Chrome Pony

Broadcast Music, Inc. congratulates Nashville rock n’ rollers Chrome Pony, the winners of the third and final round of Road to Bonnaroo. The band will join the champions of the first two rounds, Sol Cat and Future Unlimited, at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, to be held June 11-14 in Manchester, TN. Idle Bloom, a psych-pop group from Nashville, and Penicillin Baby, dreamy rockers also from Nashville, placed second and third, respectively. Check out shots from all the competitors below and congrats to all the winners! - BMI

Congratulations to local rockers (and No Country Acme Alums) Chrome Pony who will join Sol Cat and Future Unlimited as winners last night in the annual Road To Bonnaroo competition at Mercy Lounge and The High Watt. Idle Bloom and Penicillin Baby took second and third place, respectively, in last night’s finale.

As most you probably know, Road To Bonnaroo takes the idea of a “battle of the bands” outside the box a bit by encouraging showmanship and stage effects (and, often guest appearances) along with their performance to help woo the voters. The good thing for the voters… it’s a really fun night, and a great way to see 10 bands give it their absolute all.

Congrats to Chrome Pony! We’ll see you on The Farm this summer! - No Country For New Nashville

Chrome Pony is excited to announce a string of dates next month that will land them in Austin TX for SXSW 2015. More info on the specifics of their SXSW showcases are soon to be announced!

CHROME PONY TOUR 2015

3/6 Bowling Green KY @ Tidball's w/ Buffalo Rodeo

3/7 Chattanooga TN @ JJ's Bohemia w/ All Them Witches

3/10 Nashville TN @ ACME, No Country For New Nashville Showcase

3/11 Nashville TN @ Mercy Lounge

3/12 Jackson MS @ Hal & Mal's w/ The Jag, Light Beam Rider

3/13 Houston TX @ Alley Kat w/ Sol Cat, New York City Queen

3/14 Bryan TX @ Revolutions w/ Sol Cat

3/16 - 3/20 Austin TX SXSW

3/21 Ft. Worth TX @ The Grotto

3/22 Tulsa OK @ The Soundpony Lounge

3/23 Springfield MO @ The Outland Ballroom

Stream Chrome Pony's EP "You Are The Pisces" here. - Madhouse Management

Every single Tuesday for the past several months, we’ve been teaming up with hip new restaurant and performance space Acme Feed & Seed to host a free showcase of some of our favorite emerging local and national talent. For our latest installment, which marked a special SXSW sendoff show, we were beyond excited to present the first ever live performance from The Lees of Memory (featuring members of Superdrag and more) along with locals Chrome Pony and DNK! Read on for more about it!
We love nothing more than bringing acts to Acme that might not otherwise find themselves performing on Lower Broadway. It the literal representation of what our site stands for: leading the charge for a new, more expansive offerings of everything happening in Nashville, and hosting it in the city’s most historic, music-built district. We’ve certainly dabbled in booking hip hop and pop acts before, but never have we brought you a band with such an energetic and stadium-ready marriage of those two influences as DNK. Made up of soulful, vocal powerhouse (and expert showman) David Davis, and rapper/vocalist Kayla Erb, whose unassuming, tiny stature is in no way indicative of her insane flow, DNK were rounded out by a handful of backing players and tracks, allowing their sound to land very glossy, fleshed-out, and sonically perfect. Relatively new to the scene, DNK relied heavily on cover songs, choosing pop hits from the likes of Nick Jonas, Katy Perry, and the like, though, with every selection, they effectively created their own remix- adding bigger hooks, extra rap verses, and more. The crowd seemed to be made up of half rock fans waiting for The Lees of Memory and half DNK fans; for once, the room was light on casual diners. Seizing the opportunity to work over new listeners, Davis employed tons of crowd interaction, diving into the audience and encouraging everyone to sing and dance along throughout. A perfect band for kicking off one hell of a party, DNK will, in all likelihood, bypass the local stage in no time; they’re just one proper hit away from becoming radio fixtures. Their sound might have seemed a bit out of place on this bill, but sometimes challenging audiences with something new is the best way to expand their palate.
After hanging a huge, striking banner and loading up the modest Acme stage with as much gear as they could possibly fit, The Lees of Memory stepped out to the largest standing room crowd we’ve ever attracted on a Tuesday night. Typically, these showcases cater to about half showgoers and half tourists and casual diners who just happened to wander in, and, for this reason, we attempt to keep things at a manageable volume and book bands that won’t scare anyone off. With The Lees, we tossed all protocol out the window; this was one loud, important rock show, with the special distinction of being their first, and that’s what the packed house wanted to see. Though I’ve casually listened to Superdrag off and on over the years, they’re a band I never caught live when I had the chance, so I approached this new John Davis-led vehicle with an entirely blank slate (aside from giving their phenomenal debut, Sisyphus Says, several spins over the past few months). At 40, Davis (who still looks great by the way- total rock star) has an aura of experience with which he plays; this was a first show, sure, but far from his first show, and the amount of effort that went into preparing (they’re also heading to SXSW) was immediately apparent. The group, properly rounded out by Brandon Fisher (Superdrag) and Nick Slack (EPIC DITCH), plus live performers Sam Powers (Century Club, Carter Administration, Superdrag), Ethan Luck (Kings Of Leon, Demon Hunter), and Josiah Holland (The Lonely Hearts), launched into their best-known track and album opener, “We Are Siamese,” and the room lit up with elation, as if we were all witnessing a special, important moment in musical history.

