Band of Horses - Pollstar News

Band of Horses doesn’t fit the usual definition, such as it is, of an emergent band. It was formed in 2004 and briefly known as Horses, and has five albums under its collective belt – its last, Infinite Arms in 2010, was nominated for a Grammy Award.

So, in a way, maybe we’re making up for a past oversight. Or, maybe, Band of Horses is poised to make an even bigger leap with its new release, Why Are You OK, and worldwide tour in 2016-17.

Photo: John Davisson

Band of Horses defies a lot of definitions. The five-piece, founded in Seattle by Ben Bridwell, initially went through a number of personnel changes but settled in several years ago with Bridwell (guitar and vocals), Creighton Barrett (drums), Bill Reynolds (bass), Ryan Monroe (keyboards) and Tyler Ramsey (guitar and vocals).

It’s changed record labels a few times, too – from Sub Pop, to Fat Possum to Columbia to Interscope. By 2007, Bridwell moved the band to his home state of South Carolina and shortly thereafter recorded Cease To Begin, which found its way on several year-end, best-of lists.

The band returned to the studio to record Infinite Arms – which received even more attention – in 2010. And not long after, Band of Horses also had a new agent in Artist Group International’s Marsha Vlasic.

Given Band of Horses’ history of switching things up, and usually for bigger and better, Vlasic says her team is taking a careful approach to rolling it out in 2016.

Photo: Courtesy Interscope

“We carefully chose venues, we carefully choose the scaling and to make them as successful as possible,’ Vlasic told Pollstar, noting such prestigious bookings as Central Park Summer Stage in New York, the Orpheum in Boston, and Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.

“What we’ve done is we’ve booked four of five different legs on the tour, to give them some time off in between as well as the opportunity to go to different territories,” Vlasic said.

“Yes, I think we’re taking a little leap this year.”