Click a musician to see their interview
Interviews conducted by Brass Scribe & brambleshadow4
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I was introduced by a friend before season 2 came out, but I started watching on my own right before season 3 came out. Another friend introduced me to the fandom, namely music, animations, fanfics, around the end of 2012, but I started making MLP music in April of 2013, so I just barely missed the huge hype train.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I started out by writing love songs, as most songwriters do, but after about my first album, I decided to write an album centered on MLP.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
The friend who introduced me to the fandom thought it would be a good idea to have my fandom name based on where I live. I live very close to Everfree Northwest, so Everfree Brony was his first idea, and I kind of hated the idea of including "brony" in my name. Much to my relief, we soon found out that that name was already taken. So instead, he proposed the idea "What about 4EverfreeBrony?" I still hated the name, but somehow that's the one I landed on. Still honestly wish I had chosen a different name for the sake of not being a mouthful. As for my OC, I just picked out some colors I liked, and an artist came up with the whole "Castle Music Note" cutie mark, which was based on my real name, "Garrison".
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
I personally love performing with The Wonderbolts. I always wanted to be part of a band, and just having that energy mixed with killer tunes is just an absolute blast to have on stage. I think every musician should get to experience that feeling at least once in their life. As for my favorite concert of my own, I really enjoyed Everfree Northwest 2018, where I played most of the songs from my album "The Pink Side of The Moon", as well as debuting the song "Right Here" to go at the very end of the remastered version of the album.
When I think ‘what’s 4EverfreeBrony’s most well-known song’, I think of Chant of Immortality. I also recall from previous conversations with you that The Dreamer’s Door was the album you’re most proud of, and you recently created acoustic and concert version of all 6 of those tracks in The Stargazer’s Lens. Anything you’d like to say more about that album and why it’s so special for you?
The Dreamer's Door is my most proud album because it took the longest and the most effort to make so far. While it technically only has 7 different songs, each alternate version brings new meaning tot eh lyrics. For example, the original Chant Of Immortality sounds like a never-ending cycle of solitude, but the acoustic version makes it sound lonesome and sad. The concert versions of all the chants also do this, but instead of sadness, they bring out more adventure and energy, and they're also better for playing live.
Over the years, you’ve worked with many musicians, myself included. Is there any musician you wished you could have worked with but never got the chance? Any other people you’d like to collab w/ in the future?
I pride myself on being the most collaborated brony musician. I even used to keep track of all my collabs, but have since stopped because I just keep forgetting to write them down when I finish them. A musician I wish I could have worked with when they were still around was Ponky. He did the original version of "Bright Eyes" with Eccentrifuge, and I always wanted to have his voice on a song of mine, but he's since been pretty absent from fandom life or online presence in general, so I never really got to contact him.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
Back in the day, it used to be Slyph, Aviators, Relative1Pitch, FritzyBeat, GigglyMaria, Luna Jax, Feather, and Chi-Chi. Those were the ones I socialized the most with, at least. Not really sure I belong to any sort of peer group like that anymore, though. Nowadays, since this is my career of choice, I tend to be a strictly business kinda guy, even though it's not totally intentional. I don't really like socializing, but I do enjoy collaborating.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
L-Train is defiitely my biggest influence when it comes to trying to improve my guitar skills. Ever since I had him play a solo one of my songs and not being bale to play said solo myself, I decided to really hunker down on getting better at playing guitar in general. Now I can shred pretty well, even if his style is heavily metal-based and mine is very much classic-rock-based. I also did the same with my vocals, ever since I had BlackGryph0n sing on a song of mine. I'm still not nearly as good as him, but I can at least keep up now.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
Boston has been my favorite band since the release of Rock Band. I delved into their catalog pretty hard and have based my songwriting heavily around their lyric style and structure, which is probably why I don't write a lot of love songs. I've also been told that my more intense guitar solos sound a lot like Jun Senoue's style, the guitarist of Crush 40. Can't say I'm surprised, though, as I've been a long-time Sonic fan as far back as I can remember.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
I really wish Ponies On I-5 was more popluar. Drummershy and I worked super hard on that one, and it was my first time mixing live drums into an original song of mine, and I thought it turned out pretty darn well. The only thing that made it so unpopular was just the fact that it's an instrumental track with no lyrics or vocals, which is not what my audience is used to, sadly. That track deserves way more love than it ever got.
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
All of my songs typically ask a question. "This Is What It's Like" asks "What if Celestia got sent to the moon as revenge?". "Thought I'd Let You Know" asks "What if Celestia never wrote Twilight back?". I'm not sure many of my songs have interesting stories of how the ideas were conceived, but the stories they tell are fun to theorize over.However, one that does have a neat backstory is "Smell The Roses". I was listening to a speech given by one of the LDS Church leaders, and his message was to remind missionaries to take a break occasionally, that sometimes you need to "stop and smell the roses". Appreciating the Earth God made is a helpful and calming reminder of why I had set out on my mission.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
I have actually done a full remake/remaster of my old album "Hoping". The song with the most differences from the original is probably Bound With Time. I gave it a much cleaner and heavier edge, so it fits a more modern standard.I have also re-imagined my album "The Dreamer's Door", and turned it into a rock album, featuring versions of the songs I would more likely play live in concert. This version of the album is called "The Stargazer's Lens".
What's next for you as an artist?
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I'm currently in the middle of making a brand new concept album, and I have high hopes for the story it tells. It's completely different from anything I've ever done before, so be ready for anything.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Don't limit yourself to only the genres you would listen to. Your iPod playlist may be what raises you as a person, but if you limit yourself to only those genres as a musician, then you are blocking your potential. Take metal, for example. I would never listen to Megadeth or Metallica just to listen to, but I practice their songs on guitar to further my experience and adaptability as a musician. Same with jazz. I don't really go out of my way to listen to jazz, but I play all sorts of music like that on piano so I can "git gud". Your musical roots are still your roots, but don't limit yourself to only those roots. Maybe your ears will bleed, and maybe your parents will be yelling at you to turn it down, but you will be honing your craft so much quicker and more efficiently. As my Sensei always said, "Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect."
And finally, who is best pony?
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Derpy
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
[Response not obtained]
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
[Response not obtained]
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
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What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
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You’ve been the concert lead for BABS for an impressive decade plus. How did that all get started & what was your favorite year of BABS in the role?
[Response not obtained]
I was recently talking with you about a certain connection that you/your ponysona have with a certain BABSCon mascot. Do you mind sharing that connection you/your sona have with said mascot?
[Response not obtained]
I want to say first and foremost that I am terribly sorry for what the BABS leadership did to you three weeks out before the con. However, you and ALL the musicians were able to create an entirely new event, Pinkaboo’s Neighhem 2025, basically within 72hrs of the incident (as well as get dozens of others onboard in the creation/process after that). How was your experience making that event?
[Response not obtained]
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
[Response not obtained]
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
[Response not obtained]
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
[Response not obtained]
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
[Response not obtained]
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
[Response not obtained]
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
[Response not obtained]
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
[Response not obtained]
What's next for you as an artist?
[Response not obtained]
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
[Response not obtained]
And finally, who is best pony?
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[Response not obtained]
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
A friend of mine peer pressured me into watching it. "Alright, just one episode" and you know the rest. I started watching in December of 2011 and finally caught up March of 2012. I started to make a pony inspired song in January, not realizing there even was a music community. In February I discovered MyLittleRemix and began interacting with the #bronymusic IRC channel. Once I was caught up with the show, I started regularly participating in Toastbeard song compos.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I've been playing piano since 1997ish but I have been writing music since about 2006. I first started using my dad's 4-track, drum machine, and keyboard to make awful music for worse RPG Maker games. I started using a DAW in 2008, and made about 11 or 12 hours worth of music before encountering pony.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
"Well, there are 6 elements of harmony...but what if...there was a 7th?" and that’s as far as I thought it out. I never really had a ponysona. I once thought about having some kind of Changeling Seapony, but that sounded difficult to brand and I was a college student at the time so I did all of my own logos and junk. I later settled on an Alicorn Toaster because I thought it was funny.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
It's really hard to choose specifically just one out of the 40ish I've done. I mean, a lot of them happened nearly a decade ago at this point too so it's kind of a blur of happy memories. I think a standout though is not an official concert performance, but one I did as my own panel. I wanted to play my new at the time "Equestrian Wasteland" album live. The slow, practically ambient genre of the album did not really suit the main concert's vibes so I ended up having to do it separately. I got some of The Wonderbolts and a few other last-minute folks to help me out. It was really fun! I hope I can do it again someday.
I apologize for making this joke, but what is the Seventh Element of Harmony?
Pizza. There's nothing more magical; nothing that brings friends together quite like a good pizza.
Your first release came out over 11 years ago; what’s it like being an OG pony musician?
