It is not because Kate is the size of jockey or because Damon was once kicked by a goat that An Horse bears its name. There’s no sense in that. A friend once gave Kate a sweater with An Horse written on it because he thought it was grammatically correct. It wasn’t and that was quite a long time ago but Kate still wears the sweater. She hasn’t grown in years. Damon still remembers the goat like it was yesterday.
Kate didn’t know Damon had been kicked by a goat when she asked him to join her on stage in July 2007. And she thought she knew Damon well. Damon played drums and worked in one of the few remaining Australian independent record stores with Kate. The downtown Brisbane store had no windows, it was dusty as hell and they didn’t really do much work. In fact, the store closed down a few months after they started playing shows together. Coincidence? Probably not. The pair of sleuths worked out that they could set up a P.A. in the store and practice free for hours. Soon customers found the store’s opening hours getting shorter and shorter and Kate and Damon’s music was getting better and better.
The pair soon decided to lead An Horse out from the dank basement store. Like revolutionaries they took to the streets but without the cause or the fight or the gnarly banners, they did have songs though. And hand claps.
They were surprised when after one show they were offered a whole lot more including an opening slot on Tegan and Sara’s 2008 Out Of Hibernation Spring US tour. Shortly after they were invited to open for Death Cab For Cutie on their Australian tour. But they weren’t as surprised as the owner of the record store when he found his two loyal managers playing to a packed out room when they were supposed to be selling CDs, his not theirs.
Kate Cooper and Damon Cox share common interests. And when someone forgets their toothpaste on tour they’ll share that too. There isn’t a whole lot more to it…I guess.