The Lees of Memory’s sound is very shoegaze-y, employing thick, layered tones and hypnotic, drawn-out song structure. The sextet nailed every nuanced texture and harmony, and, despite testing the limits of the room’s comfortable volume, recreated the grungy, dense tone of their Nick Raskulinecz produced full-length almost flawlessly. To them, this might have been a warmup for their much more hyped SXSW debut, but, to us, it felt like fully-formed performance from a band who’ve managed to find their voice quickly and decisively. Fisher and Davis traded vocal duties, and, across the board, everyone on the stage flexed a restrained technical prowess, trudging through a fan-friendly set which also included “Open Your Arms,” “Little Fallen Star,” “Not a Second More,” “Deliquesce,” “Landslide,” and “Lower Atmosphere,” – nearly in running order, which is a great nod to the cohesive and well-designed way in which their album flows. Absent were any covers or bloat; bands only get one shot at a first show, and, for theirs, The Lees of Memory doubled down on their strongest, most representative elements, delivering a hypnotic, sonic gut-punch of a performance that left every single person in the room feeling satisfied. This is, unequivocally, one of the most exciting moments of our residency at Acme, and we can’t wait to see more of The Lees of Memory soon.
Bringing the set home, local transplants Chrome Pony took the stage to a slightly thinning but doubly enthusiastic late night crowd. Unlike The Less, Chrome Pony are a tried and true fixture in the local live scene, and one whose show we can always count on to be outstanding. Their fans stood strong as they launched into a lean set; energetic, sure, but also somewhat calming and cathartic to help bring us down from the high of the sonic freight train that proceeded. The local boys performed a similar set to the one we caught last month at The High Watt, filling the room with their energetic vibes, psychedelic grooves, and punk rock bite. A lot of garage rock acts in Nashville are channeling an affinity for retro sounds these days, but few groups embrace the old while sounding fresh as new as expertly as Chrome Pony. Tracks from last year’s You Are the Pisces were, per usual, a delight to to see, and we caught a few new jams as well (the group are slated to release at least one new album this year). Subdued and confident, Chrome Pony played with a seasoned and straightforward approach, allowing their excellent songs to drive their set. It’s always great when we can bring some of our favorite acts representing the many facets of Nashville’s rich scene together, and capping off the night with Chrome Pony was such a treat. Hey Austin, don’t miss out on any of these acts at SXSW! - No Country For New Nashville

Francisco The Man, Chrome Pony, Wildfront
The High Watt, Nashville, TN
February 11, 2015
Review by Beth McAllister

As a stickler for time, I sauntered into The High Watt at 9PM on the dot for the beginning of the amazing show I was so eager to see – only to discover that I had missed the entire first band, Wildfront. Words cannot express my sadness at having failed to catch the opening band (perhaps I need to get my eyes checked to be certain that I don’t misread start times again), but I cheered up with the knowledge that I was still able to catch Chrome Pony and the headliner, Francisco The Man.


Even though it was a Wednesday night, the venue had a good sized crowd who were only too happy to have a few drinks and hear some eclectic rock and roll music. The bartender, who had been working since 8AM, was even wide awake and watching the bands perform with enthusiasm.