My back hurts lol. In all seriousness I was just a few months off from being in the 1st wave of pony musicians. My first album came about a year and a half after I had started making pony music. It feels weird, I guess? OG, but also kind of out of the spotlight.
Your most recent album was Ponies on Acid 2: The second one. Anything you’d like to tell us about it? Will there eventually be a third one?
A lot of that album was trying to kind of iterate on the sounds from the previous. Also, to give a reason to release previously unreleased stuff. I am hoping to do a 3rd one, definitely. I have 2 other albums in the queue in front of it though.
For those newer to your channel, which of the almost 200 tracks on your channel would you recommend they check out first?
Since I cover such a large breadth of genres, it'd be hard for me to recommend anything specific. Most of my uploads are in playlists organized by genres, I'd start there:
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
I have friends all over the place over the span of a decade so it's like, not really made up of well-defined lines. I hang out with whoever whenever.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
That is a tough one! I love a lot of fandom musicians for a lot of different reasons. Vylet Pony's extremely powerful song writing. Odyssey's unmatched performance capabilities. mycutiemarkisagun's use of samples. TCB's incredible sound design. Loophoof's insane sample chop skills. The Wonderbolts' raw energy. I could sit here all day and name every other person I've met in this community. Creativity inspires me is the take away here.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
Yet another tough one. The breadth of what I listen to and am inspired by is a very long list of artists. Most albums and songs I release have a direct tie back to a specific artist though so I'll just list some of them for brevity (in no particular order): The Flashbulb, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Burial, Locomotora, Lazerhawk, Mitch Murder, Justice, Pendulum, Aphex Twin, Astral Projection.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
I have always wanted to collab with Odyssey. Not only is she my friend and I adore her and her music, but I think that her and I would make some really good old school styled electronic music together.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
"The Road Home" is one that I think about from time to time. I pretty much tried to turn the feeling of PCD (Post-Con Depression) into a song, and feel that I succeeded. That feeling of leaving a convention and being alone in an airport, thinking about all of the goodbyes. How you miss people so much despite them being available at your fingertips. I don’t know. To be fair, it wasn't a song that was directly outwardly pony, so I guess not many would've picked it up unless they listened to one of my weirder EPs.
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
I’m gonna have to say “Fear of Dark” from the album of the same name. The album (and its corresponding follow up “In Her Mind”) both have associated stories on FimFiction that you can find in the liner notes. Check it out if you want more details. This is a spoiler, and it is pretty grimdark, but it’s been out for a decade so, whatever.The albums take place in a world 500 years after the events of the show. A horrible cataclysm happens off screen that takes the lives of most of Twilight’s friends, family, and pretty much most of the characters from the show. The core idea of the album is “What does friendship mean to an immortal?” An idea that is absolutely not unique in this fandom. My take on it is that centuries of making friends and losing them, Twilight effectively loses her mind with grief. Well past her breaking point, she looks to the forbidden section of the Canterlot Library. She casts as spell at the end of the track preceding Fear of Dark. The spell, as far as Twilight knows, removes her grief. In Fear of Dark she is confronted by an emaciated, shaking, wretched reflection of herself. It repulses Twilight, and confronts her. Its “attacks” do not harm her physically, but mentally and emotionally. Twilight, in a fit of defiance, burns the reflection alive; its final words being “Please don’t hate me…” The aftermath left her very out of sorts, for Twilight didn’t just kill her grief, but killed her capacity for grief amongst other things. This will be important for a later story I intend to tell.Cheery story, I know, but I think it’s one of my more unique works. It never received a ton of attention but I’m still really proud of it.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
Hard question! Most of the time I want to remake stuff I just VIP it and call it good lol (see: Stomp, Phoenix, etc). Pinkie Pie’s World Of Funk maybe? It was one of my first attempts at making French House and those samples deserve so much better.
What's next for you as an artist?
Getting back into the regular habit of making music is what's next for me. I have been career focused the last few years and I haven't made much time to be creative. The global pandemic, becoming a homeowner, and graduate school certainly made it even more complicated. Hoping to fix that and finish those albums I've been working on.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Do it because you love it, not because you want to be popular. Fandoms are niche and have small listener pools, the music industry destroys and robs artists, popularity is fleeting. I've seen many try to chase stardom only for the industry to chew people up and spit them out. Have fun. Make good art. The rest will come eventually.
And finally, who is best pony?
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I got into mlp when I was super young- probably around 10 years old? I was into it when I was a kid, then grew out of it for a bit due to others telling me to not do it any longer akjgkj then I got back into it in 2023 due to finding out about vylet pony! After finding sea's music- I just had a big calling to write mlp music/music based on ponies adkfjgkj sooo I did!! :D
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I've been learning how to produce music in general since around 2021- and have been doing music since I was in 4th grade starting with violin! I then picked up piano in 8th grade- then guitar in 9th!! And i've been singing my entire life hehe
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
I've always loved space and such, and I really wanted to have a sona whose cutiemark reflected something more metaphorical rather than be literal. For azure, her cutiemark (a comet) symbolizes her dreams and aspirations for music and how she wants them to soar high into the sky!! A lot of her arc is about figuring out what her cutiemark is about due to her (and her family) assuming that is means she's the next in line to study astronomy, when it's much more than that.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Harmony Con 2025!!
Based on what I am seeing on your YouTube & Bandcamp, it seems that you started releasing your own music within the past year. What’s it been like getting those out for the community to hear?
It's been a beautiful experience- the reception i've been getting has been soso flattering and inspring- knowing that so many people emotionally connect with the music i've made genuinely warms my heart to it's core cause thats why I make music! to share my experiences in life and to let people know they aren't alone- pretty much making music for all the other "me's" out there- afjkgkj if that makes any sense.
I really love the concept for your first album, “Stardom.” Without spoiling too much of the album’s story (so people can experience it firsthand), what was it like creating the album?
It was a super long process- afgjkjg I had a lot of self doubt while making the album (which ironically enough, plays into the albums themes) and alongside that self doubt I also had a lot of catharsis! a lot of the songs in the album are a pony tinted lens into things i've experienced and gone through in my life, and it was really nice being able to air out those emotions c:
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
For me i've found that i'm amongst a ton of musicians! it would feel strange to call out all of them x'3
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Fandom wise, I get a lot of inspiration from AnxietyMonstrr, Roxby, Nekosnicker, Galaxysquid, Vylet Pony, Namii, Soundbandit, and Loophoof!! Some of these are artists who inpsire me and some are just music artists :)
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
well there's a lot of those!! For artists, its Porter Robinson, Madeon, Glass Beach, Deftones, Underscores, Daedalus, and Saorise Dream! Outside of artists it's a ton of video game soundtracks- with my most influential being Hyper Light Drifter, Persona, and Omori
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
For me personally I mainly like to collab with people I know personally- due to a lot of my music being about personal topics that I only feel comfy expressing around those who understand me, but if I had to say probably Vylet Pony! It would be cool to share processes, seeing as they came from an Edm background and I came from a classical background.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
Probably Stardom, it was one of the first songs where I had an idea for something and it just worked out how I wanted it to- akdfgjkj it makes me super happy
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
I'd say waves has the most interesting backstory for me personally! In the story it's about Azure waving goodbye to her childhood self and coming to terms that she needs to take the parts of herself she needs with her and leave behind all of the past regrets she has and move forward in her life. For me personally, the track is about a friend I had falling with- and the conversation that lead to that falling out happened on the beach next to the ocean, and I can still remember the waves.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
I would probably remake final call akjgkjg I had a different idea for the production for it but went with the current version to get it out!
What's next for you as an artist?
I have multiple singles coming out with some friends c: then have a double ep album in the making called "The Mortician and The Daydreamer" about two ponies who have opposite lives, one born from the dreams of the other.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
No matter what, make music for yourself. Nobody else. Do it provide yourself catharsis and fuel your passion for life and what you enjoy!!
And finally, who is best pony?
alfgklkg fluttershy
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
This one’s a pretty nuanced question. I joined the fandom at around summer 2012 when I was 8-9 years old, then took a hiatus in 2017, then came back in late 2021 and started making music in 2022.That’s actually a funny story. I first saw the show in a Chuck E. Cheese. It was showing a promo for the ep. Mysterious Mare Do Well, and from there I watched a few episodes on Suddenlink on demand and it just went from there. I got into the fandom through the old Sonic and Rainbow Dash crossover comic dubs that were big at the time. From there it just expanded.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I started making music in my junior year of high school, though I didn’t really get that far production wise, cuz I was using GarageBand on mobile.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
My oc’s evolution is actually pretty weird. I went through 4 different sonas over the years before landing on it. As for the name, my sister actually came up with it out of a list of different mixes of art and music terms.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
My favorite is prolly Ponyville Ciderfest 2024
In my own words, you were discovered after a stellar renegade set at Babscon 2022. Can you tell us more about that experience and all the crazy things that have happened ever since?
