As the six-piece Adelaide ensemble Workhorse set up their instruments, a lone dog lingers around politely dodging cables and band members. The band begins their set with a soft “apocalyptic” ballad, however the pooch named Pony is more than content to gaze at the small crowd from her perch near the front of the stage. It’s just another Saturday arvo at Soundmerch, a record store tucked away on a Fitzroy sidestreet.

 

Pony is Workhorse guitarist/vocalist Harriet Fraser-Barbour’s prized pet and has been joining the group on their tour to the many corners of Australia.

 

“I think she’s getting better and better at [touring],” she said. “She’s very distracting though while I’m playing; I’m laughing at her in a serious song.”

 

The band and their small mascot are in Melbourne to promote their new album No Photographs, a relaxing collection of compositions put together over the past two years. Luscious guitar tones flow alongside hypnotic drum patterns, embellished with lap-guitar and violin for good measure. The music is rather hard to place under a single genre, however that doesn’t phase Fraser-Barbour.

 

“I find genres really hard, but I can use words that other people have used, which is western-tinged country shoegaze,” she said. “...[it’s] not one thing.”

 

Forming in 2016, Workhorse have steadily collected an array of contacts from their large resume of live shows. Last month they performed in Perth, a single stop on a tour filled with variety.
 

“We drove from Adelaide to Darwin, played some shows in country towns in Coober Pedy and in Alice Springs,” said Fraser-Barbour. “They were good, it was interesting. Alice Springs was great, really really fun.”

 

No Photographs released in August on Dinosaur City Records, host to a range of talents such as REBEL YELL and e4444e. 

 

“The album…came out in Darwin, but the shows we played along the way were leading up to the release,” she said.

 

Around this time Soundmerch was down in Melbourne, hosting shows for local punks CLAMM and presenting in-store signings with international acts such as Beabadoobee and Wet Leg. Rows of No Photographs vinyl are displayed on their wall, something of a shrine as the band plays their tunes on the other side of the room.

 

“Soundmerch have been distributing our record and t-shirts, so they help with online orders,” said Fraser-Barbour. “They just asked if we’d like to do a gig in the shop while we were here in Melbourne for the weekend.”

Behind the counter were Alannah and Jack, more than happy to watch the band as they sold their album.

 

“The idea for all our in-stores is working with Australian artists, especially around their record releases, getting people into the store and helping expose the band to a new audience,” said Jack.

 

He had brought along his own pooch into work, a friend for Pony on what was an otherwise ordinary day with the band. While the dogs may have been an unconventional addition, Fraser-Barbour enjoys their company.

 

“I’d like for gigs to be more family-friendly for a start, places you could bring the dog or the kids,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like a shameful thing you have to do in the dark late at night.”

 

This optimism towards afternoon gigs and availability for all is also demonstrated in the asking price for entry, or lack thereof. Patrons of Soundmerch are encouraged to pop in simply to check the band out; if they have a good time, maybe they’ll pick up a record on their way out.

 

That’s what Alannah hopes for.

 

“People can come and they might not be here for the show, they might be here for something else like to buy a record…they get introduced to new music,” she said. “Because Soundmerch focuses on Australian music, it’s a great hub for people to learn about Australian bands.”

 

Afternoon shows are somewhat uncommon around Melbourne. Venues will often put all their attention into their evening shows, as people are more likely to stick around for a drink. While this may be great for profits, Fraser-Barbour is concerned with what that may mean for live music.

 

“I don’t really like the reliance we have on pubs and bars, the live music industry and alcohol are so closely entwined and I don’t really love that part,” she said. “Daytime shows are definitely more accessible for families or people that might not want to go out late at night for various reasons; there’s so many reasons that you might not want to go to a club at night.”

 

Workhorse finished up their set at 3:30pm. Pony was found in the band’s bass drum case having a snooze.

Listen to No Photographs on Bandcamp or Spotify.