20 Questions with Pony Time

Interview: Pony Time
04.14.2016

As they prep for their upcoming US tour and its opening night at Chop Suey, we got lucky enough to sneak in a quick round of 20 questions with Seattle’s Pony Time. The “disco garage” duo of Luke Beetham and Stacy Peck recently released their fourth album, Rumours 2: The Rumours Are True and their instantly catchy brand of fuzzy rock shakes with throwback beauty and modern punk.

See what the band had to say, and then get your asses ready to dance to their rhythm-driven magic.

SMN: What’s your favorite thing about touring?
Stacy Peck: I would have to say my absolute favorite thing about it is not working. My next favorite is the possibility of staying in a hotel with a hot tub.
Luke Beetham: I agree with Stacy, not working and hot tubs. I’m excited to drive around a bit as well.

SMN: Least favorite?
LB: Driving too long and a lack of Taco Bells/decent English Breakfast tea. So yeah, Lipton English Breakfast tea is my least favorite part of tour.
SP: Worrying about things getting stolen or sleeping in a sketchy place.

SMN: What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened on tour?
SP: A few years ago we thought we were gonna get murdered at this guy’s house in Missoula. He actually creepy whispered, “I’m gonna kill all of you,” as he was sharpening a knife. It was probably the most scared I’ve ever been of dying.
LB: Yeah, probably the knife guy house with pee in the carpet. I wish he was the only dodgy part of that evening, too. It was all in the dark, that breathy whisper about killing us coming from the other room. Rock and roll!

SMN: Which one of you is the better driver?
SP: It kinda depends what time of day it is. I’d say we are both above average.

SMN: Have you learned any good lessons about touring to employ on this round?
LB: Bring slippers for a luxurious tour experience.
SP: Always have a stuffed animal to talk to, just in case.

SMN: What’s your favorite on-the-road snack?
LB: Sour Patch KIds and beef jerky
SP: I don’t know if I’ve met a snack I didn’t enjoy. Sour candies for sure. Apples are good. Beef Jerky. White cheddar popcorn. Cliff bars if things are dire.

SMN: What would we find in your refrigerator right now?
LB: Three gallons of whole milk, OJ, and a twelve pack of store brand cola
SP: Lots of different soda water and condiments.

SMN: What band or artist is your guilty pleasure?
LB: I have no guilty pleasures right now. I used to feel guiltier, ‘til I realized I only dig good stuff.
SP: I don’t really feel guilty about music I like. I’m pretty into Phil Collins right now. Emotional 80s ballads are in my current musical wheelhouse.

SMN: What’s on your driving play list?
LB: I don’t really do playlists.
SP: Cranberries, Van Halen, Robyn.

SMN: Do you have any pre-show rituals?
LB: I enjoy a rock and roll power nap if given the chance.
SP: We try to pray for 30-45 minutes.

SMN: What’s your favorite song to play live, and why?
LB: “Bad Behavior.” It’s got variety for me playing and singing, and it’s just a great pop song.
SP: “Bad Behavior” is really fun. I usually can’t remember how it goes until the second we start and that keeps things mentally spicy.

Young Stacy rockin’ out as mentioned.

SMN: What’s your first musical memory?
LB: I had a Lone Ranger record and story book for my kid turntable, and I loved the trumpet intro and galloping hooves. Then skip a couple years and I remember Van Halen on MTV with them drinking and flying on cables, so a good mix.
SP: When I was 2 or 3 I had a tennis racket with a shoe string tied around it as a strap that I would play along to MTV videos like it was a guitar. Sometimes I’d incorporate that with jumping on the mini trampoline. It doesn’t sound safe now that I write it down.

SMN: What color socks are you wearing?
LB: White
SP: black.

SMN: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
LB: At the moment it’s folks who don’t know how to use middle turn lanes
SP: I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Everything bothers me! I really hate when people tap on stuff.

SMN: Where do you get song inspiration?
LB: Improv, children’s songs, and Appalachian folk music
SP: We try to look at what other bands are doing that seems successful and copy that.

SMN: Is there one particular song or album that never fails to move you emotionally?
LB: The song “Your Wedding” by Jim Reeves, that really gets to me. Either that or Grotesque by the Fall.
SP: “Who let the dogs out” by the Baha Men

SMN: If you had to play the same cover song at every show, what would it be?
LB: “Queen of Hearts,” the Juice Newton version.
SP: “New Radio” by Bikini Kill

SMN: What other bands are on your dream lineup to play with?
LB: I don’t have dream lineups, maybe I just have bad imagination. Of course the usual suspects like Boney M, or the Bee Gees disco era. Maybe Van Halen today, but that’s half because I know they’re likely to have a decent sound setup.
SP: The Breeders, Sleater-Kinney, Grace Love and the True Loves

SMN: Favorite song to dance to?
LB: “Live It Up” by Isley Brothers
SP: “Now That We Found Love” by Heavy D

SMN: What is your spirit animal?
LB: I don’t do spirit animals.
SP: I don’t think that’s really for me to say.

SMN: At the end of this year, what would you like to be celebrating as your successes?
LB: It would be great if we could get to Europe this year.
SP: Retiring from customer service work and securing a sponsorship with Dr. Scholl’s.

SMN: If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one book, one movie, and one album, what would they be?
LB:
book: Ideally I’d be stranded with the Harry Potter series, or Co. Aytch
movie: Amadeus
album: I’d like to have a copy of our album Rumours 2.
SP:
book: “Stranded on a desert island for dummies”
movie: Clue
album: Rumours by Fleetwood Mac

Check out some videos:

Time Tells Me

I Like Your Shoes

Pony Time US Tour:

4/24/16 Seattle,WA – Chop Suey
4/28/16 Spokane, WA – Baby bar
4/29/16 Boise, ID – The Olympic
4/30/16 SLC, UT – Diabolical Records
5/1/16 Denver, CO – Lion’s Lair
5/3/16 Sioux Falls, SD- Total Drag Records
5/4/16 Des Moines, IA – Vaudeville Mews
5/5/16 Minneapolis, MN – House
5/6/16 Chicago, IL – Gman Tavern
5/7/16 Detroit, MI – UFO Factoy
5/8/16 Pittsburgh, PA – Spirit Lodge
5/10/16 Providence, RI – Aurora
5/11/16 Brooklyn, NY – Alphaville
5/12/16 Philadelphia,PA – Everybody Hits
5/13/16 Johnson City, TN -the Hideaway
5/14/16 Winston-Salem, NC – Reanimator Records
5/16/16 Jacksonville, FL – Burro Bar
5/17/16 Tallahassee, FL
5/18/16 New Orleans, LA – Siberia
5/19/16 Austin, TX – Hotel Vegas
5/20/16 El Paso, TX – Monarch
5/21/16 Tucson, AZ
5/22/16 Los Angeles, CA – The Smell
5/23/16 San Francisco, CA – The Hemlock
5/24/16 Arcata, CA- Richard’s Goat Tavern
5/25/16 Portland, OR – Bunk Bar