David Eugene Edwards is wearing black jeans, a black T-shirt, his blonde hair all the more striking. In the spotlight he's encircled by bright wreath of light, all the audience can do is focus its attention on the slender fellow. He's sitting on a high bar stool, upholstered in red. Not once during the course of the evening does he get off the stool. To pick up his instruments he rather bows. Already for the second song he reaches for his bandoneon (a predecessor of the present-day accordion), puts it between his knees and squeezes it continuously, stretching it, shutting it. David E. Edwards' band, 16 Horsepower, are performing at the Berlin Loft.

Their name originally was to be just "Horsepower". David E. Edwards loves horses, his parents (sic) own some, he grew up near horses. In his childhood he visited rodeos. He grew up in Colorado, in the heart of the North American continent, that is where his roots are. Later he heard a folk-song, in which a man mourns for his wife who has passed on, 16 horses pulling her coffin to the cemetery. "I liked that image. The name, Horsepower, for me is synonymous with labour. Often we have to do things, that are difficult for us, but they are nevertheless necessary"

Sometime last year the debut-album "Sackcloth 'n' Ashes" was released. Already with their first record they found themselves in the stable of a major-label. "We were very, very, really very surprised. We were playing in Denver and thought, sometime an independent label will discover us and offer us to work with them. However, a major-label was the first to express interest. We just could not imagine that somebody would be interested in our music." For several reasons though, the record-company postponed the release. With this in mind the guys returned to the studio. On their own account they recorded an EP, to sell during their concerts, in order to gain a certain degree of fame somehow. The EP and the following longplayer therefore show a very continuous image, musically speaking there's no fault. "Yes, we recorded both records almost simultaneously.", the singer assures me. Since their inception a good three years ago they have travelled America several times, They sent their CD with an accompanying letter to their favourite bands. This way they could tour as opening-act for Morphine, Los Lobos and the Violent Femmes.

16 Horsepower's music has an affinity with Westerns, an affinity with country-music, but yet it is rock-music. Partly dark (especially because of the rendering sound of the singer's microphone), at the same time the music is not from this world, at least it hardly conforms to our 20th century. David E. Edwards admits, when you talk directly to him about it, that he would rather have lived a hundred years ago. "Life wasn't easy then, but then I'm not interested in easy matters." He speaks of the century, in which Dostoevsky lived too. "I don't read many books, but the few I did read have had a profound impact on me. That applies to all of Dostoevsky's books. My favourite one is "Crime and Punishment"." True, the band's instruments are not from the day before yesterday, but they do purchase a lot of them in antiquarian music-shops. Their first bandoneon was over a hundred years old. During concerts however, David E. Edwards had worked at it to such a degree, that is has fallen apart in the meantime. They found a new specimen, in Chicago, but that one was made in 1940. "I learned to play on an acoustic guitar. The banjo and the accordion did only come into my life circa nine or ten years ago. I have always loved this music, but naturally I also loved the louder stuff." 16 Horsepower's music resembles the musical world of the Violent Femmes, and it isn't far removed too from the Gun Club and Nick Cave. He also likes all these bands, The Birthday Party, The Bad Seeds, Joy Division. He then adds: "I love traditional music, Appalachian hillbilly-music for instance, I do probably like Hungarian folk-music best though. I have all the Múzsikás records. I'm interested in gypsy-music and stuff like that." The musicians love the sound of the violin, of the banjo. Consequently they play these instruments they love to hear as well. "We let them sound just slightly different."

The lyrics on "Sackcloth 'n' Ashes" are full of symbolism. The title was derived from the Bible (John 3:5). "It means so much, like to deeply repent something. Anyway, every song on this record deals with that in one way or another. I'm singing about the struggle between Good and Evil." In his heart the former wins. Edwards is very religious. "I believe in God, in the Bible, in heaven and in hell. I believe i n angels, spirits and demons." Church music has had a strong influence on him as well, yes even his musical talent he considers to be a gift from God. "I grew up in church. A very strict, Southern church. Dancing was prohibited, just as alcohol was. Women were only allowed to wear skirts. Nevertheless I loved it, and in the services I loved the music best. No gospel-music, more of a very solemn music. I still listen to it today." His grandfather was a preacher, travelling from town to town, to convert people. His grandmother, so the press-releases say, accompanied young David to numerous funerals. His morbid sense of humour in his lyrics, that very often deal with death, probably springs from this. But it isn't death in itself that interests him. "It's easier for me, to sing about something, when I can voice it in a way that I find interesting. That's why I employ symbolism. In my head I make images, like a movie."

The band was formed three years ago. Originally David Eugene Edwards played in a band, called the Denver Gentlemen. They moved to Los Angeles, to give concerts there. He lived there for two years. In the street opposite his house were the Roger Corman-studios, and David simply walked by and asked for a job. Thus he constructed sets for the B-movie director and producer. Jean-Yves Tola, a guy from Paris, whose roots where more into jazz, worked there too. Soon they discovered their common interests in music. When the Denver Gentlemen dissolved, and they moved back to Colorado, meanwhile they hated California abundantly, drummer Jean-Yves Tola moved with them. Back home in Denver they formed 16 Horsepower together. They don't like it, when people associate what they're playing, with folk-music. They find American folk-music fairly laughable. They rather strive to assimilate traditional music within a contemporary framework. In February 1997 they will record their second album. They have already travelled Europe a few times. They prefer playing here to playing across the big pond. Even so, David Eugene Edwards' biggest wish rather surprised me. "I would love to move to Hungary, live there for a while, travel through Hungary, Rumania and those parts of Europe."