"I've been a guitar player since I was ten. I always approach the guitar with kind of a macho attitude, which gives my right hand a strong rhythm. My voice has always been a driving force of communication for me, I am a Taurus ruled by the throat."."
While Poni Brendan approaches the guitar with a commanding attitude, her
femininity comes through in the raw truth, and "upfrontness" of her lyrics.
From her personal love songs, to her thoughts of the world and its political
turmoil, her style eludes an easy description. "Brendan
has the ability to weave in and out of different styles not binding her to
any one particular genre". Poni Brendan's song writing talents can bring
the listener to the place where the song was written, to a moment of time
that is captured vividly in both melody and music. Rarely do we find a female
artist with both voice, and rhythm, who is also as prolific a songwriter as
Poni, with around 70 original songs in her collection to date.
LATELY
Currently Poni is finishing her third release "Poni Brendan Back On Track",
Poni is working to create a record that will appeal to the mainstream music
market. This newest release celebrates her eternal optimism and her conviction of taking
hold of your own destiny. Set to contemporary beats, Poni combines her
love of hip hop, and pop music with the her strong acoustic guitar foundation to
create a work that is new and fun. This album hints at both her acoustic
roots, and the new options digitally available in todays recording
world.
"Songs are never bound to one genre,"
Poni explains, "the recording experience is like a blank canvas, a song
can be recorded or played in so many different ways. I am striving to release
a well rounded collection, sounding like what I enjoy listening to, as well
as what is really coming out of me at the time. The new world of computer
technology and the advanced freedom that people have to express themselves
in the 21st century is a world of exploration to Poni, and she is thoroughly
enjoying finding out where her music is taking her next.
HISTORY
Poni's music journey began back in upstate New York where she went to art
school at SUNY New Palts. That is where her passion for writing took off,
walking through the Shuwangunk mountains with her guitar strapped on her back.
Those forest days introduced her to a natural world that had eluded her growing
up in the suburbs. Poni did a lot of traveling following the Grateful Dead
Tours which enlightened her to a way of life where she could support herself with
her art and her music.
The love of nature, pointed Poni to the foothills of the North Cascades where she spent most of her twenties "living on the land". It was in the hills of the Okanogan that Poni got down to her roots. Built a home, had a baby boy, raised arabian horses, and played music constantly, being greatly influenced by the Seattle folk music scene.
Traveling to warmer climates for the winters, again Poni was inspired to write songs, sometimes two or three in one night. Hawaii, and Central America were places that were affordable for a musician and her young son. Poni made a good living playing in clubs in Panahachel Guatemala. When back in the states Poni started building a name for herself playing the stages of The Seattle Folk Festival, Bumbershoot, Oregon Country Fair, Countless micro brew pubs, Saturday Markets, Coffee shops, college campuses, and Weekend Street Fairs. Moving to Ashland Oregon, Poni commuted to Eugene to record her first album,"Tomorrows Journey".
Finishing the 1990 release, Poni settled down on the North Shore of Maui. During the nineties she performed with a seven piece band called "Alive Tribe", a female duo called "Mystic Sista" a three piece called "Mixed Nuts" and formed a band called "Playful Spirit" to continue touring the venues in the Pacific North West. On the mainland she kept a double decker bus affectionately named "The Brown Bear" for the band to tour in. During this time she also performed as back up vocalist for quite a few bands including "Crazy Fingers", "Ah Tim", "Fantuzzi", "Sundance" and The Michael D. Band. In '96 she started her collection of recordings to culminate in her 1998 release self entitled "PONI".
Right about the time of her second release, Poni and her partner started an oceanfront bed and breakfast called The Spyglass House Oceanfront Inn, 1/2 mile from the Surf town of Paia. The business was a great success, and within a couple of years Poni's life transformed from "Gypsy musician" to "respected surfer and business woman", as well as an established musician, and she decided to focus more on being on Maui than being out on the road touring. This is when Poni concentrated on studying voice, with the rigs method, as well as Italian vocal studies, practicing her surfing, and avidly delving into hip hop, and urban jazz funk classes.
When she did travel, her gear changed from a guitar on her back to also include a surfboard under her arm. Since the turn of the century Poni has traveled to Australia, Costa Rica, and Bali for surf excursions, as well as short jaunts to Thailand, Jamaica, Mexico, and The Canan Islands. She was written up in Hawaii's surf stye magazine as Maui's featured surfer in spring 2005.
Through out all these years Poni never let go of her coveted S.L. Mossman guitar that she's owned since 1981. (This guitar Poni calls "Freedom Rider" is one of the last guitars hand built by Mossman before the factory burned down in '75, and has guided her through the years.
INFLUENCES
Poni's Influences and cover collection include: Christina Aguilera, Avril
Lavigne, Black Eyed Peas, Incubus, Imogen Heep, Justin Timberlake, Annie Lennox,
Third World, No Doubt, and Sheryl Crow. Her love for the more acoustic stylings
of Alicia Keys, The Indigo Girls, Sting, Seal, Ricky Lee Jones, and of course
Bob Marley still shines through on the new tracks.
"This Musician / Song Writer / Performer / Mother / Surfer / Entrepreneur / World Traveler has designed a life with the perfect balance of work and play"" ~Heather Riley, Creative Director of V Dimension
Poni's fun loving attitude permeates all parts of her life this line from the song 10,000 fantasies sums it up: "Now is the time to do your living because time is moving fast, so fast."