The Horn – People Like Us

On the approach to the release of their debut album, London’s eminent indie-rock quintet The Horn shares a new single and title track ‘People Like Us’, produced by Danton Supple (Coldplay). It’s a subtle, meandering, and climatic anthem of recognition and solidarity between people who find themselves standing on the outskirts of polarising debates, extreme opinions, and the constant need to prove themselves to society’s ever-watchful eyes. Instead, this song “is for the people who need to be recognised and understood for who they are,” as the band’s lead singer Jonny Taylor states.

‘People Like Us’ opens with intricately laced guitars, soft percussion, and pensive vocals that introduce the origins of this song’s unique perspective. The listener is intermittently teased by vocal bursts and intensifying percussion as the track progresses until a trilling drum roll leads you straight into the climactic moment. Impactful drums, expert bass, searing guitars, cinematic keys, and expressive vocals all converge on the central refrain, “Don’t you wanna fit in this messed up crazy world, ‘Cos I just wanna feel it before I leave this world.” It’s indicative of the inherent tension of wanting to be accepted by the world, but not wanting to conform for that reason alone.

Speaking of the foundational moments behind their new single, The Horn’s Jonny Taylor recalls.

The track started as a melody I was humming at my flat in Hackney. Then Nick, Danny and I developed it and Ed and Danny gave it washy Currents-esque synths (for fans of Tame Impala). We arranged a vocal breakdown and the chorus came straight together after Danton [Supple], our producer, visited us in Baker St studios; he said: ‘it needs a chorus.’ We took it into Rak studios and finished it off there later in the year…

Musically, The Horn’s sound can be defined as Britpop-infused indie-rock that fizzes with energy and angst. Wrapped up in the band’s hedonistic tales of London life, cautionary tales of growing up and the dismissal of being held back by rules, self-doubt or authority figures is a deeper meaning. Here, you’ll find the unique intergenerational exchange between two of the members, Nick and Jonny, who might have been born decades apart, and yet they’ve found endless common ground. It’s no secret that ageism plagues the music industry and it’s essential to The Horn’s creative output to prove that age really is just a number and to always bring the listener back to the timelessness of human experience. The Horn is made up of bassist and songwriter, Nick True, multi-instrumentalist Danny Monk, singer and guitarist Jonny Taylor, keyboardist Ed Cox and drummer Alex Moorse.

The Horn’s debut album People Like Us will be released on 3rd November 2023.

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