Australian psych rockers Pond have had quite the busy 2024, dropping their first-ever double album (Stung!) this summer and releasing a full concert video (Live at the Lodge Room) last month, chronicling the conclusion of the band’s tour of the US this May. (Although, releasing 10 studio albums in the past 15 years, you could argue that they tend to keep busy in general…) And while Pond’s spring jaunt through the US didn’t quite make it to the Mid Atlantic, they just kicked off a run last night in Boston and they will be returning to Union Transfer for the first time since 2017 this Thursday, 11/14. Just prior to the start of tour, I got a chance to chat with Pond co-founder and guitarist Shiny Joe Ryan about the band’s “loose formula” for making music, their biggest album to date, and the guitarist’s profound admiration of David Yow and The Jesus Lizard (especially while blazed), who will actually be returning to the Eraserhood venue themselves on December 13th.
Izzy Cihak: Since this is a Philadelphia publication, I have to ask your thoughts on the city, as you’ve played here a lot in the past decade (at least half a dozen times, but factoring the pandemic into it, it feels like a lot more). Any thoughts on the city or favorite memories from either playing or just hanging here?
Shiny Joe Ryan: We love Philadelphia! We always have a great shows there and the crowd is always super energetic and fun. I love walking around the city and going to thrift stores. I got a very cool Freddie Mercury-esque jacket last time we were in town, a kinda homemade job with lapels and sequins glued on.
Izzy: You recently released Live at the Lodge Room, which is totally fucking rad. I wish that more bands would release feature-length/full-length concert movies these days, but it seems to be happening a little less and less. What was it that spawned the idea to do this? I know that a good friend of yours, Sam Kristofski, shot it.
Shiny Joe: He’s no friend of mine, he still owes me two rolls of film [laughs]. Seriously though, Sam is incredibly easy to work with and we love his stuff. He shoots on film, which we love the look of. Also, on that tour we felt like we were playing very well so we figured we might as well film a whole live set and see what happens. It was by pure coincidence that Sam was in LA on other business, so everything just happened to work out.
Izzy: On a related note, do you have any favorite feature-length concert films that you’ve regularly watched over the years? I still watch Depeche Mode’s Devotional, Oasis’ …There and Then, and Morrissey’s Who Put the M in Manchester? pretty frequently.
Shiny Joe: I adore The Jesus Lizard live at Venus De Milo, Boston (10-04-1994). It’s on YouTube now, but a friend of mine has it on VHS and we used to get blazed and watch it often. The energy is just unreal, and I love how singer David Yow throws himself at the crowd for an hour and a half straight. Worth a watch for sure.
Izzy: What can be expected of the live show on this upcoming run, when you’ll be returning to Union Transfer? Obviously, you’ve released a full-length since you were last in the States, so I’m assuming at least the setlist will be a little different from what we see in the video.
Shiny Joe: Yeah, we’ve got a good setlist for this run. A few surprises and some classics, but we’re feeling very tight at the moment, so we’ll bring the ruckus.
Izzy: I’m not sure if you know this, but Union Transfer is actually in the neighborhood that David Lynch’s Eraserhead is based on (He used to live and go to college in the area many, many years ago.) So, I’m curious, are you a fan of Lynch, or any works of his in particular?
Shiny Joe: I was not aware that that was the case. It’s been years since I’ve watched Eraserhead, but I’ll have to give it another look with this in mind. Big fan of Twin Peaks, but I’ve never seen Mulholand Drive or his Dune movie, so I’ll give those a go for sure when I get time. I find his interviews interesting to watch. He describes the techniques of filmmaking very passionately. I bet he’d be a hoot to have a beer with.
Izzy: Do you currently (even if for just the moment) have a favorite song off of your latest album, Stung!, whether one that’s especially fun to play live, one that you’re most proud of, or one that’s been getting the most flattering or amusing responses?
Shiny Joe: I was really proud of how “Fell From Grace With The Sea” turned out. I was proud of those chords. I wrote them in quarantine and Nick wrote great lyrics for it. It sits nicely at the end of the album, but live I have been enjoying “Black Lung.” Just full rock pig Sabbath fun times
Izzy: You’re going to be on the road with Fazerdaze, who I also totally love. What are your thoughts on Amelia and her music? Are you excited to spend some time on the road with her?
Shiny Joe: I’ve only listened to a few songs when I heard we were going to be touring together, and I enjoyed them very much. I’m excited to see her live. I will often not listen to bands’ music online if I know I will be seeing them soon so I can have a genuine uninfluenced first experience of the artist live. Also very happy to have an artist from New Zealand on tour.
Izzy: How do you, personally, like time being on the road and playing regularly, compared to the time you spend in the studio and more focused on writing? Do you prefer one to the other, or do they sort of provide a relief to the other? I was gonna say that you seem to always be on the road, but you also release new music fairly regularly…
Shiny Joe: I think we’ve struck a pretty nice and even balance between the two. Both touring and studio time still feel fun, organic, and exciting. I miss touring after a while at home in Fremantle and I miss my partner, friends, and family when we’re on the road, but I enjoy both, so we are truly lucky guys. They both still feel unforced and genuine so I think that means we’re doing it right, for us at least.
Izzy: I’m just realizing that it’s officially been a decade and a half since your first LP, Psychedelic Mango. What would you consider to be the biggest differences in how you approach making music — both writing and recording, and maybe even touring — now, compared to the earliest days of Pond? I realize that’s a pretty massive question…
Shiny Joe: I wouldn’t say a lot has changed in our approach to making music. We’re still into the ego-free, fun, organic nature of our music and how it’s made. I suppose that’s our kinda loose formula, if you had to put it into words. However, I will say that the audio fidelity of the music has gotten a lot better and continues to get better with every record.
Izzy: Your tour dates wrap at the beginning of December, so I’m curious how you’re hoping and planning to spend the first part of 2025? Anything you’re especially excited about or that’s at the forefront of your mind?
Shiny Joe: We’ve just hired a space in Fremantle and have spent a few weeks setting up a studio, so we’ll jump into recording a new album when we get home, which is exciting. Also, it’ll be summer too, so it’ll be paradise by the beach.
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