Chicago indie-folk vets, the Horse’s Ha, just released their debut album, Of the Cathmawr Yards, on Urbana’s own Hidden Agenda/Parasol Records. buzz caught up with founding member James Elkington as the band prepares for a string of shows in support their latest release starting June 27 at Cowboy Monkey.

buzz: You guys have an interesting history of how you came together. Could you give us a quick rundown of how you met Janet Beveridge Bean and how your style evolved?

James Elkington: Janet and I met in the early 2000s when the Zincs opened up for Freakwater. I was a fan of hers and had Freakwater records. I was also working on a record at the time and asked her if she was interested in singing. She had a really good idea to go and play in small bistros singing '60s covers in the evening to make money, but before we even had a full set of covers, I started writing original material. We had a song and identity before we had any songs—I think that’s why we’re a little different.

buzz: You guys seem to be a part of this ever-growing revival of folk music. Why do you think neo-folk, anti-folk and folk in general are on the rise again in 2009?

Elkington: I think it is the sort of music that has been kind of neglected. It hasn’t been in the forefront of people’s CD collections for a long time. There is something indisputable and honest about it—something very up front. You really get a good chunk of the performer’s personality and I think audiences are in to that. I don’t know that popular music is going anywhere anymore. The first 30 years of pop music felt like it was going somewhere—like it had some onward movement that made us all stop and think about it, but I think it just reflects what people want to hear at the time.

buzz: Historically, folk music has been tied to political and philosophical movements. Do the Horse’s Ha have a larger ideological theory influencing how the band operates?

Elkington: I don’t think so. In fact, the reason why folk music is beginning to flower a bit now is because it is apolitical. There is an element of sanity to it. It has little if anything to do with politics. It isn’t really about current social issues. It is more about escape of current entertainment streams.

buzz: Do you think there are any parallels to be drawn from the advent of social media to share your music with the world and the folk resurgence?

Elkington: The internet has helped me tremendously to get a hold of records that aren’t available anymore. It is possible that you really can get a hold of absolutely anything. The flood gates have opened. So maybe when you hear someone singing directly into a microphone and hear someone’s general reflection of emotion and personality, it rises above and people can connect. You might not otherwise find that on the internet.

buzz: The name The Horse’s Ha is taken from a Dylan Thomas short story about a graveyard in your native UK. Is your sound influenced by any other literary, artistic or other non-musical aspects?

Elkington: I think Janet and I are fairly voracious readers. We read a lot and I think that influences the way we write words. We also have to get each other’s approval as well. When you write with an audience like Janet, it ups your game a bit. When I was in the Zincs, no one would really quiz me on the lyrics, but when you’re writing for someone else, they have to feel the same connection to it. Both Janet and I are very into the musicality of words and how they can be put together.

buzz: Your sound is has more of a jazz ambience to it than most folk artists. Do you think that helps you stand out from the pack?

Elkington: I think the choice of players certainly helps. The people we invited to join the group were done so knowing that would happen. They’re all active players in the improvisational scene here that could take the material in different directions every time they played it. It is part of the DNA of the group. I like acoustic music very much but I wanted to be in a band that was more surprising.

buzz: How did you get connected with Hidden Agenda/Parasol?

Elkington: Our bass player went to the University of Illinois and was friends with [the Parasol employees] for a long time. We really made the record because we felt like if we didn’t, we wouldn’t have anything. We wanted to document it and recorded without a label in mind. We didn’t know who to approach or who would be interested in what we’re doing but things just fell into line.

buzz: What can the audience expect from your live performance at Cowboy Monkey on June 27?

Elkington: We haven’t played in Champaign yet, but I think it will feel like a hometown gig. There will be parts of the set where none of us in the band know what is going to happen. We have a lot of new material, but the record just came out a week ago, so we’ll be playing mostly songs from the album.

The Horse’s Ha bring their distinct sound to Cowboy Monkey on June 27 with supporting acts Common Loon and Angie Heaton rounding out the bill. The mere $5 cover means you’ll have plenty of cash leftover to purchase their debut record, Of the Cathmawr Yards, on Hidden Agenda Records.