August Ponthier – Everywhere Isn’t Texas
August Ponthier releases their debut album, Everywhere Isn’t Texas.
Across 10 songs that combine pop, rock, folk and country, Ponthier presents a deeply personal coming of age narrative, exploring the trauma of childhood and the meaning of home, all while incorporating their signature whimsy and irreverence. Today, they unveil the album’s title track and its accompanying video following the release of several singles, “Handsome,” “Betty,” “Karaoke Queen,” and last month’s “I’m Crying, Are You?,” on which Ponthier “keeps things light and dreamy, never losing the touch of majesty and rewarding honesty that brought them exposure in the first place” (Consequence).
On “Everywhere Isn’t Texas” and its reprise, Ponthier captures the nuanced ambivalence they feel toward their home state of Texas. As Ponthier puts it, the anthemic song is “equal parts love letter and critique”—a condemnation of the state’s attacks on civil liberties, a lament for those who need to flee, and a celebration of outcasts who resist. Written with Dan Wilson and Ethan Gruska in 2020, the song has felt increasingly politically and socially relevant as trans rights come under increased attack.
The “Everywhere Isn’t Texas” video was shot in Austin, TX, directed by Julian Buchan who designed the album’s B-movie-themed artwork, and features extras that were cast with help from Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT). “Guided by their southern roots and an affinity for theatrics” (INTERVIEW), Ponthier acts as an alien finding solace in the queer communities of Texas. “I knew it had to be shot in the state that it is centered around and showcase the incredible LGBTQ+ people of Texas who are NOT invisible and NOT giving up,” comments Ponthier. They chose to highlight businesses and people from the queer community both in this video and the “Everywhere Isn’t Texas (Reprise)” video. “So many businesses and organizations opened their doors to this shoot, like Broken Spoke, Lynny’s Diner, and King Bee, that are either LGBTQ+ owned or affirming, and it was the first time I’ve ever had sixty line dancers as extras in the background. This is my favorite video I’ve been a part of because it healed a special part of me to be around so many people and places I wish I had access to and knew when I lived in Texas.”
Everywhere Isn’t Texas was largely produced by Matthew Neighbour (Lord Huron) and features co-writes by some of the biggest names in songwriting, including Wilson, Gruska, Amy Allen, and Wrabel. The pairing of intimate songwriting with cosmic storytelling is one that makes intuitive sense to Ponthier. “Telling big stories, creating characters, and creating worlds is something that I love to do,” they share. “That’s how I got through a lot of the issues that I sing about around family and hometown and growing up: losing myself in horror, sci-fi, and fantasy.”
Ponthier’s greatest hope for Everywhere Isn’t Texas is that the world of the album can provide a similar escape for anyone who feels trapped, whether it’s in a toxic situation or in a state that doesn’t always love them back. “I think the world is so heavy a lot of the time that imagining somewhere completely different with completely different rules that looks totally opposite to where you are is a real relief,” they say. “I really want my music to do that.”
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