PONY PONY RUN RUN

By Naming their first album “You Need Pony Pony Run Run” Gaëtan, Amaël and Antonin hit the nail on the head. Released in 2009, their first album, supported by the massive hit Hey You, was heralded a success by both critics and the general public : 110 000 copies sold, a “Victoire de la Musique” nomination award for “best new act voted for by the public” in 2010, an extensive tour around France and the 4 corners of the globe (Japan, Poland, Germany, Glastonbury Uk). All of this accomplished over a two year stretch. “One can never expect such success” comments Gaëtan “especially considering the fact that when we composed the album, there was no agenda behind our creativity other than that of wanting to make something that we all related to as a band”. This creative drive led the band to deliver during February a dazzling second album : simply named Pony Pony Run Run, a new album stuffed with pop gems, which will guarantee its position as one of the most wanted albums of 2012.

Going back a bit, It all started on the university benches of Nantes’ prestigious art college “les Beaux Arts” in 2005, where the two brother Gaëtan and Amaël from Angers met their future keyboard player Antonin. It was by taking their time to learn, with patience and perseverance that they avoided being swept away by the internet tidal wave, which has in the past condemned so many bands too eager and impatient to wait.

Before signing their first contract, the trio without label nor booker began a four year journey of introducing their indie pop songs throughout Europe relying solely upon their strong motivation and mutual enthusiasm.
Antonin : “We would go abroad with our own van and would play wherever we could, it helped us on the road to success and prepared us for what was about to come next”, This rewarding experience was not the only influence which aided the band, who admits to having been heavily influenced by the teachings of their Art school. Through their studies, Pony Pony Run Run inherited the capacity of understanding and interpreting music from another angle or prism. Form (covers, imagery, identity, beauty) is to be considered as important as the content of the album itself and combined together the two angles must be coherent and harmonious. Yet from their teachings, the band has also learnt to listen and juggle with any potential criticism. “When you shed every last layer of your skin over the course of five years, on a single project and some one comes along and stomps all over your work, you quickly learn how to rebound”

More than just a second hop from the first album, this new release promises an all new record breaking leap. After having worked with notorious producer Frédéric Lo (Daniel Darc, Alex, Beaupain, Stephan Eicher) on You Need Pony Pony Run Run, the trio, has decided to travel as a lone ranger- Gaëtan as captain of the ship has taken over the steering wheel with a pocketful of songs influenced by his travels around the world (Berlin, Tokyo, Angers and the island of Ré…). It is with this new structure that the band settled down last summer in a Basque studio, happier than ever to reunite in their creativity after 18 months non stop on the road. “We just wanted to be happy and find the simple pleasures in life ; we wanted to have innocent and youthful fun without any particular intention. The idea was to make songs, without sticking to any particular theme, tone or shape”.

This broad open mindedness fits Pony Pony Run Run like a glove : Nursed to the sound of the Nineties fm radio as kids, the band is capable of inhaling its inspiration from Nirvana, Michael Jackson, Euro dance, as well as Lo- Fi bands such as Pavement, German Minimal and Korean pop.

This illustrates furthermore their desire to knock down the barriers between musical genres ; the second album started in a little town in France and finished its journey in LA, between the hands of the American producer Andrew Dawson. Used to working with Hip Hop Moguls (Kanye West, Jayz, L’lil Wayne), he supervised the mix. Consequence : Pony Pony Run Run demonstrates yet again the trio’s talent, the second chapter of a story made to last. Architect of invisible bridges between The Cure Alphaville, Devo and Weezer, Zombie Nation, Steve Reich, Yellow Magic Orchestra and The Sparks, the full release overflows with pop songs that will tug on the strings of your heart (Just a Song) and jerk your rhythm sticks (Come back to me, Notorious Lady) . This album represents for the trio and for the general public, the promise of a fulfilled and great 2012.