Cardiff five-piece Why Horses? make music that blends chaotic energy with playful, unpredictable charm, delivering a sound that is intimate, dynamic, and proudly rough-around-the-edges. Their debut EP, Yeah, Hi?, is simultaneously eclectic and cohesive, full of restless experimentation yet, above all, alive. In a pre-show chat at Cardiff’s Paradise Gardens, with Gabriel Lester (guitar/vocals), Les Davies (bass), Hadi Checri (percussion), William Dadswell (violin), and Dilibe Aneke (guitar), we spoke about everything from writing and recording their debut EP to their live shows, Cardiff DIY roots, and ambitions for 2026.
Your debut EP Yeah, Hi? has been out for about two months now. How have you found the reaction so far, and how does it feel to finally have it out there?
Hadi: It’s been really good! This is like the first chance we’ve gotten to show our work to a wider audience, and honestly it’s really fun just to see these songs released, because they were produced over such a long time period. And on top of that, to get really good feedback has been really great!
Gabriel: We’ve gotten some Radio 6 plays, which were really cool, and we got to be in So Young Magazine which is like a lifelong dream. Like Hadi said, it feels like we’ve been sitting on these songs for a while, so it feels great to have them out and to now be able to move on as a more established band.
What do you hope people feel when they listen to the EP?
Les: I guess mainly that you can bop your head to it. And maybe it’s a bit big-headed to say this, but I think there are some quite ethereal moments on the EP, so I’d hope personally that when you listen, you can get lifted into those spaces.
Your sound can jump between the wired, psychobilly, dance-punk of I’ve got a fever, to the jangling melancholy of songs like Far away, so close. How conscious are you in balancing these differing sounds when you write?
Gabriel: In terms of how we choose what to write, it’s sort of a yes-and-no answer. When we listen to music, we really hate it when all songs sound the same. I think everyone can agree that none of us can stand a samey album. But also, all of us really appreciate the value of a consistent sound.
I think for us it’s just really exciting, and keeps things fresh, when every song is different, and like its own movie in a way.
But with that being said, we never sit down and say, “Oh, we’re gonna write that song,” or “This song needs to sound like this.” Our goal is that it all just sort of falls into place.
With such a diverse set of sonic pallets, how does the band use its influences, and who are some people who have contributed inspiration to your already incredibly nuanced sound?
Dilibe: I feel like all of us have similar influences, but honestly our music doesn’t really reflect that. We’re all pretty into Dean Blunt, we all loved his album this year. Bar Italia as well, that’s one we all really love.
Gabriel: Since we started, I’ve always really liked bands like Sorry and Honeyglaze, and I think when we were writing some of the songs on the EP, I was definitely channeling that kind of sound. I’m sure those influences are still carrying on, but it’s not in a conscious way anymore.
Dilibe: I think it’s really cool that we have so many people with their own separate influences in the same band. Like, when we write, we all bring something a bit weird to the table, and then everyone kind of reacts to that, and that always ends up being our most creative and unique work, to me at least.
You’ve said that Conversation is rooted in experiences around communication and stammering. How do you guys approach songwriting, and how do you feel your songs are shaped by personal experiences?
Gabriel: Yeah, I think that a song is a really unique chance to express what’s on your mind, and for me, it’s really nice to have an outlet to get that out there.
I think originally a lot of the songs on the EP didn’t have much meaning because they all came from jams, and I’d just say the most random stuff that I felt fit, almost like it was an instrument, and then the meaning would develop later.
The rest of the guys also really help, like with Far Away, So Close, Will and Dilibe said like ‘That’s a love song’, which I had never intended to write.
Dilibe: And that’s crazy to me, because after you told me the stuff that was happening at the time, It’s so obvious about that, and I have no clue how that wasn’t even a choice to write about. I guess it just all comes from your subconscious mind.
Continuing on the writing process, your live shows are pretty intense and physical; how do you think performing live feeds back into the way you write or record new music?
Dilibe: Me and Gabriel, behind closed doors we just fight and bite each other’s shoulders until eventually we’re going “la la la la” and then “oh yeah that’s kinda cool” and then we have a song that’s ready to perform.
I think specifically our song “Your Big Day” has come from our live shows, because by the point in our set when we get to “I’ve Got a Fever”, we notice that we get more lively, and we wanted to capture that feeling more.
Gabriel: Yeah totally, we always end with I’ve Got a Fever because it’s absolutely the highest energy, so maybe subconsciously we are trying to max out the intensity in different ways that affects where it comes in a set. If it’s quiet it’s at the start and if it’s loud it’s at the end.
Will: Following that, some of our new songs feel like statements of intent when we start, and you might think “oh they sound like this”, and then from the start it’s gonna be something completely different.
The name of your song Far Away, So Close shares a name with Wim Wenders 1993 cult classic film. How do films, visual art, or I suppose any form of art other than music inspire Why Horses?
Gabriel: I guess that goes back to what I said before about each song being a movie of its own. I’d say we are all really into films, and if not, definitely books.
Hadi: Norbit!
Gabriel: Norbit is probably like the band’s favourite film.
You all come from Cardiff’s DIY scene. What does that environment give you as a band, and are there local venues or moments that have really shaped you?
Les: It’s Cathays Community Center. That’s the beating heart of it all for sure.
Hadi: Yeah, Cathays Community Center is really where we had a platform to practice, even really before we were a band. Me and Gabe used to go practice there, and Les came not long after, and it’s been really great to us.
And venue wise, Cardiff has one of the coolest scenes, our favourite venues are of course Clwb Ifor Bach, Paradise gardens as well.
Will: And Porters too! We’ve had some of our best shows there for sure.
As you head toward more touring and possibly writing new material, are there lessons from making Yeah, Hi? that you’re carrying forward? Anything you’re itching to explore that you didn’t get to here?
Les: I think that from a recording aspect, we want to try and record in one place this time so that it’s more of a flow state. With this EP we were doing a lot of recording weeks, or even months apart in different places, with different people, with different ways of doing things, and I think that process took quite a long time. Whereas going forward, we know how we want to go about it, streamline it, and be in that creative mindset.
Will: I guess more simply, me and Dilibe weren’t around when ‘Yeah, Hi?’ was recorded, so for us it’s gonna be really exciting to jump in on that side of things.
Dilibe: Yeah, I can wait man. I feel like I’m very conscious when it comes to writing, recording, producing stuff so I can’t wait to really build this thing and have it connect and resonate with people.
Looking ahead to 2026, what would you like Why Horses? to achieve, artistically, personally, and as a live band?
Les: I think we want to play some more festivals next year, like Green Man is a dream. Maybe Left of the Dial too?
Dilibe: That would be really cool. We’ve been gigging loads though man, it’s been a new city every week. Sad it’s coming to an end, it’s been mental.
Will: And on a personal level, just to keep hanging out.
Gabriel: Stay in touch!
Words: Asa Hill
