Psychedelic rock revivals have been done before, but The Ponys are the real thing. They refuse to let their brand of rock ‘n’ roll fall into any distinctive genre. After releasing two acclaimed albums on the Los Angeles label In the Red (2004’s Laced With Romance and 2005’s Celebration Castle) the Chicago four-piece has yet another offering. Turn The Lights Out is their first album with Matador Records and new guitarist Brian Case. Since making the album, The Ponys have acquired something else new – what vocalist and guitarist Jered Gummere calls a “family band” attitude.
“After we recorded Turn the Lights Out, we took some time off and everybody got married,” Case says. He married and had a son. Gummere married longtime girlfriend and Ponys bassist Melissa Elias. Their household also includes two dogs. Drummer Nathan Jerde got engaged.
Case, whose playing has added a darker side to their trademark sound, joined the band after keyboardist and guitarist Ian Adams departed in 2005. Unlike past Ponys guitar arrangements, which seemed spawned from early 80s post-punk and Velvet Underground inspired repetition, Case’s playing is raw, with rougher edges. “It’s not that we’re trying to do anything different,” Case says. “Its just different with a different person in the band.”
“Accidents happen,” Gummere says about the songwriting process. No one comes into practice knowing what songs will come out. “Someone plays something, and we’re like, ‘play it again.'” Case says. While Gummere takes most of the songwriting credit, he claims not to know what the songs on Turn the Lights Out are about. He assures, however, that there are plenty of nerdy references on it. “I’m a big nerd,” he says. “It shows in the music.”
“I’m a big nerd. It shows in the music.” -Jered Gummere
As a “family band” with nerdy tendencies, their route to the new album came with plenty of inside jokes. “We signed the contract [with Matador] on 6/6/06,” Gummere says with a laugh. While he jokes about planning the date of the signing, it was entirely accidental – upon receiving the contract in early June, Gummere decided to “wait some extra days.”
Despite signing to Matador on a day coinciding with the devil, it brought the advantage of working with producer John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Alice Cooper, Patti Smith). “Within five minutes we knew that we’d get along well,” Case says. On Celebration Castle, the Ponys worked with Steve Albini, known for his work with Nirvana, Pixies and Fugazi. Although they enjoyed their experience with Albini, Gummere says, “The main difference between him and [Agnello] is that he’s really set in his ways to have things done the way he likes, and [Agnello] lets us do whatever the fuck we want.”
The two-week recording session for Turn the Lights Out included Gummere’s resolution to “sing more” (as opposed to just shouting in a microphone). They’re excited about Turn the Lights Out and their upcoming nationwide tour to support the album. “Give me directions and money and I will be there,” Case says laughing.
– Kristine Capua