Coming Soon: Tired Pony – “The Place We Ran From”

I’m often a bit uneasy when it comes to “supergroups.”  I mean, what does that really mean?  As far as I can tell, it’s a bit like the musical equivalent of the All-Star game.  Yet, the bar can be a bit low at times (I’m looking at you, Tinted Windows).  And so, I initially approached Tired Pony – a new group featuring Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol), Richard Colburn (Belle and Sebastian), and a cast of guests that includes M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel (She & Him) and Tom Smith (Editors) – with a bit of hesitation.  Thankfully, after seeing the performance video over on their website (which appears to have been shot in my old basement), I can finally set aside my doubts…

In an interview with BBC’s 6Music, Lightbody describes the forthcoming album – The Place We Ran From – as a “twisted love letter to the States.”  Of its country-tinged construction, he adds: “I can’t get away with writing pure country music because I haven’t lived that life, but I love it so much that I always wanted to try my hand at it.”   On its themes: “It’s inspired by my love of Wilco, Calexico, Lambchop, Palace, Smog – these bands that look at the darkness in America.”

The album is out July 12th on Fiction.  (Available for pre-order in the U.K. on Amazon.)

Follow me to find some useful links, and hear a bit of Lightbody performing a Tired Pony track acoustic.

Here’s a nice, eight-minute introduction to the band from their YouTube site:

And here’s that performance clip:

If you’re looking for more about the band, you should check their website or visit them on myspace and twitter.

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