POND

Joseph Ryan (of Mink Mussel Creek), Nick Allbrook (of Mink Mussel Creek, Allbrook/ Avery, Tame Impala, Peter Bibby & His Bottles of Confidence), and Jay Watson (of Tame Impala) formed in Perth, Australia group POND in 2008 after deciding upon an all-inclusive, ego-free collaborative. Their touring band also includes Jamie Terry and James Ireland.

Upon forming, POND immediately recorded their debut album Psychedelic Mango with some help from Kevin Parker (of Tame Impala). Within months, they released Corridors of Blissterday, the live follow-up album recorded with an eight-piece band. Their third album, Frond, was released in 2010 and helped solidify the band and their sound in the eyes of the industry. Beard, Wives and Denim, their fourth album, was recorded on a farm a few hours southwest of Perth and released in March 2012. This album allowed them to head overseas for a thirtyone show North American tour, including a stop at the South by Southwest festival. After returning home, POND sold out a national tour before heading to tour the UK and Europe. Their fifth album, Hobo Rocket, was released in August 2013 as a way for them to showcase their own more evolved and dense sound.

Some – SOME – of the lyrics came from living in a country which was entering – and is seemingly still entering, deeper – one of the most prejudiced, divided and confused times within my memory. There's also love and heartbreak and crippling self-loathing and meth and death and Bataclan in there too, but whatevs."

Interview with Nick Allbrook

GROWING UP

I grew up in and around Derby, in the Kimberleys in Western Australia. It was hot and free and deep. But kids don't think about that, it's just super fun. My parents just let me do whatever creative stuff I wanted, which usually involved drawing meters upon meters of cartoons and space monsters and Baby Godzilla and medieval mouse warriors. There wasn't much creative stuff at school, except for free time. There wasn't much of anything at school up there.

MUSICAL UPBRINGING

I remember waiting for my parents to leave so I could put on Silverchair (Freak) rly loud and... well... "rock out" until I was drenched in sweat and pretty much dead on the floor. My sister came home while I was doing this once I remember. I must've been 8. No formal training, just Dad dropping mad nostalgia bombs on me on the reg. Sabbath etc.

THE START OF WRITING MUSIC

Me n cousin LZ wrote some songs on a family holiday. We were playing the guitar flat on our laps fretting with the thumbs. I think we wanted it to sound like Spiderbait. Must've been 10.

WRITING PROCESS – INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP EFFORT 


It's usually individual. We have bits --- words or chords or whole songs or samples or a bridge --- (scene missing) --- and then it’s pretty much a song!

GETTING INSPIRED WHILE OUT AND ABOUT – VOICE MEMOS & NOTES 


This happens a lot. I usually record things in my voice recorder when I’m walking around at night, intoxicated. Sometimes it's worth remembering, but often it's total bullshit. Some stuff has made it through.

LYRICS – WHERE, TIMEPERIOD & PHYSICALLY, THEY WERE THOUGHT UP


 I didn't write every word to this album in one sitting. I guess some - SOME - of the lyrics came from living in a country which was entering - and is seemingly still entering, deeper - one of the most prejudiced, divided and confused times within my memory. There's also love and heartbreak and crippling self-loathing and meth and death and Bataclan in there too, but watevs.


 
FAVORITE PART OF THE ALBUM CREATION PROCESS

I like actually feeling like something I’ve written is good. Sitting back by myself and reading it along with some music and giving a lil' self-congratulatory smile. I liked hearing Zen Automaton become what I always dreamt and more. I liked hearing Gum sing lyrics I was proud of in full Queen harmony. Watching Kirin love life.


 
WHEN AND HOW THE ALBUM TITLE ‘THE WEATHER’ CAME ABOUT

The Weather. It's softer than our usual psych-bullshit-word-vomit, the weather is changing (actually), the weather is changing (metaphorically)

ARTWORK – CONTRIBUTE IDEAS OR REMAIN HANDS OFF

Our idea and a little bit of designer back and forth.

ARTWORK – AESTHETICALLY COOL PACKAGE VS CONVERSATION BETWEEN LYRICS AND ART

It's so freaking hard to answer a lot of these, because the answer is always yes, no, both, somewhere in between and somewhere out to the side, in infinitely varying degrees. Of course I'd always want something that I think is 'aesthetically cool', and usually am drawn to something with some sort of personal or representational relevance to the "VIBE" of the album.

VISION OF MUSIC EVOLVED

When I first began I pretty much wanted to be something else. Now I've come to the painful realization that I am actually me and I've just got to make the best of it. It hurts too much to please.


 MENTORS

Most of my mentors probably don't know me, and if they do they don't know I consider them my mentors. Robert Wyatt, Jeremy Holmes, Neil Finn, Bjork, Johnny Watson, Amber Fresh. People who are true I think.

Photography and Interview by Heather Hawke