Bad Pony
Sydney quintet Bad Pony have set a furious pace on the path to success. In such a short space of time this band has grabbed every opportunity by the scruff of the neck and playing like their live depend on it. With a brand new tune Knife in the can and taking on the world at South By Southwest the rest of 2018 is looking really exciting. Sam Thomlinson reflects on the South By Southwest experience and gives an insight to new single Knife.
Exciting times for Bad Pony, how was the experience of playing SXSW?
It was beyond incredible. I think we always knew we were going to get there and have a great time hanging around the city, seeing bands and enjoying the environment. But I don’t think we knew it would be as crazy and amazing as it was. The people were awesome, we met and hung out with some badass bands and there was an abundance of food and beer. Although, I would advise most to steer clear of the free poured mix drinks.
What was the stand out moment for the band on that trip?
The stand out moment would have to be the Aussie BBQ. It was our first big show of the trip, playing with some really amazing Australian talent, including but not limited to The Money War (amazing song writing), Gang of Youths (amazing stage presence), CALMLY and VOWWS (Wows). It was just an awesome day to hang out with everyone and really get to know the people we were playing alongside and we really couldn’t have asked for a better response to the set.
Do you go there with a plan or an objective in mind or is it just about playing to a different audience?
Absolutely. Our number one goal was to make sure we had a polished and energetic set to showcase, in hopes that would get people involved and open some doors for ourselves. Our managers Tamara and Liz were in the city everyday from about nine with meetings. We love traveling and love getting our music out to a wider audience, so a big goal of this trip was to set up some potential tours around the world in coming years.
Is the international focus the main focus for Bad Pony this year?
It’s always been a big focus for us and I’m positive it will continue to be. It’s really not the easiest thing to do as a band, as it can cost a bucket load of money. But we really are seeing the benefits and we try and think of it as a bit of a holiday in some ways. How many people get to travel the world playing music… even if it does make your bank account look a little sad.
Do you think you might have to relocate to be able to have a fair dinkum crack at it?
The good thing is, even though we are making very little money doing these things, we still absolutely love it. If relocating is something that presents its self to us as an opportunity to do this thing we love for longer, or forever, then I’d like to think we’d consider it. But who knows what’s going to happen over the next couple of years. I’m certainly up for some Euro livin’.
Most valuable piece of advice given to the band so far?
Do it for the love of music.
What’s the story behind the single Knife?
It started as a lot of voice memos on my phone, which I ended up taking to rehearsal to show the guys. For me, harmonically, it really fit with this whole heavier vibe we’ve been concentrating on lately. I wanted it to feel like an adrenaline kick, some yelling, some ‘woooo’ing. I think lyrically that allowed Jarred to really express some frustrations he was having with music at the time. As fun and amazing as song writing can be, it can’t also weigh down on you at times, especially when your negotiating with a band of five guys. But that’s often when you come up with the best stuff. It’s all part of the process.
Where to next for Bad Pony?
More music! We’ve already been writing a tonne of new material. I like to think that our music is quite diverse and going forward I think it will continue to be. We have a few pencilled in releases to look forward to, as well as some tours.
Interview by Rob Lyon