The BabsCon 2022 renegade set was a funny story. I was originally playing outside on Friday, when I was found later by Whirlwind who was walking by at the time. He told me to perform the renegade stage, which I didn’t find til Saturday night. I was just playing and singing to a guy who had seen me earlier, as well as Dawillstanator and Pepper. Then I actually performed on Sunday, when a lot of people saw me in passing, it’s here where I got recorded by Racebest, and met musicians Blackened, Whirlwind, and MC-Arch to name a few. From there I met Larscis, who according to a few people, when I applied for EFWN that year, said something along the lines of “If Canto’s not performing, I’m not working sound.” Which I would say is pretty wild.
You’ve paired up with Thrack for most of your on-stage performances. If I recall correctly, that wasn’t your original plan, but was something pitched to you from Harmony Con 2023 staff. How did they convince you?
The way they convinced me was by simply saying “it won’t make or break it, but it will help your chances.” I thought “if it’ll help my chances, screw it.”
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
My main group would be Thrack, Jesh and Ocean. As well as Evershade and MelodyBrony(I shared a bed with him so I hope we’re friends)
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Honestly, growing up I was big fan of Black Gryph0n and ShadyVox/Scratch 21 so I definitely took some aspects of their styles in my singing and playing.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
To not give a long ass list like last time, I take big influence from Michael Jackson, been that way since I was young. But also from many Punk/Emo/Nerdcore bands/artists, with some theatre kid tossed in there.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
It’s hard to pick just one, I’d like to do stuff with a lot of the musicians! I guess my fever dream, one in a million would probably be Black Gryph0n. The reason it’s him is because he kinda started it for me. I remember seeing videos of him performing at a con in his dress whites, and that lit a spark in me, it made me want to be a singer. I think collabing with him would bring it full circle. That and just be fun to do.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
Still kinda hard to answer(cuz most of my songs are STILL not out yet lol) but now I’d say prolly my cover of 4EFB’s Reality.
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
Worst Mistake is a funny story I think. I wasn’t planning on making a song for the Tamers: Soarin & Braeburn movie. And then after everyone was wrapping up with theirs, I listened to “The Bitter End” a SINGLE TIME, and I IMMEDIATELY had ideas. The REAPER project file name is “SoarinFuckUMel.”
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
I HAVE NO SONG WITHOUT A DOUBT
What's next for you as an artist?
What’s next for me is pretty simple, I’d say. I’m gonna get to working on the songs I’ve written and getting em out there. I’ll definitely try to be at more cons and hopefully you guys will see a Canto solo set in the future.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
The only piece that of advice I can give is that you’ll never know what happens until you try. The first step is always the hardest. Most importantly is always ask musicians for feedback while work on music cuz they can give you tips whole you’re working on stuff and overcome roadblocks they faced.
And finally, who is best pony?
TWILIGHT AND IF YOU DONT AGREE YOUR PROLLY WRONG!
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I started watching it right at the end of season 2 and I think I started making mashups in 2013
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I learned pretty much everything afterward, I started DJing first and branched out into production after a while
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
A Changeling is a shapeshifter, it can be whatever it wants – so will I lol, it has a 31 in it because im an idiot so nobody will ever spell it right
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
That’s a tough call, the one that came to mind was Bronycon 2016 so I’ll have to go with that
It is safe to say that your trademark signature is your box-shaped head. How did that come to be?
I was bored, I put it together with duct tape and cardboard (I’m not joking that was it)
One thing that I noticed is you are one of the few current musicians that still produces a plethora of remixes. What is your process for choosing & remixing a song?
I like to do whatevers fun or funny to me, quite a few of them started as “bad ideas” that became reality
On the topic of remixes, what is one song that you hope to remix in the future (especially if there was no issue of copyright)?
Oh man I don’t think that far ahead, if I had that answer I’d already have done it lol
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
Oh man, I know a lotta guys…I wouldn’t wanna leave anybody out – feel like I could just type names here…DJs…Bands…whoever, we can chill — I think for Babs sake I need to shoutout our trio of me / Taps / Strach
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
If I’m honest pretty much everyone in their own ways (these answers sound canned now huh), everybody is good at something
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
This is tough to answer lmao, am I really gonna say Skrillex here………man I am
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
I would collab with Vinyltastic on a Fortnite dub
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
I think my remix of Taze & Whirly Tail’s Waffle is underrated, you should check that out
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
The original version of 4DaPlot that MCMIAG had was on a USB that he gave to Tetsuo at Babscon but Tetsuo lost it and I found it……..and pulled all the files off it lol
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
Man I’ve been playing with VIPs of old songs recently, I think specifically I would redo that super old / popular SCP song that dominates my youtube bcuz of how old it is
What's next for you as an artist?
I’ve been working on puting out more originals as Chang31ing, keep an eye out for a buncha stuff after the con bcuz I need to empty out my pockets
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Just do it, there’s no such thing as good music lol
And finally, who is best pony?
Potoooooooo
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
[Response not obtained]
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
[Response not obtained]
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
[Response not obtained]
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
[Response not obtained]
You’ve established yourself as one of the fandom’s most well known singers having worked with musicians Silva Hound, 4EverfreeBrony, and Vylet Pony. What has that experience been like?
[Response not obtained]
Do you typically let other producers approach you about making a song, or do you approach them?
[Response not obtained]
You’ve made songs and covers across a wide variety of fandoms + subcultures, from shows like MLP and Stephen Universe to video games like Cult of the Lamb and Undertale. Do you have any particular fandom or subcultures which pop out to you as special or unique in their own way.
[Response not obtained]
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
[Response not obtained]
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
[Response not obtained]
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
[Response not obtained]
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
[Response not obtained]
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
[Response not obtained]
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
[Response not obtained]
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
[Response not obtained]
What's next for you as an artist?
[Response not obtained]
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
[Response not obtained]
And finally, who is best pony?
[Response not obtained]
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
There’s a gmod animation called “Engineers TRIP”,
Which mostly has nothing to do with ponies,
but one segment has a shot of the main 6,
this led me to eventually trying the show,
and that was it, I was hooked!I was very enthusiastic about making music when I started in 2012,
with my standards at the time I could put together a track in a week or 2,
and release them with the thought that they were done to the best of my ability.
As I improved I realized my “best” was an ever-moving goal post,
and I’ve since struggled to follow through with productions that are any less than my theoretical best.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I didn’t release anything before the fandom,
I was studying music and just trying to improve with guitar,
I just wanted to be a guitarist in a band.But finding fandom musicians producing out of their homes,
these solo producers putting together full band arrangements,
I thought maybe I could do it too, so I did!
I tried Bass and Singing and tapping on this little portable digital Drum kit,
and I started throwing stuff together!
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
crackinglazer is my gamertag from the original xbox days.
I like blue, and AC/DC, so I made a blue horse with a lightning bolt cutie mark!
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
BronyScot 2016 is the first time I fronted a set with a whole band,
and was when Coltastrophe formed,
and despite the tiny venue the crowd was one of the most energetic I’ve ever played for.
I think it is safe to say that “Coltastrophe” is what you are best known for, being one of the earliest bands at the European cons. How did that all start & what is it like performing with them?
The Colts are where I live,
we could put on a show at the drop of a hat,
some songs we’ve just played too much to get rusty.
Outside of Coltastrophe, what other musical projects do you work on?
Musically I’m rarely doing anything other than live prep,
other than The Colts, I’ve played live with a bunch of the fandom acoustic acts.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
Myself I wanna hang with the acoustic nerds,
we’re always borrowing each other's junk.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
I admire a lot of the noisy horses!
They are why I go to pony events!
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
AC/DC choruses are just too good at getting stuck in your head,
there’s influence there for sure,
otherwise I find writing to be a playground,
I just play around until the section is doing what I want.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Lenich & Kirya are SO COOOOOOOOL!
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
I’ll have to get back to you when I’ve put stuff out and the fandom can have an opinion!
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
Sorry I’m le tired <3
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
yes
What's next for you as an artist?
RELEASE!
...maybe...
...eventually...
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
FOR BUCK SAKE PUT IT OUT!
