16 Horsepower was an American band based in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, United States. Their music often invoked religious imagery dealing with conflict, redemption, punishment, and guilt through

David Eugene Edwards David Eugene Edwards (born February 24, 1968 in Englewood, Colorado) 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 s ...

's lyrics and the heavy use of traditional bluegrass,

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

, and Appalachian instrumentation cross-bred with

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

. 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

Wovenhand Wovenhand (also stylized Woven Hand) is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, United States, led by former 16 Horsepower frontman David Eugene Edwards. Wovenhand's songs are known for their strong and unsettling Biblical references, in ...

and Lilium.

Band history

and Pascal Humbert formed 16 Horsepower in 1992 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, where they had met building movie sets for Roger Corman's

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

Studios. Friend, co-worker and trained

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

drummer Jean-Yves Tola joined shortly after. The trio performed once as Horsepower before they parted ways with Humbert as Edwards and Tola relocated to

. In Edwards's hometown of Denver, the band once again became a trio with the addition of Keven Soll, a

luthier A luthier ( ; AmE also ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments that have a neck and a sound box. The word "luthier" is originally French and comes from the French word for lute. The term was originally used for makers o ...

and accomplished

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

player. Frustrated by misconceptions about the name Horsepower being related to

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

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 is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

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, 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. Pascal Humbert had relocated 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. 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'' 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 # "Brimstone Rock" (Edwards/16 H ...

'', with John Parish 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'' is the third studio album by American band 16 Horsepower. 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. The rec ...

'' 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. The band toured in Europe in 2000 with the new album, 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 the previous year and Edwards had begun recording and performing live with his new project

Woven Hand Wovenhand (also stylized Woven Hand) is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, United States, led by former 16 Horsepower frontman David Eugene Edwards. Wovenhand's songs are known for their strong and unsettling Biblical references, infl ...

. 16 Horsepower, short of Steve Taylor, returned in 2002 with ''

Folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

''. 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

and Lilium, Tola having also joined the latter. ''

Olden Olden may refer to: Places *Olden, Norway, a village in Stryn, Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway *Olden, Missouri, an unincorporated community *Olden, Texas, a community in Eastland county, Texas, USA People *Charles Smith Olden, an American polit ...

'', 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 Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, t ...

, a

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

-based record label run by former

Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk rock, punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, sa ...

frontman Jello Biafra 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.

Musical style

It has always been difficult to describe the band's music in simple terms as it borrowed just as heavily from

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

, bluegrass, and traditional as it did from rock music. 16 Horsepower has been classified as

alternative country Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

country rock Country rock is a genre of music which fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal s ...

, folk,

gothic country Gothic country (sometimes referred to as gothic Americana, Southern Gothic, the Denver sound, or even simply just dark country) is a genre of country music rooted in early jazz, gospel, Americana, gothic rock and post-punk. It's lyrics focus on ...

hillbilly Hillbilly is a term (often derogatory) for people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas in the United States, primarily in southern Appalachia and the Ozarks. The term was later used to refer to people from other rural and mountainous areas west ...

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...

, neo-gothic and progressive country, and as being representatives of the "Denver Sound". Edwards' grandfather was a Nazarene preacher and young Edwards often went along as his elder preached the gospel to various peoples. This experience colored 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 Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

. 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. It was erroneously credited as a bandoneon (a closely related instrument) on '' Sackcloth 'n' Ashes''. 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. Acknowledged influences on the band included Joy Division, the Gun Club,

Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Ca ...

and the Birthday Party. 16 Horsepower would eventually share the same management as

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock music, rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its care ...

and tour with them. They also collaborated with Bertrand Cantat from French band Noir Désir on a cover of The Gun Club's "Fire Spirit" for the 1998 EP ''The Partisan'' and on " The Partisan" itself.

Legacy

16 Horsepower are among the Denver-based bands credited for laying the foundation for what today has become known as "Gothic Americana". American

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

band DevilDriver paid homage to 16 Horsepower with a cover of "Black Soul Choir" on their 2011 release, '' Beast''. A

post-rock Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with ...

interpretation of "Black Soul Choir" sung by Brandy Bones became a live staple of

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

band Big John Bates during their 2012 Battered Bones tour. Their 2000 cover of " Wayfaring Stranger" was featured at the end of

Bart Layton Bartholomew Nicholas Layton (born 1975) is an English documentary filmmaker. He is the writer and director of the films '' The Imposter'' and '' American Animals''. Early life and education Both of his parents were artists, one a sculptor and the ...

's 2012 documentary '' The Imposter,'' as well as in the opening scene of the 2021 film

Titane ''Titane'' (, "Titanium") is a 2021 body horror drama film written and directed by Julia Ducournau. The French-Belgian co-production stars Agathe Rousselle in her feature film debut as Alexia, a woman who, after being injured in a car accide ...

Band members

;Former members *

– vocals,

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

, Chemnitzer concertina, hurdy-gurdy, lap steel, bandoneon,

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

(1992–2005) * Jean-Yves Tola –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

, piano, vocals (1992–2005) * Pascal Humbert –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

upright bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

, guitar, vocals (1992, 1996–2005) * Keven Soll – upright bass, flat top bass,

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

, vocals (1993–1996) * Rob Redick – bass (1996–1997) * Jeffrey-Paul Norlander –

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

, guitar, cello,

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

, vocals (1997–1998) * Steve Taylor – guitar,

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

, vocals (1998–2001) ;Live guests * Bob Ferbrache –

lap steel guitar The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of playing a traditional ...

(1996) * Elin Palmer –

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

(2001) * Daniel McMahon – organ (2002) * John Rumly – guitar, bass, banjo (2002)

Discography

Albums

* '' 16 Horsepower EP'' (CD - 1995) * '' Sackcloth 'n' Ashes'' (CD - 1996) * ''

'' (CD - 1997) * ''

'' (CD/vinyl - 2000) * ''

Hoarse A hoarse voice, also known as dysphonia or hoarseness, is when the voice involuntarily sounds breathy, raspy, or strained, or is softer in volume or lower in pitch. A hoarse voice, can be associated with a feeling of unease or scratchiness in the ...

'' (CD - 2000) * ''

'' (CD/vinyl - 2002) * ''

'' (CD/vinyl - 2003) * '' Live March 2001'' (CD - 2008) * '' Yours Truly'' (compilation 2CD/vinyl - 2011)

Compilation albums

* ''Radio Asylum Vol. 1''

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)

Video

* "Black Soul Choir" and "Haw" (1995) * ''16HP DVD'' (2005) * ''Live DVD'' (2006)

References

External links

16 Horsepower site
(archived December 2007, ''Web.archive.org'') {{Authority control Alternative Tentacles artists American alternative country groups American country rock groups Gothic country groups Musical groups from Denver Musical groups established in 1992 Musical groups disestablished in 2005 Glitterhouse Records artists