Don’t underestimate the potential of a low-paying day job because it might just make you famous—or at least that’s what we learnt from the success story of indie pop duo An Horse. Guitarist-vocalist Kate Cooper talks to I-S about the group’s musical journey so far and how she’s looking forward to having some chili in Singapore.

That’s quite a name … It was the result of a grammar dispute between me and my next-door neighbor, who eventually gave me a sweater with the phrase “An Horse” on it to prove a point.

How did you guys hit it off musically? We (Cooper and guitarist Damon Cox) were working together at a record store in 2006 and got along really well. We always thought it’d be quite fun to make music together. We went back and forth about it for over a year, mucking around on text before realizing we really clicked musically and personality wise. We got really lucky.

What has the journey to greatness been like? Oh, we’ve gone quite a way. At first, I didn’t want to give Damon the songs I wrote because I thought they were pretty silly. But hey, we opened for Tegan and Sara in Cincinnati and that was pretty amazing. The crowd was insane. We also played with Death Cab for Cutie, which was really cool.

We know you musicians need to be constantly inspired. How do you maintain that? Oddly enough, I’ve never experienced a creative block. When I’m not on tour and at home, all I do is sit by myself in the kitchen and write. It’s easy for me to just be relaxed. If I wanted to head off someplace, I’d visit tropical islands. I like cities too.

And Singapore’s both a tropical island and a city. Have you been here? My mom has spent quite a lot of time in Singapore so I have a lot of stories. I hear the food is amazing; I look forward to eating some spicy stuff. I actually have a very high tolerance for chili.

Experience the unique, beat-driven sound of An Horse on Oct 15, 8pm. TAB, #02-29, 442 Orchard Rd., 6493-6952. $32-39 at the door.