And finally, who is best pony?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGHGHHGH
that one over there
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
Well, I got into MLP right around the end of 2011. At the time, I was going through a very uncertain phase in my life. Flunked out of college and working an overnight job at Wal-Mart, I was pretty much looking for any direction to head in with life. I had even considered becoming a paramedic! I was really into playing TF2 at the time and spent most of my waking hours on it. When the fandom exploded, people were spraying images of characters from MLP all over the place. Initially I found it very annoying but after a while I started to warm up to the images and even found them kind of cute. I had expressed that I had some interest in the show to a friend of mine, and they wound up linking me a thread with every MLP episode on it up to the first 2 episodes of season 2. They said “Have fun.” and the rest is history.My time creating music in celebration for the show started in 2012. I had gotten a job at a local music store in my area and was starting to learn a lot more about recording equipment. I used to watch other fandom musicians at the time and after watching Breaking Bonds by Prince Whatever, I felt like I could take my own stab at the music scene and so decided to do so! I was torn between doing a cover of Love is in Bloom or just doing an original. After absolutely hating how the cover sounded, I just decided to create an original called Oh Sweetie Belle and served it up with a shrug and a “eh whatever.”The next day it got 15k views and that was that!
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I was playing music well before I got into MLP. I was about 15 years old when I picked up my first bass guitar and younger than that when I started dabbling with keys! I had played in a number of bands in highschool and attended college for music and performance repertoire so I was definitely bringing some experience to the table. I was working on compositions very early on in life and I used to try and hum original ideas to myself on the school bus when I was in elementary school. I was super into NSYNC at the time and I had young aspirations to one day make music as catchy as that!
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
I was sitting down behind my desk at my job and honestly was just thinking of names and a proper appearance. I wanted my pony to look like the embodiment of a rockstar, so I had already settled on his color scheme of light pink with red hair and blue eyes. I think I googled “cool glasses” and some random image came up that I thought fit the mood I was looking for, so I gave my character these weird glasses that I don’t even think are sold anymore. I can’t even remember the brand name! I did wind up buying a pair for myself, but they are long since gone at this point.
dBPony is just the unit for decibels (dB) and Pony jammed together. Not too complex! I just looked through the internet to make sure the name wasn’t already taken. Fun fact, there was a dBPony already in existence at the time in the form of a little league baseball team, so I had to call my youtube channel dbponymusic in order to get around that little altercation.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Honestly probably Bronycon 2013 through 2015. Something about those shows seemed quite significant to me. I had a proper full band and the power behind those performances just hasn’t been matched since. The audiences were very enthusiastic and a lot of people knew the lyrics to my tracks. Being able to hear hundreds of people scream your lyrics as you're singing them is quite a life changing experience. It’s something I never thought I’d experience in my whole life.
Is there anything you’d like to tell us about one of your most popular tracks, Wonderbolt?
Well.. That track was inspired by a band I had been listening to a lot of at the time called City Lights. There’s a song on their first album that takes on a very similar sound to Wonderbolt called “Where Have You Been?”. When I was writing it, I was basing it on one of my favorite episode’s Wonderbolt Academy. I was initially very nervous about asking PrinceWhatever if he’d want to sing on that track, considering at the time I still largely felt like no one in particular. He was very willing to be a part of the track, but he had mentioned that he had a cold. So the entire time he’s singing on that track, he’s pretty much suffering through his illness haha.
Your only album listed on Bandcamp is dBPony’s Greatest Hits, which includes most of your discography still up on your channel at the time. Is there a secret list of the not greatest hits somewhere?
Haha, feel free to dig through my soundcloud and make that call for yourself. There’s stuff on there that I even forgot I made!But in all seriousness I just never have made a proper album with my stage name, something I’m really hoping to change soon..
You currently work with the Saberspark team - what’s it like working on that channel?
It’s pretty challenging! I currently act as his producer and his audio engineer. We’re typically working on videos every single month so I get to help manage his sponsorship relations and command a team to get various videos done for projects. There’s a lot of work that goes into running a youtube channel and the experience I’ve gained from having a part on his team has been invaluable. Fun-fact, I’m actually one of Saber’s first real team members! I’ve been working with him for close to 9 years now.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
I meean… Honestly not really? That might just have to do with my imposter syndrome. I’ve never really quite felt like I belonged to my own community since after I fell off of my youtube game in 2015. A lot happened in my life that prevented me from uploading regularly like my peers, so I’ve felt like I’ve really neglected my relationships with my friends. I fortunately still get welcomed by them with open arms but I’ve never been able to shake this feeling like I’ve let a lot of people down.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
I’m a little complex with that. I’ve never really taken inspiration from anyone in the fandom per say. I’ve been inspired by others to create, like PrinceWhateverer, but no musician has directly influenced my creativity in terms of writing or producing music.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
Ahh that’s a long list! I’ll jot down a few just to give you a general idea. Big Kid is a huge vocal inspiration. Then there’s the long list of Pop-punk bands that I listen to like State Champs, City Lights, Hit the Lights, The Story So Far, Carousel Kings, and much more.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Eh… Uhhh… Replacer. I’ve always loved his stuff so much. There’s just something so remarkably whimsical about his song writing. I love his soft singing voice and his compositions are just fantastic. If I was ever given the chance to create something with him, I would jump on that opportunity in a heartbeat!
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
I suppose that would be Make This Pony Mine. It never took off like I hoped it would but I was very proud of it. Most of the music I release to date doesn’t get many hits like my older stuff does, so it’s a bit harder to gauge nowadays what of my tracks are more popular than others, considering my view counts have drastically dropped off.
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
Stay With Me has an interesting back story to it! It’s loosely based on a roommate I used to live with a long while back during 2016-2017. He had an idea of what our lives could be like together if we both worked together in a relationship type setting. At the time I think I was a bit too young to really understand what he was trying to offer to me since the idea of a relationship to me was deeply rooted in romance and I didn’t have those sorts of feelings for him. I was scared of what it meant and so I decided to eventually leave. He and I are still good friends though!
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
The one I would remake I am currently working on remaking and that would be Wonderbolt! It is long overdue for a redux.
What's next for you as an artist?
I want to reboot dBPony and take back my position as a pop-punk/rock artist within this fandom and beyond. There’s something incredibly rewarding about fandom music, whether it be MLP, FNaF, TADC or what not. Being able to celebrate something that you love that gives people who love it a way to express their gratitude and joy is a special position to be in. I like holding a place in people's minds and hearts when it comes to music. I just hope I can believe in myself enough to get things rolling again.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Talk to everyone and anyone. You never know where those friendships and connections will bring you. Don’t be afraid to reach out to those that inspire you. These times are super uncertain, especially with human creativity being on the line with the oppressiveness of AI and the changing of the executive status quo, but don’t ever let that prevent you from expressing yourself through what you love. Your voice is special and has a place in this world. Just do your best! I know you can do it!! <3
And finally, who is best pony?
Sunburstttt cause capes ruleeee!
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
So I've always grown up liking cute things, such as when watching TV or playing with toys with the neighborhood kids at my grandmother's house. So fast forward to 2012, I watched "Teens React to My Little Pony" and I didn't hate the idea, but I definitely thought it was weird. I then noticed people wearing merch in my town and school, so it was surreal to me to find out it was actaully a real thing. When I was curious one night, I watched the first two episodes on my iPad and enjoyed it. Then I continued to watch what I could find of the existing two seasons at the time. Sometime a little later, I learned about the fandom and got acquainted to the different outlets for content that the fandom had.Starting in 2013, I wanted to make content for the fandom, but I was really young and didn't know what I was doing. I tried analysis videos, fanfic writing, reaction videos, and so much more. I dabbled in music around 2015/2016, but didn't think it was good enough to publish. I went to college for audio production, so we were learning how to use Pro Tools. Around that time in 2019, I wanted to do something for EQD's Starlight Glimmer Day, so I did what I knew how to do at the time and make a short song about Glimmer. That semi-took off and I thought it was fun so I continued to make music in that style. I decided to stick with music then because I was something I was finally building an audience for and somewhat decent at.
Damn, I didn't know you went to school for audio production! Was that when you first started making music, or did you bring in some skills before jumping in to MLP?
I think MLP originally inspired me to songwrite back in 2012, but then I was using Soundation to put my musical ideas down. I was very musically trained but not in the production field at all.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
I used to go under a different fandom name for a long time, and Evershade came from when I was playing on a site called Epicmafia and wanted a discreet pony name that sounded like Everfree Forest.The OC was designed by a friend who wanted to make me a new OC.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Harmonycon 2023. I've been wanting to perform there even before the pandemic. It was a set I was planning out for a long time, and it meant a lot to see it executed and how crazy the audience was for it.
You jump started your pony music career with an album “Being Vocal about it”, which heavily featured vocal chops which this fandom loves to rave about. Since then, you’ve pivoted more towards pop songs w/ vocals sung by yourself. What encouraged you to change styles, and do you think you’ll return to doing more pony-chops in the future?
When I finished Being Vocal About It, I think it was kind of burnout at that time. I've wanted to make more original/lyric-based music for a long time, so after wanting to finish up the Mane 6 with the album, I wanted to move on to other stuff. I am wanting/planning on putting hints of pony-chops in some future stuff as a nod/add some spice.Yeah, finishing an album is no small feat!
