The Pons
Austin, Texas, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
"The breadth of this record is astounding. From dark moody numbers to blazing rock & roll to light hearted pop, The Pons never lose their emotional connection with the listener." - Austinist
Honorable Mention Certificate for "Peace on Earth" - Mike Pinder's Songwars Competition
Top ten in record sales for the week of November 9-15. - The Austin Chronicle
“…infectious melodies complete with a little late 90s indie guitar rock and tight, witty lyrics…it’s hard not to feel like they are singing for all of us.” - Austin Sound
“The Pons were the best act of the night.” - DC Rock Club
“Their most recent album, In the Belly of a Giant, hit the top 10 for total record sales at Waterloo Records after only two weeks in the store.” - KUT Austin
“This indie rock power trio has tight musicianship, solid pop sensibilities and enough swagger to keep it all in check…represents much of what Austin’s contemporary music scene is all about.” - Urban Tulsa Weekly
“The Pons feel more like they play music because they need to…because they aim to shine a light on the struggles of everyday life.” - Space City Rock (Houston)
“…throughout you’ll discover moments of vulnerability, clarity and triumph.” - KUT Radio 90.5
“The Blackest Shine…has to be one of the great Austin singles of the year.” - Overlord
“The Blackest Shine…has to be one of the great Austin singles of the year.” - Overlord
"This may be one of my favorite albums of the year. Get it. Love it. " - Republic of Austin
“…channeling self-destructive impulses into something creative and constructive…The Pons present a perfect pop build…” - The Austin Chronicle
“…undeniably delectable catchiness like makeup lathered upon the tapestry of black-eyed portraits that stare back from the cover.” - Texas Music Magazine
“…riding the same general Silkworm-esque vibe I loved so much on 2009's In the Belly of a Giant.” - Space City Rock (Houston)
“…riding the same general Silkworm-esque vibe I loved so much on 2009's In the Belly of a Giant.” - Space City Rock (Houston)
"It's absolutely brilliant." - CD Reviews By You
October 23rd Playlist - The Blackest Shine - 101X Independent.Local.Alternative - 101.5 FM Austin
Daily Dose is a three-song edition of the Next Big Thing that airs every weeknight at 9pm.
* - local Austin band
BOLD - new this week on the Next Big Thing
The Dudes “Fist,” Brain. Heart. Guitar.
* The Pons “Giant,” In the Belly of a Giant.
Television Room “Coffee Houses,” demo
- 101X KROX Austin
On Austin Powell's playlist for "The Next Big Thing" since October 12th. - KROX Austin Powell - Austin
Discography
Albums
• The Blackest Shine, Coup d’etat (2011)
• In the Belly of a Giant, Coup d’etat (2008)
Compilations
• Texas Music Mixtape Vol. 1, KUT 90.5 Austin (2009)
• Turn 5, Almost There Records (2009)
Photos
Bio
About the band:
Tommy met Ruby behind a tree in his backyard. She was wearing OshKosh overalls, had her hair in tiny pigtails, and rode a BMX bike. Despite their age difference (Tommy is old enough to be Ruby’s older brother or maybe a cousin from her aunt’s previous marriage), they played music together for the first time that night and have since recorded over 60 songs together in three different bands.
After leaving the first of those bands, Tommy and Ruby began playing as a duo using drum samples and the funky-fresh beats of Ruby’s Casio keyboard, which was later stolen from Ruby’s house. (Two kids in her old neighborhood are now using our beats to make their life of crime more danceable.) While recording their first album as a duo, they met Steve in a local recording studio.
Tommy and Ruby only thought they knew what they needed for a back-beat when Steve walked into their lives. Steve is not only the most musical drummer they have ever met, he is also quick with a pun and makes long stories short. Steve plays the drums that play in Tommy’s head when he’s writing. The neighboring heads are always complaining.
Tommy, Ruby, and Steve met Joel while Joel was fronting the band Tammany Hall Machine. They asked him to stop doing that and join their band. After four years of pressuring him and convoluting his life with recording sessions and shows, Joel finally agreed to join, but only after drinking two bottles of red wine. To this day, he doesn’t remember joining the band.
The Pons formed in late 2007 in Austin, Texas.
About our name:
The Pons is a very important section of the human brain. It’s responsible for bridging the brain to the body and helps control almost every vital function. Having that name allows us to do anything we want.
What we do:
The music we make together is about the future. At some point, rock stopped growing. We recognize that. We hope to find reasons in what we do to make that notion untrue. We’re urban soldiers on a lonely musical front.
What we don’t do:
We don’t mimic or play tribute to some movement from the past as a way of being accepted or understood. We aren’t looking for the fast track to market adoption, clearly.
References:
Our influences are too vast to have any noticeable impact on how we write. References people have made about us that we can agree on: Low, Pixies, Talking Heads, and Galaxie 500.
References other people have made that could only have come from a person who doesn’t get out much: The Wallflowers, Matthew Sweet, and The Smithereens.
Links
