91Èȱ¬

RT: How long have you been together?

PABH: (James) We started rehearsing in late 2007 so not even a year old yet. Fresh, handsome, young, puppies. (Lee) It’s true. Our first gig was in February so things have got out of hand pretty quickly!

RT: How would you describe your sound?

PABH: (James) Luckily this question doesn’t get asked much in interviews. Erm, I would say magma disco rioting with low-fat yoghurt based rock. It’s always something I struggle with. (Lee) It is the hardest thing ever to accurately describe your band, so I’ll just agree with James, haha!

RT: You’ve all been in bands before, how much of a difference did that make when you were starting out?

PABH: (James) I spent a lot of time playing in all kinds of weird bands when I was younger. I think it helps a lot when it comes to gigging but not really much else unless you’re going to manage your band as well and all that schizzle. (Lee) I think it helps if people liked the bands you were in before! Through playing in bands you get to know other bands, promoters; you tour and you get records put out by little labels. It’s all important experience and from that experience I think what’s most important is the perspective it gives you. It definitely makes it easier when you start a new band once you’ve got that.

RT: Tell us about the moment you found out you’d be gracing the 91Èȱ¬ Introducing stage at Leeds and Reading Festivals this year.

PABH: (James) I opened a can of booze at a very early stage in the day and then proceeded to message Katy Noone (producer of Raw Talent) about how good looking she is and that I would like to take her out on a date. Then I got very excited. (Lee) I cried for days! Not really. I was very happy though.

RT: What does this opportunity mean to you? Does it mean more because you’re from Leeds?

PABH: (James) It means a lot in the sense that we’ll be playing the same festival bills as some of the biggest bands in the world but the Leeds show will really clutch a few heart strings for me as it all about Leeds innit. (Lee) I went to Reading for seven or eight years in a row from the age of 15 (I’m from the south originally). It’s such a massive event in British music and when you’re a teenager you dream about playing it. Actually doing that will be mindblowing!

RT: Is there anyone playing the festival this year that you’d give up one of your limbs to see?

PABH: (James) Rage Against the Machine. (Lee) Yeah Rage Against the Machine! Childhood heroes, haha.

RT: Which limb would you give up?

PABH: (Lee) My love limb.

RT: What is the one memory you have that best epitomises everything you think a festival should be?

James from Pulled Apart By Horses

PABH: (James) I once got trapped in some woods at Glastonbury lost as could be. I climbed a tree to try and find my campsite by viewing the site from up on high only to a young drunk chap at the top who offered me a beer and then pointed out my camping area. Basically everyone is willing to help out or chat or get drunk up a tree. (Lee) I remember the one year I went to Glastonbury, we spent hours walking around the outer fence looking for a good place to hop over. After what seemed like an age this Hare Krishna looking dude appeared all zen like from behind a bush near the fence and said, ‘You can jump here’ which we did! That memory is so vivid, yet could be completely fabricated by my sub-conscious. Once we’d jumped, we walked through a little wood, over a stream and straight into a field with fire breathing monsters and Mad Max-style cars. It was actually like another world and it was incredible!

RT: And what about the most bizarre thing that has ever happened to you at a festival?

PABH: (James) Glastonbury '99. Michael Eavis gave me a lift in his Land Rover to the cider bus. What a guy. He could see I was drunk but took me there anyway. Bad man. (Lee) Glastonbury again for me too. I had a chat with a guy whose trousers were on fire, when I pointed this out he just said ‘I know’ and we carried on talking. Saying that, I also had my shorts set on fire by a guy at Reading one year. Then I tried to sell him.

RT: Pulled Apart By Horses are sitting around in the campsite having a late-night, messing about and making sweet music. What is the one song guaranteed to make you all a bit rowdy and wake up the neighbours?

PABH: (James) Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights.