16 Horsepower

Old Empire Presents

16 Horsepower

Friday 30th April 2027

Electric Brixton

16 Horsepower stands as the band that fundamentally altered the landscape for roots-

based, alternative music drawing heavily on the raw intensity and timbres of

Appalachian folk, bluegrass, gospel, and country—employing traditional instruments

such as banjo, Chemnitzer concertina, hurdy-gurdy, lap steel, and upright bass—and

filtering these sounds through a modern, rock-informed sensibility. This cross-pollination

pioneered a genre-defying substyle variously labeled “gothic country,” “gothic

Americana,” and, within Denver’s fertile 1990s alternative scene, “The Denver Sound”.

With a core trio of David Eugene Edwards, Jean Yves Tola and Pascal Humbert

consistently at the helm, a shifting cast of collaborators, and a restless drive to push

boundaries, they left behind an unmistakable sonic and thematic fingerprint. Whether

channeling fire-and-brimstone sermons, haunted ballads, or folk standards reimagined

through a modern, tormented lens, 16 Horsepower forged a body of work that is both

intimately American and universally gothic in its vision.

Their legacy continued in 2026 when16 Horsepower announced their European reunion

with the core trio of musicians reuniting to present their beloved music again for the first

time since November 22, 2005. In 2027, this reunion makes its long awaited return to

the UK.