AboutCountry Staff writer Laurie Petricka chatted with country group Trick Pony at Country Thunder in Wisconsin, on July 19, 2007. Here is the transcript of their conversation.
Laurie: Hi guys.
Group: Hey, Hey alright, Hi!
Laurie: Tell us how you met Aubrey, and how she came to join Trick Pony?
Ira: A producer friend of our's Trey Bruce who produces Trace Adkins amoung others, called me up and said "I've got the girl for you, her name is Aubrey Collins, she lives out in LA." So, we flew her in and she was the last one to audition and she knocked our socks off and we said "what do you think?" Not only was she musically, a good fit but personality wise was a good fit, we all got along. We're like brothers and sisters, just having fun.
Keith: It was pretty funny she even has a myspace, but then this day and age every one has one.
Laurie: We even have one.
**Laugh**
Keith: It's her baby, she just puts Trick Pony stuff on it. I logged in and got on to her myspace and listened to her music and called that number, I guess it was her mom's number and I got ahold of her and said "Hey, this is Keith from Trick Pony, are you interested in coming to audition for us?" What was really funny is that several years ago, when she was very young, she was at Logan's Steak House in Nashville, and we just had our first single out, she was there with her mom and she said, Hey that's Keith Burns of Trick Pony. I had a bandana on, and she got up and sang "Pour Me Another Shot of Pepsi."
Aubrey laughs at this.
Aubrey: I was like 12.
Ira: Shut up ... 12? You make me feel old.
Aubrey laughs.
Ira: Yes, I was 9 when you had your first hit.
Aubrey: You love me..
Ira: Sometimes... not all the time
Aubrey: Yes, all the time.
Ira: No, not all the time just sometimes, stop it.
Aubrey laughs again.
Laurie: Well I can see that this is working out great!
Keith: Yes!
Laurie: It's good chemistry, wow that's cool.
Laurie: What was the best advice these guys gave you to prepare for your first performance?
Aubrey: Give it all you got! We do this thing where we put our knuckles together and blow a kiss up in the air. We did that, and it's just kinda a thing we do. When I first jumped up on the stage with these guys, I felt such a connection and I knew that it was going to be an amazing road.
Ira: And don't eat dried mangos before you sing.
Aubrey: Oh, lord.
They all laugh.
Ira: That's an inside joke.
Keith: Dried mangos, not good.
Ira: Dried mangos, not good.
Laurie: Alrighty then.
Keith: Onward we go with About.com.
We all start laughing.
Laurie: So what was that first performance like? How was it when you stepped out on the stage?
Aubrey: Like I said, it was so overwhelming. These guys were just so great! To share the stage with them and to feel vibes and energies. It's just so nice when you have all three of our energies and connections going on! They are such great people and great musicians!
Laurie: That is so cool.
Aubrey: Yeah, I love you guys.
Laurie: I understand you are getting rave reviews.
Aubrey: ...um...hum.
Laurie: They say you have a new sound. Would you like to comment on that?
Keith: It's the same sound but different direction.
Ira: It definitely has a little more rock background. It's kinda like a new ingredient, just add a little bit more rock, and a little bit more guitars.
Laurie: A little spice?
Ira: Yeah, a little spice. Add two ponies and a little Aub in there and stir it up, and simmer on 120 and you come up with a new sound.
Laurie: Can you give us a preview of what your next album is going to be like? Do you have a release date, and album name?
Ira: We were just talking with the label just about an hour ago, and we don't have an album name yet. We will have a single out hopefully in a couple of months.
Keith: Yeah, we have the album basically done. We've narrowed it down to two songs being the first single, and we need to cut those two songs, and which ever is the one that jumps off at us is the one that will be our first single. As far as a name, I have no idea what it's going to be called but it will be something clever.
Laurie: Catchy?
Keith: Yeah, catchy snappy. (Keith snaps his fingers)
Ira: We'll call the album Keith Urban and sell a bunch.
Keith: Yeah, Kenny Chesney.... Trick Pony sings the best of Kenny Chesney. We'll put a little picture of us in the corner.
Ira: We'll put Non-refundable on it.
Everyone cracks up laughing.
Laurie: Yeah, that will get them.
Laurie: Was there a collaborative writing effort on the album? I understand Aubrey, you are a magnificent writer.
Aubrey: Thank you. Yeah, we all sat down and actually, when I very first came to Nashville, and sat down and wrote a couple of songs that week to see where our mix was. We came up with two really good songs, well three really good songs, but two of them will be on the record, so we are always writing as often as we can.
Laurie: I've heard from a couple different artists I've talked to this summer, that sometimes when you are on the road, and you have so many people around, and it's so busy, that it is difficult, because you don't get that space that you need.
Ira: Yeah, you definitely have to make your own time.
Keith: I can count on one hand how many songs I've written on the road over the last ten years. It's tough for some reason. My mind is in a different place, and I want to get back to town. My mind is on writing, and I love to write, I think Ira's the same way, and I'm pretty sure Aubrey is.
Aubrey: We all get ideas on the road.
Keith: Yeah.
Ira: Yeah.
Aubrey: We just save them up.
Keith: Yeah, you can start 'em, but you just got too much going on to finish them.
Laurie: I can see that, 'cause you have this going on here, and that going on there, I can't imagine trying to write with all the distractions.
Keith: And you want to save your voice as much as you can, especially someone like Aubrey who sings hard.