On your most recent album, you have two songs which I think everyone agrees are 10/10 bangers: Ponytails and Pushing Buttons. Not to make you choose between your children, but which is your favorite?
I'm personally more proud of Ponytails because I wrote most of it and also produced it. So I felt this was more a self-accomplishment without a lot of help.
In addition to being a musician, you’re also heavily involved with the scene via running top brony music. What’s that like?
Every month it's like a slog of "oh right. gotta do this routine again" kind of like a chore. But then my favorite part is always counting up the votes to see what will be showcased (kind of suspenseful and cathartic). Also I enjoy people's reactions to the video once it is released.
Many of your releases also come with PMVs. What’s it like being both a member of the music community and the PMV community?
If you look back to my earliest PMVs (Hot Air Balloon for example) I explain how I've been making PMVs since 2013. It was very mediocre, but years later I learned how to use a video editing software, so I can make videos at a decent quality now. I think it is a great skill to have so I can entertain people audibly and visually now.Also fun having my PMVs be eligible for the Top 10 Pony Videos whenever that happens.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
It's not really a small group in terms of peers. Like I'm in many groups of so many musicians that are down to talk about music (examples like the P@D, ASOS, and Luck's server). In terms of closer friends, MelodyBrony and Luck Rock are two that I do come to when talking/asking about music a lot.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Sound kind of cheesy, but my biggest inspiration when starting out with music was the brony music community as a whole.I mean some of my recent music has occasionally been inspired by Hirosashii or Vylet Pony.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
One of them for a long time has been Owl City. Some of my other ones are Porter Robinson and mainstream music as whole that has been chartingMy other inspirations come from individual songs that I like and want to take stylistic choices from.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Vylet Pony and/or Hirosashii lolmy current favorite and all-time favorite fandom musician
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
A lot of my tracks have been doing pretty good in views/listens, but I do wish Starlight has gotten as many views as the other recent ones. It's one I wrote back in 2016/2017 that I do enjoy.
I also wish the Musician/Colorful mashup got more views, as well as my remix of Something Else by NekoSnicker (feat. Namiiimaa).
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
I have two. For “Starlight,” most of it was literally written in high school after fooling around on the piano in the band room with a friend. We were playing around with the popular chord progression of the late 2010s based on this video:
“A Thousand Likes” was not intended to be on my Troublemaker album at first. Something went array, and I wanted another song on the album to fill a spot before the deadline I had. I thought of wanting to do a TikTok-style song about Pipp Petals, and Namiiimaa felt like the perfect person to have on it. I am so grateful that we were able to write and finish the song in the duration of one week. It’s funny that a lot of people like it, because it almost never existed.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
Most of my old tracks, but those files are lost/gone. “The World Above” is one that I wish I could go back and do again but better.
What's next for you as an artist?
I have my ideas for my next album. I just gotta get back into the swing of things while balancing convention performances. I took a semi-break after releasing Troublemaker: A Herd of Issues, but I have different ideas for the songs I want to work on and release next.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
I think staying consistent in creativity is good to keep people engaged and slowly grow your audience. When I was burnt out on music back in 2020, I picked up the hobby of video editing, so it felt fresh and I was still making things. It’s just good mentally to be able to make something.
And finally, who is best pony?
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I first discovered bronies through my friends on Flipnote Hatena (old DS animation software) back in 2011, and I dove headfirst into fandom once I discovered the music scene not long after that. It was because of the music specifically, that I became as infatuated with the community as I did.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I was a DJ for about 3 years before finding the fandom, but finding the fandom musicians was definitely when I decided to download music software for the first time and start learning.The way that I describe this time to people is like… ok like, I was a DJ, right? I wanted to play big shows and make my own music, right? but all I’d see is the big guys on stage with all these lights and they just sorta, were already there. Like Dedamau5 was all over MTV but like, how did he do that? There was no clear path to get there and the music tutorial scene on youtube was just barely starting. There was a pool of “skrillex massive patch” tutorials but that was about it. It wasn’t until I saw the streams of the concert from the first Bronycon in New York that I had this “Aha” moment.
I remember sitting in the parking lot of my community college, late for class, just so I could continue watching that stream. After 3 years of DJing, here on this screen, were these dudes, my age, playing out their own music. It was at that moment everything clicked and I was like, “If they can do it, so can I” and I went home after class that day, downloaded Ableton and Massive and started making stuff.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
My fandom name was just adapted from my already existent DJ alias, Garnika. I never really had a “fandom” alias. At the time, I really liked being able to appeal to communities in and out of the fandom, but looking back I feel like this held me back in a lot of ways. I was just as afraid of alienating listeners who weren’t as involved with the brony community as I was alienating bronies who weren’t as into mainstream EDM, and it resulted in me becoming very anxious when trying to release music. If I were to go back and do it all again, I don’t think I would have chosen “Garnika” to be my “fandom music alias” I would have probably preferred to go with something more fandom adjacent, like “-insert music genre here- pony” or maybe some sort of food object. lmao
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
It is SO hard to pick a favorite, omg. The one that comes to mind has to be Bronypalooza 2019 in Baltimore. I had already “retired” from playing brony conventions so I had them keep my name off the public lineups to make it a surprise. However, despite this, word somehow got out that I was “the secret guy” and I don’t think I’ve ever felt that much love for my music before. I made it a point to play as much original music as I possibly could and it all went over so well. There was so much passion for the music and the community in that room and for a long time now that has been the strongest memory I’ve had about “brony concerts” after stepping away from the fandom.There was also a con called “Pacific Pony Con” in San Diego where I got to play during the sunset on the beach, and that was idyllic.
You’ve been a staple DJ at BronyCon, performing there every year since 2014 onwards (except for 2018) as well as many other MLP cons. Yet there’s not a trace of your music in brony music archives - I could only find one MLP remix of Hearts as Strong as Horses made in 2014. I get the sense I’m missing something - what’s the scoop?
HA, ohmygosh, yeah from the outside looking in, that does look hella weird, haha, oops.Well, the short answer is my music was primarily released on Soundcloud, not Youtube because I had no idea how to edit videos together so a lot of the tracks I was putting out never got to Youtube. Thus the wider brony populace never found them, but the homies KNEW where my stuff was at.But the more complicated answer, is I went through a phase after the “hearts as strong as horses” remix where I was stoked it did really well, but I was also now absolutely horrified of putting out something that was below par. I was still so super new to producing my own music that when that track did as well as it did (it did like 20k in a few weeks, I think), I was just not emotionally prepared for it at all. Simultaneously, I had just started working with a record label in Southern California, and they definitely raised their eyebrows a bit when they saw I put out that track(they were not very brony friendly, lmao). So it led to this big whirlwind of emotions, a mix between being anxious what the record label would think if I released more pony music stuff, being anxious of what bronies would think if I released something that wasn’t as “good” as that remix and just a general feeling of being in way over my head.
It wasn’t only because of the “hearts” remix, (there was TONS of insecurities floating around in my lil ol head) but regardless, in the years following I ended up keeping everything I made in a little proverbial vault on my laptop, where the only time people would hear my new music would be at the live shows or hanging out in hotel rooms. I had countless remixes, mashups, and original tracks that never saw the light of day due to my own anxiety. However, playing them out live was fun and that’s the only way people even knew they existed. Early on, I think one of the only original pony tracks I put out was a house track called “Flugel Bass” which heavily sampled the Pinkie Pie “I want a Flugel Horn” scene. If memory serves correct, that got torn to shreds on My Little Remix and the only other pony remix I put out was a “Raise this Barn” remix, that was absolutely atrocious, HAHA, but there were mashups with popular pony tracks I made, remixes for my friends that never came out, (remixes for D.Notive, Taps, Odyssey, and SO MANY MORE), original songs that just didn’t live up to the standards I had set upon myself. I think that’s ultimately what carried my name within the convention scene, despite having only “one big track” out. People who were dialed in would go to my live shows trying to catch a glimpse of whatever I was working on and I became so complacent with that being the relationship people had with my music.
Nowadays, it’s one of the main things I warn my students about. To not worry about “making a name for yourself” too quickly. Take a few years to just, “be bad at this for a bit” that’s ok. It’s okay to be a beginner, it’s ok to be “still learning.” I genuinely wish someone had told me that sooner, and while I’m very appreciative for all of the love I’ve received over the years, there’s a very real part of me deep down that would have loved just a few more years to experiment and “be bad” just to figure everything out, haha.That all being said, I really want to drop some kind of entire discography collection of…. EVERYTHING. If for no other reason, just to have it all out there in some capacity. There’s probably like 150+ things that are worth posting that have been hiding in private on my Soundcloud
In 2015, almost 10 years ago, you dropped the one and only EP on your soundcloud, the Understand EP. Would you like to tell us more about it?