When Chrome Pony began their set, they launched into it with the ferocity of a group that had more than four band members. Despite my good view, I became convinced that there was another guitarist or two hidden from my line of sight by the pillars in the room (fun fact: there wasn’t). The lead singer’s orange beanie hat that he sported was lost barely into the second song due to the eager movement on the band’s part as even they moved along to the music. Rarely did Chrome Pony‘s songs have transitions – the shock of the stop and go music electrified people’s nerves in a good, wake-up-and-rock way that was much needed after an exhausting work day.

Chrome Pony gave us our money’s worth after playing eight or nine songs in total, and when they thanked us for coming and wrapped up their set, it was almost amazing to realize there was another band about to step on stage.

Around ten o’clock, right before Francisco The Man took over the sound system, more people began to clammer into the room. More drinks were being sold, and conversations began to pick up.

When the California-based rock group stepped up, all but one were wearing casual t-shirts and jeans (the bassist sported a hoodie with the hood on, in a unique fashion statement). Slowly, they began to play their instruments. They eased the crowd out of their conversations and into the world of music with a pleasant nature, but once the attention of everyone in the room was secured the true rock and roll nature came out. Ethereal vocals accompanied structured, organized chaos as Francisco The Man strategically pulled us into their world.

After three songs, the group addressed the crowd for the first time.

“I know we probably smell like shit…we’ve been touring, so…”

We forgave them. After all, they put on a hell of a show. - No Country For New Nashville

Thanks to all the artists who submitted their music to be considered for The Deli's Best of Nashville Year End Poll for Emerging Artists. We had a record number of submissions from Nashville this year - 49! - thanks so much for the overwhelming response!

After tallying our editors' ratings for the Open Submissions stage, it’s time to release the results. Please note that to avoid conflicts no local editor was allowed to vote for bands in his/her own scene.

Total Submissions from Nashville: 49 - The Deli Magazine

It's been a minute since we've had some news from Chrome Pony, the local rock act revolving around brothers Tyler and Kyle Davis, and it's not because they've been slacking — quite the contrary. They've played out a few times a month, made a guest appearance on Wastoid, the new LP from Stardeath and White Dwarfs, and bassman Jon Gottschalk made a 24-hour record with local-dude super-group Fist.

The trio has also been at work on a new EP, You Are the Pisces, which is out today via Black Tooth Records. The record has plenty of the youthful exuberance that was all over their garage-y debut, Lazy Bones, but it also plays up the groove element that made Bones stand out from the contemporary garage crowd. The group got some backup from local rock MVP Ricardo Alessio, Ettes bassist Jem Cohen and others, and they co-produced the record with Andrija Tokic over at The Bomb Shelter.

You can stream Pisces in full below or download it for $3.50 via Chrome Pony's Bandcamp page. But first: While on tour in Puerto Rico, the boys were filmed by Schuyler Howie, who created a little tour diary to go along with closing track "Burnout." Check that out above — if you're into rock shows and general goofing off, and you aren't grossed out by someone eating pizza in reverse, we bet you'll enjoy it. - Nashville Scene

Chrome Pony is made up of Tyler and Kyle Davis, two brothers from a small town in Indiana who have since made Nashville, TN their home. Together the brothers self-released their first EP "Illegal Smiles" Novemeber 11th, 2011. The band's second release "Lazy Bones" hit the waves in March of 2013.

Since then the duo has expanded their live production for their most recent release "You Are The Pisces" EP, adding Ric Alessio (Promised Land Sound, James Wallace, Majestico) on keys and JOTA (Jota Ese) on bass. Together, the brothers along with their newest musical compadres are currently in the studio with Billy Bennet (MGMT) and Andrija Tokic (The Bomb Shelter) working on a 6 song release, due out Spring 2015, titled "Past Lives".

In support of both "You Are The Pisces" and the upcoming "Past Lives" releases, expect to see Chrome Pony on the road in the New Year with a string of dates set to land them in Austin, Texas for SXSW 2015.

