"Smoke"
A Thousand Horses: Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire!
As a writer and avid reader, I love good stories. No doubt, that is also the reason I am a big country music aficionado. Within every catchy song or moving ballad, there lives a story. The more clever the story, the more captivating the entire listening experience overall. If accompanied by an entrancing tune, I become engulfed by “sound and thought”, rendering me completely absorbed until the very last note...not unlike the state one feels after a good “role in the hay” so-to-speak.
No, not every song or band can foist me into such a euphoric state but the few that do, do so rather regularly. Among them sits A Thousand Horses, whose latest hit “Smoke” set all of my senses ablaze. The sheer imagery alone instigated by the erotic overtones and words of unmitigated 'desire' making up this song coerced me to give into it with wild abandon. Had I actually smoked, I would have, undoubtedly, “lit up” directly following. Instead, I pulled up “Smoke’s” accompanying video on my computer screen. “Dear God,” is all I could utter after that.
It was from this point on that I knew I needed to interview the band leader - Michael Hobby - to find out more about him and the rest of the group, including what makes A Thousand Horses’ fire “burn so hot” and where those embers are leading as they manage their overwhelming success while navigating this band’s future. See what Michael said in his interview below.
Share with us A Thousand Horses’ personal mantra.
Never give up. Keep going and keep working hard. Eventually, it will all pay off.
How did the name “A Thousand Horses” come to pass?
We wrote a song when we first formed and the name came from that. Everyone seemed to like it so it stuck.
If I was to paint your music onto a canvas, what colors would I use?
Red, white, and blue.
What makes the dynamic among your group members work so well that it has set you apart from so many country vocal groups eager to make it?
We are truly all best friends -- a band of brothers really. Some of us met in the sixth grade. Others are actually family members (relatives). Each of us is also so different that it seems to keep us from getting tired of each other, even when we’ve been out on the road for sometime. We hang together when not on the road. Our wives and girlfriends do the same.
What is your process for choosing or writing songs?
There is no real process. You just begin...keep at it...and be creative. Anything that inspires us is where the process begins.
Johnny Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd (who you have been compared to many times) noted in a recent interview that he “kept his family first throughout his entire career as he never saw a hearse following a U-haul.” Share your thoughts on this amidst your own growing success?
Our marriages and relationships are at the core of our lives and music. All of our wives and girlfriends are tight and extremely supportive. Marriage is very important and always needs to be taken seriously. We are doing this “dream” together.
You will be performing at Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam on September 2, 2016 (5:30pm Est). What do you hope to bring to this festival, specifically?
We love festivals because they’re filled with so much energy, excitement and fun. We plan to fuel that energy, excitement and fun even further at the PGCJ, ultimately, leaving a mark on the audience. It is a great opportunity to do this as you have everyone listening -- those who make up your existing fans and those who may not know you yet.
What’s the meaning behind your hat?
I’m 6’4” and have always liked hats. The combination makes a statement so I had one made up for me and wear it all the time.
Do you support a social cause or cause-based organization?
We just started working with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The kids and families are so courageous. I can’t even imagine not helping them in some way.
When all is said and done, how would you like to be remembered?
Just being 'remembered' would be an honor.
No doubt, if Michael Hobby, Bill Satcher, Graham DeLoach, and Zach Brown keep doing what they are doing, they will be remembered. At the moment, their path lay smouldering with more hits ahead of them, ensuring a continued rapid climb and slow burn. Needless-to-say, A Thousand Horses and “Smoke” are among the very few addictions I would highly recommend.
Many thanks to Michael Hobby and Big Machine Label Group for making this interview possible