Ponytail: The _Heeb_ Interview

Ponytail sound like a pop-punk pogo party. They have built a reputation for their ecstatic live shows. Their second album, Ice Cream Spiritual, is full of hyperactive, post-punk in over-drive –anthems that can’t easily be defined or copied. Lead singer Molly Siegel (far left) and drummer Jeremy Hyman (far right) answered a few questions for _Heeb_.

I hear all the members of Ponytail were picked at random?

Molly: It was sort of random. It was a school project for class. Everybody in the class was put into a band for this thing called Pair-a-Palooza.

Jeremy: We were all scattered throughout a big painting studio and the professor walked around pairing people based on his first impressions and our appearance. I don’t think he was going for fairness, he just wanted each group to be very intense, so he would create a hippie group or a hot girls group, or the strange kids….We were the last band to be finalized.

When did you guys start playing?

Jeremy: At the end of the semester as part of the last assignment we played with all the other bands in the class…so April 05. After that, we took the summer off then Nolen from Double Dagger helped us by putting us on some shows.

Does it seem strange to go to school for an education and come out with a band?

Molly: When I think about my school experience, I can’t say I didn’t get anything out of it. Being in a band was very foreign to me. I had never been in a band or played instruments. But it does feel weirdly fated. It feels right. Things came together at the right time.

Can you see yourself doing anything else?

Molly: I almost can’t. It’s really weird. In a way I feel really fortunate and lucky. It’s so random.

Molly, does anybody influence your vocal style?

Molly: No I think a lot of the recording stuff it was Black Francis (Pixies) and I like The Slits a lot. I think I was somewhat influenced by Yoko Ono.

Did you guys expect that Molly’s vocals would get as much attention as they have?

Jeremy: Well at first it didn’t. Since we have been getting more mainstream media attention it has become because more of a centerpiece.

You guys consider yourselves a pop band?

Molly: I dont think we ever really thought of ourselves that way, but in the end we wanted to make music that’s catchy, and it’s the kind of music we love. It definitely has a pop feel.

How do you guys write songs?

Jeremy: We all sit down together and do most of the writing, Each part is created through jamming and then narrowed down to something that is easy to build upon. The arranging is all trial and error, and often creates some stress, but I think we are getting better and better at finding what we want.

What do you think?