YES. That EP was a collection of tracks I was aiming to release on the aforementioned record label. It was a label that specialized in the “Melbourne Bounce” genre, and being that I was OBSESSED with that genre at the time, there was nothing more I wanted than to be a part of a label who understood this type of music I liked so much. But the quality of music just wasn’t there, and they ended up turning it down so I decided to self release it on my Bandcamp, because in spite of their opinions on it, I was still SUPER proud of those tracks. I had KibbieTheGreat do the artwork for it, and self-mastered it and put it out myself. I don’t think it was received particularly well at first, (it just sorta came out of nowhere) but I didn’t mind, I was genuinely just SO damn proud that I was able to make stuff that sounded similar to the type of stuff I enjoyed so much! However, not long after that, right before Everfree Northwest 2015, I got into a really bad car wreck that wiped out most of my personal finances (I got T-Boned). It took almost everything I had in savings to fix my car, but I had already been booked to play Everfree Northwest 2015 later that same month.
So, in the month leading up to that con, I took my last $100, got a ride to Staples and purchased a bunch of “Make your own CD” kits. They had these perforated sheets that you could print artwork onto and fit inside of a slim jewel case. So I bought their entire stock and made physical copies of the Understanding EP to take to Everfree. I ended up making 100 CDs total, sold them for $5 and miraculously sold out in the span of about 2 hours. What’s more, the people who purchased my EP were then coming back up to me at the con and complimenting my music, telling me how “they listened to it up in the room” and that they were enjoying my EP. I was floored! It was such a vastly different reaction than the record label had towards my stuff, and it wasn’t even “pony music” it was just fun EDM music that I made in my bedroom, but the fact that people were enjoying it enough to come back and share that with me was surreal.
From then on, Physical copies of that EP became a staple at every con I played. I was able to take the money I made from those CDs and put them directly into bills that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to pay for. Initially, it felt out of necessity and I didn’t know what to expect, but I will be able to put into words how grateful I am to all those people who bought my CD for having an open mind and giving my music a chance.
Recently, you’ve been performing more under your “Hushpuppy” music alias. What made you want to start a new alias and pivot more towards the furry community?
The whole idea for “Hushpuppy” came from the aforementioned feelings of being pulled in two directions musically/aesthetically, in the sense that, I wanted to retain a higher level of professionalism with my name and music, while simultaneously envying those fandom artists who were “cringe and free” to make whatever the heck they wanted.
The first Domino fell when MictheMicrophone approached me about playing his Twitch birthday party stream alongside The Living Tombstone, Odyssey, Rob Gasser, etc. I was ecstatic and honored but at the time I was going to college for music technology, working with industry professionals and it had been so long since I’d “retired” from playing brony conventions, I felt like it might be in poor taste to play the show as “Garnika” since I didn’t want to give the impression that anyone should expect a big comeback from me any time soon. However, I missed playing fandom shows. A lot.
So, I decided to make an “Anonymous” Alias, something I’d only use for the show, and then probably never use again. So I set up the camera in such a way that I was completely silhouetted and played my butt off and the stream went crazy. Every time something new would drop, or I’d do something flashy on the decks, “Who the heck is THIS?????” flooded the chat. It went way better than I ever could have expected. From there, I believe Odyssey actually gave Hushpuppy their second show at Odysphere, another URL event. From there, some friends suggested I submit a Hushpuppy demo to a few furry cons and I started getting picked up for shows in that community. I’ve only been playing shows as Hushpuppy for about a year, but the response to the DJ sets and the music has been so incredibly inspiring and the alias fulfilled exactly what I wanted. I can go be a huge weirdo at a con all weekend, have my outlets and then be back to work on Monday, in a meeting with professionals and I don’t have to worry about any weird questions cropping up.
What’s interesting however, is that Hushpuppy’s debut single, “Girls in the Front” has done well enough that some of my friends within the industry have picked up that track and started playing it live without knowing I’m the one who made it. So while Hushpuppy was supposed to be my escape from the judgemental eyes of the industry, it remains to be seen whether or not that will remain the case.
If I were to vocalize the deepest possible levels of pipe dream I can muster, my hope is that the music I release with Hushpuppy allows me to finally bring together all these facets of my life together in ways that I couldn’t accomplish with Garnika. Maybe someday there will be a “Hushpuppy: debut headlining set!” at some crazy club in LA, or San Diego or Vegas, and the audience will be full of furries and bronies and EDM heads all going crazy together, everyone would be like “WE LOVE HUSHPUPPY, WE LOVE HUSHPUPPY, WE LOVE THAT YOU THINK FURRIES AND BRONIES ARE COOL AF! AND WE ALWAYS HAVE! WHY HAVE YOU BEEN SUCH A SILLY DINGUS ALL THESE YEARS, GARNIKA? DAMN.” and I’ll be like “IDK BUT CHECK OUT THIS SICK BANGARANG REMIX I MADE” and Skrillex and Porter Robinson and Madeon will be there and they’ll be like “YOOOOO YOU DID IT” and then we’ll all cheer and clap and make out.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
Omg countless musicians have joined me on this journey. I don’t “hang out” with these people as much as I used to, but the people that immediately come to mind:
Taps
Chang3ling
Paul and Chris from Knife Pony
Rhyme Flow
Silva HoundWe didn’t necessarily hang out together as a group every night on Discord, but when I think of people that have always been there to push me forward and give me something to strive for and compete with, in a healthy and constructive way. Those are the names that come to mind.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Silva Hound and Alex S were the two that had the biggest impact on me and my music as a budding musician for sure. The way that their music was just at home in the club and the convention was always the blueprint for what I wanted out of my own music.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
During my early days in the fandom, Deorro’s discography was everything I could have ever wanted to be as a producer and was largely what I based my sound on.From there, Porter Robinson and Madeon both were huge inspirations for me to try experimenting with a more down-tempo, melodic palette to my music, which is where I’m still at today. If I were to ever release another album under Garnika, I would want “emotional yet danceable” to be the prevailing adjectives to my work.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Omg, working with Silva on something would be a hella cool full circle moment, Getting Odyssey’s vocals on something would be INSANE too omg. Working with Vylet would be crazy too, but holy shit, idk if I’m ready skill level-wise, ya know? Her skill is as undeniable as it is humbling.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
The Voice from Down the Street. My latest release on Garnika, it was a group project from my Bachelor’s degree that turned out WAY better than it had any business being.
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
THE VOICE FROM DOWN THE STREET. OMG. THE STORY BEHIND THAT TRACK IS INSANE.So for the group project, it was for a “history of electronic music” course I took, and we had to pick an artist to study, and then make a track inspired by that artist. We picked Porter Robinson. The professor gave us 3 weeks to work on it, but because those were the last 3 weeks of the Quarter, and we were picked to present first, that meant we had to go a week early because there were too many groups. We were unaware of this when we elected to go first.So imagine, OUR surprise, when our professor is emailing us for our project and to “be ready to present tomorrow”Panic mode ensued. This was our final, and being the irresponsible college students that we were. We had been too busy focusing on our other finals and for this project, we had nothing.So, in my group there was two teammates, let’s call them Z and A. Z was a super talented pianist, but didn’t know much about production. A was a production wiz, but was like, totally checked out of the class. We hadn’t seen him in weeks. So, at that moment, Z came over to my apartment, we knocked out the Powerpoint needed for the presentation and then began work on the track. We started at around 12 midnight and when we finally finished the track, it was like 6am. Finally it was time to sleep, I told Z to go crash on the couch while I finished uploading it to our student portal. However, when I went to hit upload….. The portal wouldn’t take the file type. It needed not an audio file, but a video file. We had to make a music video for our song, and the presentation started in less than 4 hours. Idk what possessed me in that moment, but using a bunch of stock footage from Pexels, I put together a rather emotional video to accompany the track. It was done in 3 hours, and as we’re both walking to class, I’m explaining to Z what had just transpired and that I hadn’t slept. We walked into class and Z and I were SUPER nervous. I was the only one who had seen the video and this was the big moment. Also for some reason, “A” walked in and sat next to us???? And was like “heyyyy what’d I miss” and we were like “UM A LOT.” With no time to explain, we took the stage, presented our work, and played the video. It got a standing ovation and we got a perfect score. I’ve never had a track come together like that, but it’s now one of my favorite stories to tell.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
I would honestly love to go back and remake a lot of my first projects, try to dip back into the mind’s eye I had when I was first starting and take them the rest of the way now that I’m a lot more savvy with the software, maybe even go back and give the Understanding EP a makeover, haha
What's next for you as an artist?
