Denim Solves Everything got a chance to speak with Jeremy Nutzman, of the Minneapolis duo Pony Bwoy, currently signed to Totally Gross National Product, the label co-owned by Justin Vernon.
Denim Solves Everything: The new album has a variety of different apparent influences and styles, however, one facet seems to ring true for all of the tracks, and that is the expert use of vocal alteration and distortion. While this has been done for artistic and sonic value by musicians like Mac Demarco and Panda Bear, the concept was uniform in its alteration for the entire album. However, on the S/T, we see every track utilizes different forms of voice alteration, sometimes to such a degree that it sounds like there are featured rappers on some of the tracks (“My Body is a Bruise”). How did you achieve these effects?
Jeremy Nutzman: Through many different methods, however, the most important of these are listening back to the tracks and imagining artists other than ourselves performing them.
DSE: The S/T, while fantastic, is not your only musical outlet. You are also a member of the eclectic collective Marijuana Deathsquads. How would you describe the difference between the vision and sound of the two projects? (MD and Pony Bwoy)
JN: Pony Bwoy's kind of like mom and MD is dad.
DSE: Whats it like to work with Hunter Morley, the producer of the album?
JN: Hunter is the other half of Pony Bwoy not just the producer. It's 50/50 in all aspects of the creative process (lyrics, performance, vision, etc.) What's it like to work with him? He's a total asshole.
DSE: Let’s talk about the album itself. A few tracks that really strike me are “Ipanema_Evol”, “My Body is a Bruise”, “Epoch;Glss”, and “Bermuda Triangle”. Starting with “Ipanema_Evol”, the track features detracted dance beats, and a spattering of unorthodox rapping that varies in its meter, throughout the song. What does Ipanema_Evol mean?
JN: Evol is a Sonic Youth reference, Ipanema a B-52's.
DSE: Next, we have “My Body is a Bruise”. This track stands out largely because instead of layering electronica with a side of rap, it feels like rap with a side of electronica. The pace is kept with steady, timed waves of synth hits and handclaps. The rap style itself is reminiscent of early 90’s sing-talk rapping. It also has my one of my favorite lyrics on the album, “15 n****s on a dead man’s chest, drink and the devil all do the rest”. What is the lyrical message of “My Body is a Bruise?”
JN: Haven't decided yet, total stream of conscience with a few winks at Naked Lunch.
DSE: “Epoch;Glss” is a particularly complex track. In it, we have a late 80’s R&B backing beat, sounding somewhat like a Cameo tune, with sampled classic James Brown yells, all drawn together by R&B vocals and the ever-present altered vocals, this time veering towards a very low pitch. How are you able to mentalize a sonic mixture like this?
JN: We didn't really imagine it before hand, the songs write themselves and we just keep pulling on the string.
DSE: Finally, we have “Bermuda Triangle”. This number showcases tribal drums, and what I can only describe as razor-windchime-synth effects. The lyrics also show a witty side of your songwriting: “You caught up in Bermuda Triangles, at least you tryin ho; you caught up in Bermuda Triangles, yeah you walking in circles, hanging with squares.” In an album as saturated with altered vocals as the S/T is, are witty lyrics and hidden jokes still important?
JN: Yes, very important.
DSE: Jeremy Nutzman, thank you so much for the interview.
Denim Solves Everything: The new album has a variety of different apparent influences and styles, however, one facet seems to ring true for all of the tracks, and that is the expert use of vocal alteration and distortion. While this has been done for artistic and sonic value by musicians like Mac Demarco and Panda Bear, the concept was uniform in its alteration for the entire album. However, on the S/T, we see every track utilizes different forms of voice alteration, sometimes to such a degree that it sounds like there are featured rappers on some of the tracks (“My Body is a Bruise”). How did you achieve these effects?
Jeremy Nutzman: Through many different methods, however, the most important of these are listening back to the tracks and imagining artists other than ourselves performing them.
DSE: The S/T, while fantastic, is not your only musical outlet. You are also a member of the eclectic collective Marijuana Deathsquads. How would you describe the difference between the vision and sound of the two projects? (MD and Pony Bwoy)
JN: Pony Bwoy's kind of like mom and MD is dad.
DSE: Whats it like to work with Hunter Morley, the producer of the album?
JN: Hunter is the other half of Pony Bwoy not just the producer. It's 50/50 in all aspects of the creative process (lyrics, performance, vision, etc.) What's it like to work with him? He's a total asshole.
DSE: Let’s talk about the album itself. A few tracks that really strike me are “Ipanema_Evol”, “My Body is a Bruise”, “Epoch;Glss”, and “Bermuda Triangle”. Starting with “Ipanema_Evol”, the track features detracted dance beats, and a spattering of unorthodox rapping that varies in its meter, throughout the song. What does Ipanema_Evol mean?
JN: Evol is a Sonic Youth reference, Ipanema a B-52's.
DSE: Next, we have “My Body is a Bruise”. This track stands out largely because instead of layering electronica with a side of rap, it feels like rap with a side of electronica. The pace is kept with steady, timed waves of synth hits and handclaps. The rap style itself is reminiscent of early 90’s sing-talk rapping. It also has my one of my favorite lyrics on the album, “15 n****s on a dead man’s chest, drink and the devil all do the rest”. What is the lyrical message of “My Body is a Bruise?”
JN: Haven't decided yet, total stream of conscience with a few winks at Naked Lunch.
DSE: “Epoch;Glss” is a particularly complex track. In it, we have a late 80’s R&B backing beat, sounding somewhat like a Cameo tune, with sampled classic James Brown yells, all drawn together by R&B vocals and the ever-present altered vocals, this time veering towards a very low pitch. How are you able to mentalize a sonic mixture like this?
JN: We didn't really imagine it before hand, the songs write themselves and we just keep pulling on the string.
DSE: Finally, we have “Bermuda Triangle”. This number showcases tribal drums, and what I can only describe as razor-windchime-synth effects. The lyrics also show a witty side of your songwriting: “You caught up in Bermuda Triangles, at least you tryin ho; you caught up in Bermuda Triangles, yeah you walking in circles, hanging with squares.” In an album as saturated with altered vocals as the S/T is, are witty lyrics and hidden jokes still important?
JN: Yes, very important.
DSE: Jeremy Nutzman, thank you so much for the interview.
Listen to Pony Bwoy's new album on Pop Matters:
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/173469-now-hear-this-pony-bwoy-pony-bwoy-album-premiere/
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/173469-now-hear-this-pony-bwoy-pony-bwoy-album-premiere/