzer concertina is most closely related to the Bandoneón , more distantly to the other concertinas, and accordions.- Physical description :It is roughly...
, hurdy gurdyHurdy gurdyThe hurdy gurdy or hurdy-gurdy is a stringed musical instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to a violin...
, lap steel, bandoneonBandoneónThe bandoneón is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It plays an essential role in the orquesta típica, the tango orchestra...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
(1992–2005) - Jean-Yves Tola – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, piano, vocals (1992–2005) - Pascal Humbert – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, upright bass, guitar, vocals (1992, 1996–2005) - Keven Soll – upright bass, flat top bass, celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, vocals (1993–1996) - Rob Redick – bass (1996–1997)
- Jeffrey-Paul Norlander – fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, guitar, cello, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, vocals (1997–1998) - Steve Taylor – guitar, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals (1998–2001)
Live guests
- Bob Ferbrache – lap steel guitarLap steel guitarThe lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
(1996) - Elin Palmer – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
(2001) - Daniel McMahon – organ (2002)
- John Rumly – guitar, bass, banjo (2002)
Albums
- 16 Horsepower EP16 Horsepower EP16 Horsepower is the first EP by the band of the same name. It was released November 7, 1995. It is often referred to simply as the Haw EP amongst fans, noting to the title of the first track. It is the group's second release, following the "Shametown" 7" vinyl record of 1994, the A-side of which...
(CD/vinyl - 1995) - Sackcloth 'n' AshesSackcloth 'n' AshesSackcloth 'n' Ashes is the first full-length studio album by the band 16 Horsepower. It was released in 1996.- Track listing :# "I Seen What I Saw" – 3:24# "Black Soul Choir" – 3:52...
(CD - 1996) - Low EstateLow EstateLow Estate is the second full-length album by 16 Horsepower. Released in 1997, only a year after Sackcloth 'n' Ashes, it drew heavily upon compositions pre-dating the band's first album.- Track listing :...
(CD - 1997) - Secret SouthSecret SouthSecret South is 16 Horsepower's third full-length studio album. Released in 2000, the album marked a distinct change in direction compared to previous efforts as it focuses more on storytelling over a more laid back soundscape.- Track listing :...
(CD/vinyl - 2000) - HoarseHoarse (album)Hoarse is a live album by the band 16 Horsepower. It was released in Europe in 2000 in digipak with Glitterhouse Records. In March 2001 it was released regularly in jewel case with Glitterhouse. An American version was released in 2001 on Checkered Past records...
(CD - 2000) - FolkloreFolklore (16HP album)Folklore is the 4th studio album by 16 Horsepower, released in 2002.As hinted to by its name, most of the material on the album is drawn from traditional folk music. Only four of the songs on the album are original 16 Horsepower compositions.-Track listing:...
(CD/vinyl - 2002) - OldenOlden (album)Olden is a compilation album by 16 Horsepower, released July 8, 2003. It would be the last record released by 16 Horsepower before their break-up....
(CD/vinyl - 2003) - Live March 2001 (CD - 2008)
Singles
- "Shametown" (vinyl 7" - 1994)
- "Black Soul Choir" (CD - 1996)
- "Haw" (vinyl - 1996)
- "For Heaven's Sake" (CD - 1997)
- "Coal Black Horses" (CD - 1997)
- "The Partisan" (CD - 1998)
- "Clogger" (CD - 2000)
- "Splinters" (CD - 2001)