Get to know... Spanish Horses

Paris-born and now rooted in London’s prolific Windmill scene, Spanish Horses blend ‘70s New York influences with restless live energy. Fresh off a UK tour and new single “Raindance”, the five-piece are gearing up for a big year ahead.

Skiddle Staff

Last updated: 17th Mar 2026

Formed in Paris and now firmly embedded in South London’s thriving grassroots scene, five-piece Spanish Horses are quickly becoming a hot pick for 2026. Blending influences from ‘70s New York art-rock with their own mood-driven sound aesthetic, the group have been making noise around the capital, particularly at the legendary Windmill in Brixton.

From rehearsing in a former cheese fridge on the outskirts of the Seine city to touring the UK and sharing stages with post-punk royalty, the band have already clocked up a fair few stories. We caught up with them to talk origins, influences, their latest single “Raindance”, and the highs (and deep-fried lows) of life on the road.

Share with us the origin story of Spanish Horses - we’ve heard a rumour that cheese played a part?

“We formed this band in Paris in the autumn of 2023. Some of us met in school and others met in different circumstances, but we’ve all known each other for some time now. The band started with the remaining members of two other projects, which dissolved in the summer of the same year.”

“And yes, the rumour is true. We used to practise in an old cheese refrigerator in Courbevoie, on the outskirts of Paris. The two bands we mentioned before shared the space, and we just kept it going when we formed Spanish Horses.”

“Spike (keys, harmonica) is the latest addition to the band, joining in April 2025. We actually met him in 2022 when he came to Paris to play a show with his previous band. We’d been thinking about adding a fifth member for a while, and when we got to London it just felt like a perfect fit.”

“The band name is the title of a song by Aztec Camera from the ‘80s. We just like the way it looks.”

Describe your sound and live show to someone who’s never heard of you before.

“The sound we’ve shaped covers a certain scope. We’re focused on putting out an honest sound using the different influences we each bring to the table. Sometimes it’s energetic, sometimes soulful and moody.”

“Our live shows are very dynamic. We try to keep people on their toes and fully deliver the songs, as much as ourselves, in each performance.”

(Image credit: @lilah.maii / Instagram.com)

Collectively, who would you say are your biggest influences?

“A big influence on our music comes from the New York scene in the ‘70s - The Velvet Underground, The Modern Lovers, but also Television. We’re also fans of The Replacements, Link Wray, Isaac Hayes, Spacemen 3, Pavement and The Rolling Stones.”

Formed in the French capital but now based in London, you’ve become a known name in the prolific scene surrounding the fabled live venue, The Windmill. What makes this place so special?

“The Windmill has a rich and thriving community built around the bands, but also Lou Smith and his video work. It makes the venue feel almost ceremonial, both to play and to attend gigs there.”

“There’s nothing like it in Paris, and it remains unique even within London’s circuit of venues.”

How big a part does your French background play in writing music?

“Our French background is predominantly used to joke around. It has very little influence on our work - maybe Serge Gainsbourg, Alain Bashung and Les Calamités have some.”

Your latest single, “Raindance”, arrived on the 20th of February, and we hear there’s an EP on the way. Does the record have a concept?

“Where did you get this information?!”

“We’re recording an EP in mid-March and are very excited about it. It doesn’t have a concept, but we’re going for a raw sound, focusing on getting the sound straight from the source and avoiding messing around in post.”

“The songs are special, and we can’t wait for everyone to hear them.”

To kick off the year, you embarked on a huge 14-date tour of the UK. What were your highlights?

“The tour was a great way for us to kick off the year. We organised and financed it all ourselves, so it was very gratifying to get out there and play.”

“We were very happy to make it to Scotland. We were blown away by the scenery as soon as we crossed the border. Square sausage, haggis and pizza crunch were also big highlights.”

“We had the ‘hotter than the sun’ chicken wings from Bunny Jackson’s in Manchester... I think we’ll remember that for a while. We also played at the Castle Hotel, which is a beautiful venue. We loved it.”

“We had a lot of fun throughout the tour, but we were also very happy to be home afterwards. We won’t start about the post-tour blues. They got us good.”

Speaking of touring, you previously supported John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd. What was he like? Any interesting anecdotes from that experience?

“John Lydon is exactly as he portrays himself to be. He was very welcoming with us, joking around and feeding us brandy straight from his bottle.”

“I think he liked us. He called us ‘rubbish’ during our soundchecks.”

“Except for the bald tech guy who was with them - you know who you are - the band and the touring crew were absolutely lovely.”

When you’re out on the road, who’s in charge of the soundtrack? And what non-negotiables come with you?

“We don’t have a soundtrack director — everyone gets to put songs on the speakers. Although after a while we preferred not listening to anything in the car.”

“Nature Valley Crunch bars and bananas kept us going, plus plenty of fizzy and energy drinks. So far, we have no non-negotiables.”

Looking ahead, where can music fans expect to see you performing in 2026?

“We’re planning our festival season and can tell you that we’re playing End of the Road in September. There are others we aren’t allowed to disclose yet.”

“In the meantime, fans can catch us on a few occasions in Manchester and London - follow our socials to find out.”

Finally, here’s your chance to plug anything we haven’t already covered or shout out anyone special to the band.

“We love you, Captain, and hope Paris is treating you well. And thank you, Nick!”

Spanish Horses have a busy 2026 planned. Catch them live at one of their upcoming live dates and festival appearances - grab your tickets now below:

Bomba Live: Spanish Horses - Bomba in Exeter | Thursday 30th April 2026

Buy tickets: