Gig Review: Spanish Horses At Next Door Records Two

Spanish Horses’s intimate set at Next Door Records Two as part of their surprise live sessions goes down a storm

Next Door Records Two is a nice little venue – if you thought the Shacklewell Arms, its neighbouring music venue in Stoke Newington, London - was small, cosy and intimate, you haven’t seen anything yet – they turn the upstairs into a sit-down, closed-off space for a no-phones, all-filmed half-odd hour set debuting the bands that they think are going to be the next big thing. They also have a record store set-up; to browse and sell your own collection at will.

We’ve seen artists like Dermot Henry, Lime Garden, Mary in the Junkyard and more grace the stages of Next Door Records Two over the course of this series of events that has now run for thirty sessions – Next Door Sessions, they’re called – and this is one of their final ones of the year. So where better than to recruit the next best thing on the indie sphere: Spanish Horses – the French/English band who have been working the London circuit over the past year or so which has culminated in a festival performance at End of the Road beneath Jarvis Cocker’s Pulp – the band having great reception and being adopted by KEXP.

For those unfamiliar with Next Records Two’s sessions – this is functionally, their KEXP sessions – so getting the chance to see Spanish Horses at this rare intimate session was a real treat. Home before 9:30 and a no-phones gig? Even better. They’ve been recently invited on tours with Bleech 9:3 and Little Grandad to aid their growing strength; and this is a good chance to spotlight their ‘Some People’ EP from So Young Records that followers the Americana-tinged guitars and effortless grove that captures the lead single ‘Hey Man (Hey Man)’.

That is of course; played here tonight at this warm and intimate evening – but it’s a real crowd-pleaser of a track that swirls and builds off the energy in the room; the lack of phones means that the audience has their undivided attention. For anyone who has been lucky enough to go to the Piano Stage at End of the Road festival; this is that experience recreated – but inside and not raining. If you’re lucky, you can head on down to the Shack afterwards and catch their headliner. As an intimate, mood-setting, eventful evening – what’s not to love? There are plenty of punters here – all eager and uninformed about who the band playing tonight is; DICE haven’t advertised that it is Spanish Horses. Word has not got out.

This means that it’s quieter than the often-crowded Elephant’s Head in Camden, comfort and practicality is prefered here to accommodate for the cameras. We are launched in with a whirlwind; the band being relatively new means that we get relatively new music – ‘Some People’ is also deployed; the title track of their new EP – who capitalise on the autumn atmosphere to create a compelling evening. The ex Paris group, having now migrated to London – are part of this Windmill generation emerging in a post Black Country, New Road world that is asking what is next for the music coming out of Brixton’s most iconic pub.

‘Hey Man (Hey Man!)’ is endearingly optimist, without the sleaze of Jarvis Cocker – his son Albert is involved, but not the frontman – that role falls to Tom Onezine – but encourages a more optimist tone: “Some people live their lives like moles in a ditch and / Some people live a life of love”, he cries – and there is no point making comparisons here because you know what you’re getting in for when you go to a Spanish Horses show – drummer Cyril Stephan’s effortless relaxation hits the band expertly, and the coming of age songs create a sense of warm, secondary school nostalgia feel to them.

They embrace the world of space and silence – whenever they jam reflects that. The sound isn’t reinvented but consistent throughout the lyrics; finding little nudges that feel daring and exciting. It’s all here, all for the song – with no egos involved and that makes the group feel cohesive and consistent as an outfit. Sometimes, not playing is as important as playing – and their music isn’t really slotted in a specific genre as a result; but something that exists and moves between lines. In addition to obviously Pulp being a leading influence.; they have shades of the Velvet Underground here – and Nico – modelling from the self-titled album. Their live performances are beyond their years – moving in modern spheres they draw a lot from Iceage and Parquet Courts, with bouncing, relentless energy for the five piece.

The real strength of Spanish Horses is in a live outfit; moved beyond their records – and able to transform a small room into an intimate, compelling atmosphere – this is a wonderful showcase for their new EP ‘Small People’ and with time for a cover in addition to this; they have plenty of room to grow. I later caught their set at Left of the Dial festival 2026 in Rotterdam the same week - and it’s a real sign of a band coming into their own.