An Horse could possibly be the most unassuming rock band in history.

Not the type to destroy hotel rooms and throwback bottles of Jack, Damon Cox and Kate Cooper are more inclined to find a local swimming hole or watch a movie on AMC after shows. “We’re the cleanest-living rock band,” Cooper proudly claims.

The recent release of Walls, the follow up to 2009’s Rearrange Beds, has proven that An Horse is a band meant for not only the big time but also the long-term. Critically acclaimed and catchy as hell, Walls finds the band a little older, a little wiser and as earnest as ever.

Catching up with Cox and Cooper in the dingy basement of a Minneapolis venue, it is clear that the hard-working duo is more than paying their dues.

“We’ve been on tour since March. All over the world,” Cooper says, settling into a questionably comfortable seat. “We may take slightly longer to respond.”

“We’ve just been to Australia, we were there for about five minutes. It was a bit frustrating,” says Cox, referring to his home of Melbourne.

An Horse has seen its share of the world, and between their three studio releases, EP Not Really Scared (2008), Rearrange Beds (2009) and the April 2011 release of Walls, they managed to squeeze in time to put together an album of remixes, Beds Rearranged.

Preparing for a post-tour respite before continuing to take over the world, the duo takes time to reflect on their months of touring.

“Before we started (An Horse) we were in other bands, but nothing like this, or to this extent. It’d be like touring Australia for three days. That tour we just did at home was so hard (because of all of the flying). Getting up every morning at six o’clock and going to bed at three AM. After three days I felt like my eyes were falling out of my head,” Cooper says, adding with a laugh, “It’s pretty much what I thought.”

Miles and hours on the road add up and hijinks undoubtedly ensue.

“We do a lot of air drumming,” Cox says, “Kate sits back and watches it all unfold. We have a laugh. The more we’re on tour the more our sense of humour gets f*cked up.”

Touring for Walls is different from previous tours. “We have a sound man this tour, so that’s definitely better. Life is better,” Cooper says.

“It’s definitely given us more confidence to go on stage and have someone you trust there,” adds Cox.

The 13-song journey that is Walls is rocking, jolting and surprisingly emotional. Even more so live, when the intensity and larger-than-life sound betray their quiet, thoughtful, Australian demeanours.

Dressed Sharply, the album’s opener comes at the listener like a wall and simmers into a driving, catchy and relentless three minute and thirty-one-second letter to a loved one.

When asked what they are most proud of as a band, and of Walls, in particular, the duo ponders for a minute.

“I’m just proud of us as a band, we’ve been through a lot of sh*t together and it’s nice to keep doing it. People believe in it, and we have people in our lives that support us. I’m pretty proud of it,” Cox says, before adding, “I guess I don’t think about it much until I get home and it’s like ‘Wow, we just did all of that and put it into perspective.”

Touring for Walls will continue for the foreseeable future with big festival gigs at Austin City Limits and another U.S. tour on the horizon, as well as writing and perhaps a new video.

An Horse isn’t going anywhere but up, and for that, music fans should be thankful.