I’m not entirely sure! I’m really excited about Hushpuppy and where things are going with that, but I don’t think I’m completely done with Garnika either.Right now, I’m very content with playing Furry Events as Hushpuppy, and underground shows in San Diego as Garnika
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Don’t rush things. Take your time.Surround yourself with good people that appreciate you and focus on making art that you enjoy. The rest will fall into place.Your duty as an artist is to always serve your own fascinations. In doing so, you will attract likeminded individuals who enjoy what you make.
And finally, who is best pony?
Pinkie Pie. <3
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I got into the fandom in early 2013! I started out watching some fan projects I found through YouTube and from there watched the first three seasons. After that I was hooked! I started making music later that year after being inspired by many of the other fandom musicians and general creativity present in the fandom.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I started out making music themed around MLP. It was 13-year-old me, my parents laptop, and a demo version of FL studio. From there I got more gear and build my skills over the years.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
Originally my name was “Kadenza” which was a mix of the musical term Cadence, Princess Cadance, and a short lived childhood nickname. From there, I ran into some legal trouble trying to trademark the name and protect it from other people wishing to use it. So after that I decided to change to a mixture of my real name and Kadenza, John Kenza.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
My favorite concert I performed at is probably BronyCon. I really loved getting to perform for such a large crowed with such amazing energy. It truly felt like the event of a life time and will be a memory I cherish forever.
Back in 2013, you released your first track on youTube. Almost ten years later, I see your name as the headliner for almost every Brony Convention you play at - you’ve truly grown from humble origins to stellar DJ with the fandom. How has that journey been for you? What would you consider your big milestones along the way?
It’s been an amazing journey, but certainly not a fast one. In those ten years are hours and hours of practice, prep, and honing both my production and performance skills. Every convention I get to play at has been a milestone in getting to showcase all the new music I have as well as connect with an audience who appreciates all the hard work I put into trying to make the night as best as I can for them.
One of your most popular MLP songs in recent years is your collab w/ 4EverfreeBrony, “Warm”. What was it like making that with him? Anything you’d like to tell us?
Working with 4EverfreeBrony is always a joy. He is such a talented and wonderful person. Warm was a very fun track to make. The original idea was to create something similar to our first song together “Love”. Starting with that it evolved and at some point along the way 4Everfree suggested to play the guitar during the drop of the song. That turned out sounding amazing and to this day makes it one of the coolest songs I’ve gotten to work on.
Your latest work is with an original IP you created, Ryleo Goldridge. Can you tell us more about that and its influences?
Yes! Ryleo Goldridge was a project I started a while back with the idea of adding more story elements to my music. And of course, with the help of my partner Brittney Ackerman. I really wanted to share many of the cool ideas I’ve had for a long time but felt a little limited with how I had branded myself as John Kenza. Fortunately, Ryleo Goldridge has been a greatly received project and I am very happy with how it’s coming out! I still have a lot more planned for both Ryleo and John Kenza so be sure to keep an eye out!
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
Of course my partner Brittney Ackerman! And over the years I’ve made many friends. Almost every performer at these conventions I would call a friend! As for my best friends I would say Faulty, we met back in 2016 and have been very close friends ever since!
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
So many!!! Originally I was inspired by many of the early fandom producers. Tombstone, Odyssey, Aviators, I could go on and on. But even now I am always listening to Prince, 4Everfree, and a bunch more. Although these artist’s songs maybe don’t directly influence my music, I am always feel so inspired after a listen.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
Outside the fandom I am a big fan of many types of melodic music. If I were to list my inspirations, you would be here all day haha. Some notable names are Basshunter, DJ Splash, Avicii, ItaloBrothers, and so much more. A big influence of mine was also the record label NCS. I found a lot of the music I listened too throughout the years came from there as well as a lot of my music friends.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
That is such a tough question. Honestly I think a collab with PrinceWhateverer would be super cool! He has been making such amazing music lately. OH WAIT that already happened! Go check it! I guess I have to change this answer now. Hmmm, can I pick Marcus Warner? He was such an inspiration and his modern stuff is absolutely stunning. It would be a dream come true. Maybe I could convince him to make another pony song haha.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
A while back I released an EP album called Compass Rose that was loosely inspired by pony. It wasn’t branded as such but unfortunately it never got the attention I felt like it deserved. Nevertheless, I am still very proud of it!
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
Oooo probably Firelight. That song involved a lot of upsetting back and forth with Aurelleah and young me. When the song came out, I actually hated it! But as time passed, and after a few apologies to Aurelleah for the rough collab process, I began to see how many people really enjoyed the song. And seeing people enjoy it turned it into one of my favorites!
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
All of them hahah. I’m constantly improving so when I look back at a track I always hear things I wish I could have done better. But at the same time when I listen to a track I like to enjoy it for what it is!
What's next for you as an artist?
Keep going and keep growing! I don’t think I will ever stop. I love making music! I plan to keep growing Ryleo Goldridge and releasing songs and content in that format as well as the occasional John Kenza release!
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
The best advice for both of those is to do what you love and love what you do! If you love working on music and creating songs, then the rest will come naturally. The best way to grow as an artist is just make really cool stuff that people want to hear and see! And the only way to do that is to put your heart into it and it will come with time.
And finally, who is best pony?
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
2013 to both - like so many before me, I remixed Discord. Believe me, it does not hold up. ;P
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
Fan music, as it happens. While I was on the hunt for Vocaloid songs, I found a few covers of Discord, tracked it back to the original, and was amazed to find out it was based on MLP. Cue jumping down a new rabbit hole! It didn’t take me long to try out FiM and wind up enjoying it.
My fandom involvement was super limited until 2019, when I started being more active in it and making friends. It’s been a great ride ever since.
When did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills before hand?
Music was something nurtured in me from the word go. I’ve been singing and dancing since I was a tiny human, writing songs since I was 8, and composing in one form or another since I was 11; I’ve been in various vocal ensembles as well as sung solos, played clarinet in school band and community orchestra, and picked up keys, guitar, and ukulele along the way. I started producing music when I was 14 (2011) and even went to university for music production for 3 years!
My first MLP song was the aforementioned, blursed Discord remix.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
“Koa” is a moniker I’ve been using since 2015. Since then I’ve learned that it’s a Hawaiian word meaning “warrior,” as well as a kind of tree/wood, but neither of these contributed to the name. At the time, as far as I knew, it was just a “species” my first romantic partner and I thought up - we were extra clingy, so we compared ourselves to koalas and boa constrictors. Voila~
Honestly, the story behind it doesn’t hold much weight now, and it just feels like me.
As for my ponysona: I stole my husband’s OC’s color palette and rearranged it, and there she was! Her lore has changed over the years but that’s how she came to be initially.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
All of them, each for different and specific reasons. Forgive my total cop-out, but I have wonderful memories of every single performance. I’d be happy to talk about them in a different context but we’ll be here all day if I rattle them all off!
You are arguably one of the fastest-growing musicians in the more modern MLP fandom, as well as one of the leaders of the music scene. What do you think helped lead you to that level?
You might be surprised at just how strong the compulsion to create can be. That alone has made my active time in the fandom fly by, because I've spent so much time just making.
As creations often do, mine happened to forge connections between me and other creators, and from those friendships even more creations came to be, and on it goes. It's not entirely explainable and yet it seems so simple, but either way, I'm thriving, happy, grateful, and so thrilled that I get to be a part of driving creators forward, especially in these new eras of the fandom.
To the Nines was undeniably the song that put you on the map, but your latest album, Rainbow Disaster Pop, is one of the most killer albums last year. What was it like shifting from normal pop into HYPER pop? Anything more you want to say about your work?
A simple YOINK of the tempo knob and you’re there! (Joke)
I appreciate the kind comments!
As I listened to more hyperpop going into 2022, I noticed that it seemed to place an emphasis less on polish and more on just doing the damn thing. Coincidentally, it wound up being a great outlet for me to try new things, think a little less, and simply have a good time.
That on its own describes the essence of what music is for me, especially with the added, delightful blessing of being able to connect with other people over it.
How did you meet General Mumble & join CreatureCore (formerly Mumble Etc.)?
Mumble and I met via Twitter in 2018 when we followed each other on the platform. I’d enjoyed his work for years so I chatted him up about how he made music. Soon enough we were gabbing all the time and, well… the rest is history. ;)
There seems to be a plethora of songs that you’ve either collaborated on or lent your voice to sing (especially for the Ponies at Dawn tracks). How many songs do you think you’ve sung on thus far?
I believe in terms of songs I’ve sung on that I didn’t produce myself, we’re in the 20s. If I have any say in it that number will go up very soon though…
In addition to being known for your music, you have a considerable following for your visual art! How do you manage the balance between art and music?
I don’t!
