Band On Band In The Studio With Bad Pony
If you thought you knew Bad Pony, their new EP Deficiency is going to shake things up. The Sydney group throws down the gauntlet with their sophomore EP release, demonstrating a strong grip on indie rock music delivered with snarl. Over the years, Bad Pony have continued to generate momentum around their electrifying live show and at this point in 2018, the hype is at a particular high. Their time spent at SXSW saw the acclaim roll in, playing alongside national idols such as Gang of Youths, Bad Pony’s explosive performance at the Aussie BBQ saw them walk away with the award of Best Australian Group. Sam, Jarred and Mark interview each on the studio experience.
Sam: What is everyone’s alter ego (in the form of a Simpsons character)when recording?
Jarred: Moe Syzlack – I turn into a bit of a foul-mouthed grump when I’m tracking demos. Katie always knows when I’m recording when she hears short and sharp bursts of expletives coming from our bedroom.
Mark: Cron definitely becomes professor Frink when he’s cooking up delicious mixes. When we’re tracking, Sam is very good at tricking you into relaxing to get a better take out of you so I would say he’s a mix of Marge and Maude Flanders. And of course I live my life every day like I’m Hank Scorpio.
Mark: do you prefer to work on recordings slowly over a number of sessions or smash them out in one go? Why?
Jarred: I think it’s important to get a whole skeleton down in one go. As in, make sure all the sections and main ideas have been written before stopping. Otherwise you end up with a bunch of half cooked ideas and it’s extremely hard to pick up where you left off – especially if you’re writing while new sections. After that it’s good to spend a few sessions fluffing it up and adding extra nuances.
Mark: are there any strange studio habits or traditions that are fit for public broadcast?
Jarred: This isn’t fit for public broadcast but I’ve shit myself in the recording process two times.
Mark: what is the remedy when things aren’t clicking in the studio?
Sam: This is a hard one. Sometimes you just need to know when to quit and move on to something else for a while. Other times you really need to stick at it and chase an idea all the way down the rabbit hole. I think the most import thing is to make sure you finish what you start before giving up. It may sound lame at first, but sometimes if you keep pursuing an idea it turns out awesome… other times, not so much.
Mark: what are some of the challenges of the home studio process?
Sam: staying motivated and keeping your spirits up when tracking. I love the production process. But sometimes tracking can be monotonous. It’s easy to want to just move on rather than making sure your take is perfect… but don’t do it.
Jarred: What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever recorded?
Mark: one time Sam and I were hanging out at his place watching channel v or something and this new track by Britney Spears ft. Will.I.Am came on and it was just an utter dog shit track. I made a passing comment that the song couldn’t have taken more than ten minutes to come up with and Sam called my bluff, and challenged me to prove I could do it better. I retreated to his studio and emerged fifteen minutes later with a song called I Came To Party Like I’ve Got No Body. My song was utter dog shit as well so I suppose Sam won that argument.
Sam: I give it a pass. It got quite a few laughs.
Jarred: Has anybody ever lost their mind in a session?
Mark: I think everyone goes a little batty after a certain period of time in the studio, but getting a little weird and silly sometimes leads to trying cool and unique stuff that can add a little fun to tracks. Adding Content
Compiled by Rob Lyon
Catch Bad Pony on the following dates…
