While PONY’s genesis can be traced back to 2015, its current incarnation took shape in 2018 when songwriter Sam Bielanski and guitarist Matty Morand wrote their 2021 Take This To Heart Records debut, TV Baby. In the strange and unprecedented isolation that surrounded the two or so years around that record’s creation and release, Bielanski and Morand made the best of their downtime by challenging themselves to write a new song each week. The end result of that effort was over 200 songs and finely honed songwriting chops that are plainly evident in the pitch perfect pop hooks and timeless indie rock swagger that make up Velveteen’s 10 tracks. Influenced by countless hours of television, literature, and self-reflection, the record is also the band’s most vulnerable material to date, examining the complex relationships between longing, connection, and authenticity to oneself.

Velveteen, the sophomore LP from PONY examines the complex relationships between longing, connection, and authenticity to oneself. The albums 10 tracks blend a hyper catchy mix of freewheeling 90s college rock and early 2000s alternative that lets the bands anthemic pomp and unguarded vulnerability shine as a formula that feels as effortless as it does fresh. (spotify.com)

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