Pond tell us why all you need is friends

01 May 2012, 13:30

Each week, we ask an artist to tell us about something that they find inspiring from outside the world of music. This week, we catch up with Pond from Perth, Australia, fresh from releasing latest album Beards, Wives, Denim who let us into the secret of what helps to keep them on their toes creatively.

When you constantly watch your friends creating amazing, beautiful things for absolutely no reward except the appreciation a couple of other freaks in Perth, you pretty much have to be a Zen master not to feel inadequate standing by and watching. I have never studied the Dharma, and thus we need to keep trying to do stuff – hopefully good stuff – so as not to feel like a complete wash-up.

Our friends are always popping up with poems, songs, bands, giant paintings and sculptures, generator gigs, backyard galleries and videos, so you can’t just sit back and eat downers while they get all the buzz. I guess this could just as easily be called ‘competitiveness’, but I think it’s a little different, a little more on the ‘prove yourself’ side of things than the ‘disprove others’.

Here’s what we’re talking about…

A song written and performed by Felicity Groom and the video made Amber Fresh – both very close friends.

A foundation started by friend Peter Bibby to basically put on shows to fund the needs of friends.

An art space started by friend David Egan in his house in North Perth

Pond’s album Beards, Wives Denim is available now through Modular.