“plenty of the youthful exuberance that was all over their garage-y debut, Lazy Bones, but it also plays up the groove element that made Bones stand out from the contemporary garage crowd”
- Nashville Scene

“tunes bounce along with an ameliorable step”
- Blacktooth Records - Madhouse Management

A Handle In Hand Brings The Fuzzy Blitz

Illustration by Johnnie Cluney, Recording engineered by Mike Gentry

Listen to the session here: http://www.daytrotter.com/#!/concert/chrome-pony/20057164-37384195 - Daytrotter

Remember the other day when I posted that Schuyler Howie-shot video of locals Faux Ferocious playing a couple tunes at The Owl Farm? Well, apparently this Schuyler Howie dude is seriously on his grind lately. He shot the above video of local brother act (well, partial brother act, seeing as how the Davis bros recently added bassist Jon Gottschalk to the mix) Chrome Pony playing two new songs: "Burnout" and "Mister Mister." When Chrome Pony released their Lazy Bones back in March, I said the record was "littered with frenzied riffs and obstreperous drum fills ... landing somewhere between the nervy punk rock of Buzzcocks and the overdriven, fuzzed-out rock ’n’ roll of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club." Well, these two songs are more groove-centric and mid-tempo than a lot of the Bones material, but they still chug right along. Give 'em a gander. - Nashville Cream

The brothers Chrome Pony (again, with added juice) slow down, groove harder and are at home with dynamics on their new EP. If you’ve listened to their hazy-yet-bellicose tunes in the past, be prepared, for the darkness of life has revealed yet further corners to round, breeding maturity – as is its wont. Yet even as these tunes bounce along with an ameliorable step, they are not settled. One does not realize the divinity (pisces) within at no cost, and it’s still time to synch up the laces, strap on the sweat bands and take it to the hole. “Naked I came and naked I’ll stay for you.” It’s a worthwhile dictum. - Blacktooth Records

All week long, we’re celebrating The Weeks’ Week, where we’ll tell you more about a different great act from the lineup each day. To kick things off, we’re bringing you the scoop on CHROME PONY, the killer Nashville trio set to open the show on Friday. - No Country For New Nashville

Brothers Kyle and Tyler Davis were born on the same day, but they're not twins. Born in different years, its a pretty amazing feat of synchronicity. That the two Nashville natives would come together to form a tight, backwoods punk band in Chrome Pony then is no surprise. These two have obviously been in step with each other for a while now. This is their video premiere for the fantastically titled track "Ciggy Stardust", from their album Lazy Bones. - Baeble

There is something about bands made-up of siblings that makes them so special. This old fashioned rock-n-roll two piece from Nashville consisting of Tyler Davis (vocals and guitars) and his younger brother Kyle Davis (drums) is no different. These two, originally hailing from a small town in Indiana relocated to Nashville for college and created Chrome Pony.

What I am most fond of with Chrome Pony is how simple it is. Vocals, guitars, and drums. With a lot of the new music I come across it’s almost a game to see how many tracks you can layer to make an epic masterpiece that in the end misses the point of what music is really made up of and that’s music. You can almost sense the Davis brothers felt the same way while writing this album almost a year ago. With Tyler’s lyrics in the last song on the album, “Rock N Roll,” he admits to burning himself out on that ‘old rock-n-roll,’ and you sense that he isn’t tried of the classics, but tired of what is becoming ‘classic rock’ in our musical generation.

When I saw the Davis brothers in town after a gig a few months ago, I jokingly asked them if I could play bass for them. Tyler told me “We hear that after almost ever show. We wanted to keep it simple, just me and Kyle. We could go on tour in a car instead of a van. No band drama bullshit, just good tunes.” And I’d say they’ve done an excellent job at both.

This a great summer album to play while out in the pool or on a late night drive. If you’re tried of being overwhelmed by the music you’ve been hearing with way too much going-on, Chrome Pony is for you. If you’re looking for a drummer who should probably be arrested for the abuse he gives his drums, Chrome Pony is for you. Or, if you really just don’t mind indulging in some grungy garage-rock, then Chrome Pony is most certainly for you! - Indie Current

Going back to something that I meant to post last Friday after seeing these guys perform at The Basement.

Chrome Pony is a Nashville based punky garage rock blues band, that’s falls into the rock world more than anything else. With raw guitar licks battling against pulsing drum beats and sharp vocals, Chrome Pony give their listeners a truly rowdy experience . Brothers Tyler (guitar) and Kyle (drums) Davis have electrifying energy on stage. Their music is loud. The lyrics are potent. But behind that I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude is a band who has a sincere understanding and appreciation for the underbelly of rock and roll music. Check out the song “Island Fever” below. - The Music Precedent