With just a month to go until the release of their fittingly-titled ninth album, 9, Pond have shared their latest single, with “Human Touch” arriving this afternoon.
A frantic, powerful piece of music, “Human Touch” feels almost like a contradiction of time; with nostalgic elements placing it sonically in decades gone by, while Nick Allbrook’s forceful vocals combine with fierce instrumentation to place it decades ahead of where we are right now.
Speaking of the inspiration behind the song, Allbrook reveals that its origins lie within a strange incident of attempted car theft.
“One time a woman was smashing up a car outside my house, begging me to help her steal it,” he recalls. “It was a lovely day. She was wired but sweet in a way. Her dog, Josie, was sitting in the passenger seat being very cute and fluffy.
“We talked for a good few hours in the sunny cul-de-sac and neither of us ended up committing grand theft auto. The music started with a grimey Casio loop Jay [Watson] made, that we built the song around.”
Meanwhile, the track also comes accompanied by a voyeuristic video clip, with Allbrook teaming up with Duncan Wright to direct visuals which showcase mesmerising human movement through the lens of television screens and windows.
“My original idea was to be dancing in the central business district of Perth, being thoroughly ignored by suits on their lunch break,” Allbrook explains. “Turns out me and Duncan Wright (Director) are both quivering Fremantle natives and terrified of the City.
“When Duncan saw a pretty sliver of morning sunlight in the West End we figured, stuff it, let’s do it there. Zero people is kind of the same thing as being ignored by lots of people, right? I need some human connection blah blah blah.
“It was super fun to make. We didn’t really have a strict plan and I overcame my anxiety about dancing in platform shoes to no music at 9am on a Tuesday morning like a kook.”
Pond’s “Human Touch” is out now, with new album 9 set to arrive on October 1st, with pre-orders available now.
