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Pond: 'We're trying not to be gutter-dwelling trashbag teenagers' Pond: 'We're trying not to be gutter-dwelling trashbag teenagers'
(6 months later)
You might expect a fluctuating lineup of friends united by a love of playing psychedelic music to be a bunch of slackers – but in fact Pond have been almost fearsomely productive since they formed in 2008. Now a five-piece they’ve released five albums with a sixth already in the can; performed all over the world (they’re touring Europe after supporting Arctic Monkeys on the Sheffield band’s upcoming Australian tour); and even more impressively, most of them have been in other bands at the same time. Three of Tame Impala are either currently in or have passed through their ranks, including Pond’s singer Nick Allbrook, who left the bigger band last year for the pleasures of making something looser and even trippier.You might expect a fluctuating lineup of friends united by a love of playing psychedelic music to be a bunch of slackers – but in fact Pond have been almost fearsomely productive since they formed in 2008. Now a five-piece they’ve released five albums with a sixth already in the can; performed all over the world (they’re touring Europe after supporting Arctic Monkeys on the Sheffield band’s upcoming Australian tour); and even more impressively, most of them have been in other bands at the same time. Three of Tame Impala are either currently in or have passed through their ranks, including Pond’s singer Nick Allbrook, who left the bigger band last year for the pleasures of making something looser and even trippier.
“I suppose the communal joy of sharing each other’s creativity and company is something that none of us can make by ourselves,” says Allbrook, a man with an amiable if somewhat sleepy-sounding voice on the phone from his home in Melbourne, where he relocated after leaving Perth. “The quality that comes out of the music, like a combination of everyone’s taste mashed together, just makes something far more eccentric and loveable. If we try too hard and get caught up in the intellectual side of songcraft and predetermined ideas it gets stale.”“I suppose the communal joy of sharing each other’s creativity and company is something that none of us can make by ourselves,” says Allbrook, a man with an amiable if somewhat sleepy-sounding voice on the phone from his home in Melbourne, where he relocated after leaving Perth. “The quality that comes out of the music, like a combination of everyone’s taste mashed together, just makes something far more eccentric and loveable. If we try too hard and get caught up in the intellectual side of songcraft and predetermined ideas it gets stale.”
On Saturday, Pond will top the bill at a showcase for Spinning Top, their record label, at the Perth festival. “We’ll do a bunch of songs from [2013 album] Hobo Rocket and some oldies – and the song we did for the Morning of the Earth movie, Spirit of Akasha,” says Allbrook, who also sometimes goes by the name of Paisley Adams and is the hero of numerous fan tumblrs swooning over his extravagant sunglasses, habit of taking to the stage barefoot, and dirty bleached hair. One of them features a gif of Alexa Chung looking appropriately agog at the frontman’s charisma at a 2012 gig at South by Southwest.On Saturday, Pond will top the bill at a showcase for Spinning Top, their record label, at the Perth festival. “We’ll do a bunch of songs from [2013 album] Hobo Rocket and some oldies – and the song we did for the Morning of the Earth movie, Spirit of Akasha,” says Allbrook, who also sometimes goes by the name of Paisley Adams and is the hero of numerous fan tumblrs swooning over his extravagant sunglasses, habit of taking to the stage barefoot, and dirty bleached hair. One of them features a gif of Alexa Chung looking appropriately agog at the frontman’s charisma at a 2012 gig at South by Southwest.
Pond stand out on the festival’s bill since they Pond stand out on the festival’s bill since they are from the vicinity of the city itself, though Allbrook laughs when this is pointed out. “I don’t think it really matters,” he says. “I don’t know whether the Perth festival brands itself as a local thing so I can’t really say.” He’s been there as a punter on previous occasions. “I saw Tony Allen, Black Mountain, Health – I’ve seen heaps of things over the years at that festival. They get awesome bands playing.”
are from the vicinity of the city itself, though Allbrook laughs when this is Allbrook describes Pond’s forthcoming album – characteristically titled Man, It Feels Like Space Again (their first record was called Psychedelic Mango) – as “the good parts of what we’ve done on other albums, trying to consolidate all of that.” Not that he’s that sure of what those good parts are. “I can’t even gauge the quality of what we’ve done,” he admits. “Sometimes I’m intellectually happy with it but I never listen to it again, and sometimes we make something and I listen to it heaps. But I don’t know what the great cosmic scale of artistic quality is and where that lies, draped over the cosmos.” Right ...
pointed out. “I don’t think it really matters,” he says. “I don’t know
whether the Perth festival brands itself as a local thing so I can’t
really say.” He’s been there as a punter on previous occasions. “I saw
Tony Allen, Black Mountain, Health – I’ve seen heaps of things over the
years at that festival. They get awesome bands playing.”
Allbrook
describes Pond’s forthcoming album – characteristically titled Man, It
Feels Like Space Again (their first record was called Psychedelic Mango)
– as “the good parts of what we’ve done on other albums, trying to
consolidate all of that.” Not that he’s that sure of what those good
parts are. “I can’t even gauge the quality of what we’ve done,” he
admits. “Sometimes I’m intellectually happy with it but I never listen
to it again, and sometimes we make something and I listen to it heaps.
But I don’t know what the great cosmic scale of artistic quality is and
where that lies, draped over the cosmos.” Right ...
He seems moderately excited about the prospect of supporting Arctic Monkeys. “They’re nice lads” – but the main attraction is that it will give the band an opportunity to go over to New Zealand. “I love that place a lot,” says Allbrook. “It’s different, it’s relaxed and it’s got beautiful scenery. You can see how open-minded and lovely the culture is from the way they treat the Indigenous people compared to the way we do – it’s the first indication when you get off the plane.” It’s not the only indication of a social and environmental consciousness in the band – there’s a protest against Western Australia’s shark cull on the band’s Facebook page.He seems moderately excited about the prospect of supporting Arctic Monkeys. “They’re nice lads” – but the main attraction is that it will give the band an opportunity to go over to New Zealand. “I love that place a lot,” says Allbrook. “It’s different, it’s relaxed and it’s got beautiful scenery. You can see how open-minded and lovely the culture is from the way they treat the Indigenous people compared to the way we do – it’s the first indication when you get off the plane.” It’s not the only indication of a social and environmental consciousness in the band – there’s a protest against Western Australia’s shark cull on the band’s Facebook page.
In the meantime, it’s time for the band to set the controls for the heart of Perth. “I’m pretty fond of playing live with Pond, it’s pretty goddamn fun most of the time,” says Allbrook. “Over the years we’ve come to terms with what makes something good before it gets boring, trying to push forward and not just be gutter-dwelling trashbag teenagers for the rest of our days.” Though this hints at a new maturity, it seems safe to say that this weekend, minds are liable to be blown. In the meantime, it’s time for the band to set the controls for the heart of Perth. “I’m pretty fond of playing live with Pond, it’s pretty goddamn fun most of the time,” says Allbrook. “Over the years we’ve come to terms with what makes something good before it gets boring, trying to push forward and not just be gutter-dwelling trashbag teenagers for the rest of our days.” Though this hints at a new maturity, it seems safe to say that this weekend, minds are liable to be blown.