Horsegirl & RIP Ozzy Osbourne

This episode of Sound Opinions spotlights Horse Girl, the Chicago-born indie rock trio whose journey from teenage open-mic nights to a more subtle, intimate sophomore record is the heart of the conversation. Hosts Jim DeRogatus and Greg Cott chat with Gigi Reese, Nora Chang, and Penelope Lowenstein about how Chicago music education programs like Girls Rock, Old Town School of Folk Music, and School of Rock gave them early platforms. Those formative experiences—teen open mic shows, basement rehearsals, and the local fanzine scene—laid the groundwork for their distinct identity as an indie rock band rooted in community and curiosity. The interview dives into Phonetics, Horse Girl’s 2025 album, exploring how the band deliberately pulled back from the distortion-heavy sound of Versions of Modern Performance to embrace cleaner guitars, minimal arrangements, and voice-as-instrument techniques. Produced with Kate LeBon in the Wilco Loft, the record is described as a study in restraint: layered synths, sparse bass lines, and unexpected textures like gamelan pieces, lo-fi percussion, and an order-of-magnitude more vocal experimentation. The band recounts deliberately picking up unfamiliar instruments—most surprisingly, a violin none of them play fluently—to create collaborative studio textures that embrace imperfection and unpredictability. Listeners get a clear picture of the band’s songwriting process: intimate dorm-room sketches evolving into songs that often rely on nonsense syllables and vocal percussion rather than conventional lyrical hooks. The record’s title, Phonetics, reflects this curiosity—treating phonemes and syllables as building blocks of melody and rhythm. Horse Girl explains how the “la-la-la” and “da-da-da” passages became a recurring motif, serving both melodic and percussive roles and reframing the voice as a flexible instrument in indie pop songwriting. Sound Opinions also covers the practical challenge of translating studio arrangements for live performance. With a core trio on stage, Horse Girl discusses strategies for adapting violin lines and layered synth parts into energetic live renditions—sometimes by replicating parts vocally or restructuring songs to suit venue dynamics. The band’s approach echoes a broader philosophy: the recorded version of a song is one moment in an evolving life of a composition. Throughout the discussion, Horse Girl situates their influences—Brian Eno, Stereolab, Young Marble Giants—within a shared fascination for skewed pop sensibilities and careful minimalism. The episode offers both fans and newcomers a behind-the-scenes look at how a contemporary indie band navigates artistic growth, production choices, and the balance between youthful DIY roots and more mature, reflective songwriting.