All too often, life in the music industry can feel like flogging a dead horse. A machine that runs on the blood, sweat and tears of those who dare to dream, its cycles of suffocating expectation, soul-sucking slog and sh*tty broken promises are enough to break the spirits of most bands. For rising Scottish stars Dead Pony, however, realising the ignorance of others gave them the knock they needed to reconnect with their musical roots and take control of their own destiny. “We don’t like being ignored,” begins towering guitarist and lead composer Blair Crichton. “That’s true of being overlooked by one person, or one group of people. But when you’re in a band like ours, the feeling is magnified. It’s not just a case of any given individual not giving a sh*t about what you’re doing; it’s the millions – or billions – of people who could be listening to you.”
Although that striking band-name started life long before they’d come to this realisation, it’s become ever more emblematic of what they’re all about. If childish aspiration can be characterised by the frolicking pony for which a million kids have begged their parents, Dead Pony represents the end of that innocence: that bitter adult understanding of how dark and cruel the world can be.
“Plus, it’s just so fuckin’ sad!” grins livewire vocalist Anna Shields. “A horse – a pony – is one of the most beautiful, majestic creatures on the planet, and there’s something really tragic about the idea of it lying there dead. That sense of waste, and the anger and confusion it brings, reflects what we’ve been feeling recently – but coming to terms with it has kinda’ become the vibe of this band.”