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
I’m blessed to be able to share my creative passions with so many wonderful people I couldn’t possibly name them all in a concise manner.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Always. Rawrity and MathematicPony have been on repeat for me in particular over the last year or so and each have inspired me massively.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
Recently I've most gravitated towards dance pop (which is a broader style than some might realize!), so I frequent Spotify’s curated playlists adjacent to that style to keep finding new stuff. That said though my listening habits (and therefore my influences/inspirations) are eclectic to say the least. Pirate metal, Vocaloid, video game OSTs, Eurovision, there’s something for everyone in my music collection, and everything impacts me in some way, whether consciously or otherwise.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
JJ Gerber. Hitch has PIPES dawg.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
I Was Bored.
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
[Response not obtained]
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
[Response not obtained]
What's next for you as an artist?
I have multiple album concepts rattling around in my brain that will hopefully start to see the light of day in the near future. I think I could also use a nap though.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Don’t wait, start now. YouTube is your best friend even for incredibly niche music questions/tutorials. Create what you want because you want to and cherish the engagement in art that you can share with your peers.
And finally, who is best pony?
[Response not obtained]
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I think I found out about MLP in 2012 when I saw it on Know Your Meme of all places! I watched the first episode and just kept watching. I lurked, but I didn't really get into the fandom until 2018 when I started going to (and performing at) conventions.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I started making music in 2012 too, but it was mostly just a coincidence. I got into it when I watched a YouTube video called DUBSTEP GUNS and thought the music was pretty cool, and I found out that the artists used Ableton Live, so I downloaded the trial and have been using it ever since (I bought it eventually, though).
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
The very first track I made using the name loophoof was an EDM remix that was basically just all loops, and the name stuck! It’s catchy.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
My favorite concert as a solo performer was at HarmonyCon 2022. The HarmonyCon AV team always kills it; I can always trust them to help bring my vision to life. And I got to play my visuals on big, bright LED walls. I love LED walls.My favorite concert overall was with NeverLastStanding at Everfree Northwest last year. I love working with NLS, he always puts in 100%, and since that concert was the last time we'd perform together as a B2B (at least for now), I tried to make it like a movie, taking the audience through a journey. It even has credits and a "post-credits scene."
One of the staples of your performances is ending with your epic Nightmare moon track. Will we ever see that song officially released? Anything else you’d like to tell us about it?
The song is actually already released! It's 478,000 Miles (Shining Forth). I do play a special live edit that I don't plan on releasing any time soon. People just gotta go to my concerts to hear it (or watch the concerts on YouTube).
How did you get into performing on the launchpad?
I actually use my Launchpad to make the vocal chops in my songs! You can have Ableton cut up an audio file and put each piece in each button basically, and I just press random buttons until I hear something I like. What I do on stage is me going through that creative process live, I just already figured out what sounds cool.
A couple of years ago now, you and Koa hosted a remix competition for “Pull Over (Siren Song).” What started that ball rolling and why did you end up picking that song over others?
Koa just asked me if I wanted to do a remix competition for our song, and I said I was down! I'm glad we did it, people made such good music for it.
You have been performing with NLS at cons like EFNW for the last 4 years straight, and since you're doing it one more time at Harmony this year, that will make it five years of performing together. How did you meet NLS and end up becoming an unstoppable duo?
It was a while ago, but I think NLS commented on one of my videos, and I checked out his music and loved it. I was stuck on a song and decided to hit him up to collab on it, and that's how Have Here was made. I don't remember how we started doing shows together, but I think I messaged him saying it'd be cool if we did a show together, and so we did at Everfree Northwest 2019!
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
Just whoever enjoys my company, really! I find myself hanging out with the other EDM musicians and Step 2 Harmony oftentimes. I think they enjoy my company. I hope they do.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
What I try to do with my music as loophoof is combine two things that I like a lot: EDM and MLP vocal chops. Someone who does MLP vocal chops beautifully is SoGreatandPowerful. I also love PinkiePieSwear, Aftermath, and Assertive Fluttershy.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
I'm super duper proud of my song Shining Forth. I wanted to tell the story of Princess Luna with a song, and I feel like I did just that, and it ended up being eight minutes long.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
1. Just have fun with it! Whether it gets 100 views or 100,000 views, you'll win either way.2. Don't get too caught up in if something you made is good enough. Even if you don't like it, there's bound to be someone who does, so just upload it. And don't take it down. Too many of the songs I love have been taken down because the person who made it thought it was bad. And it makes me sad every time.3. Don't get caught up in thinking there's no point in making music if you're not as good as someone else, either. Because you're a unique individual, only you can make the music you make, no one else can make the music you would make. Tell your story. Or make club bangers, whatever you wanna do.
And finally, who is best pony?
PRINCESS LUNA
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
Back in the late oughts, I was a frequenter of Memebase a.k.a. I Can Haz Cheezburger and I noticed that ponies started showing up on some of the pages I liked. One day I saw that they got their own page and thought “What is happening?!” Upon a quick google search, I found out it caught on heavily with men aged 18-35. Being 19 at the time, I knew it was inevitable I was going to like the show, so I called up a friend (he was playing football in college at the time) and asked if he would watch My Little Pony with me (if it was bad, we could laugh at it together and it would feel less weird). On a fateful night in the summer of 2011, we watched Friendship is Magic: Part 1 and 22 minutes later the screen flashed saying “To Be Continued”. We looked at each other and agreed…keep going.Soon after the YouTube recommendations started pushing videos like Friendship is Magic Bitch, Sunshine & Celery Stalks, and the .MOV series. This lead to sites like Equestria Daily and I was ingrained in the fandom.My first convention was Canterlot Gardens in Strongsville, Ohio in 2012. I think everyone remembers how transcending their first con experience is, and mine came at a time when I really needed to see good in humanity and feel connected to others. Nowhere was that more apparent than the concert where I first heard songs that would go on to be some of my all-time favorites like The Party Hasn’t Ended by P1K, Millennium Alone by Cyril the Wolf, and especially Great to be Different by Forest Rain (always and forever my #1!) I remember standing in that audience and thinking “man I wish I could help others to feel the way I do right now by performing like that”. 3 years later I finally had everything necessary and I decided to start chasing a dream!Fun bonus fact – there’s video out there from the end of Michelle Creber’s set at Canterlot Gardens where you can see me yell “I love you Michelle!” which sets off a giant line of people getting hugs from her. Even now I still feel a bit starstruck from that!
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I played trumpet in grade school through high school. Then I picked up guitar around 2008 because I got so good at Guitar Hero 2, one of my musically inclined friends asked why I didn’t just play real guitar. So I said “alright” and started taking lessons.
I lightly wrote lyrics here and there as well as putting guitar chords to them for a while. The first song I ever finished was an acoustic track I wrote in 2010 based on The Fox and the Hound. As college continued, I wrote more and more, including the songs that would go on to become One Day and Luna’s Dream and My World Exploded . In 2011 I wrote lyrics to a song I’d really like to bring back at some point. It was called “Soar Past Lightning” as a dreamer’s ode to Rainbow Dash always shooting for her goals. I transitioned to primarily pony music in 2015 when I decided to dedicate myself to becoming an established pony musician.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
The ponysona came first. In 2011 I was playing around with the historic OC creator tool everyone used in the 2010s. I figured my OC should be my favorite color and made his hair the same brown as my own. Weirdly, many fandom guitarists would also go on to use this formula (P1K, MelodyBrony, 4EverfreeBrony to name a few). When I decided to start recording and releasing fandom music, I was working as an actuary at a health insurance company. I’m not a big proponent of office work (or the insurance industry as a whole) and wanted something totally opposite of my day job. In the world of statistics, there isn’t really “good luck” or “bad luck”, just distributions with percentiles. I decided to combine the concept of “luck” with the genre of music I wanted to make “pop-punk”. It came down to “Luck Rock” or “Punk Luck”. I think most people agree, Luck Rock sounds better
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Oh man. My first thought is the one I wasn’t really supposed to be in. In 2018, Ponyville Ciderfest put on The Big Music Convention Celebration and my idol, Forest Rain was performing. Coincidently, I had just purchased a Derpy fursuit and my favorite song was a Forest Rain song about her. I wore the fursuit to Forest’s performance and had no idea she was going to ask the crowd if anyone knew Derpy’s part. Immediately Derpy’s arm shot up and I started jumping up and down. Thankfully no one else volunteered and Forest called me up where I got to sing my favorite part of my favorite fandom song with my favorite fandom artist. Absolutely surreal. After the song, I came offstage to a couple of my longtime friends freaking out. They helped me get the head off and I remember saying “What just happened? I blacked out for 6 minutes”.
Your most popular track on youtube is “I Can Have Mr. Cake and Eat Him Too” - anything you’d like to tell us about it?
It’s incredible how much the words “(featuring General Mumble)” will do for views XDThe story of that song was at HarmonyCon 2020 on the musicians’ panel, someone asked about a song we wanted to write, but hadn’t. I talked about how I had been sitting on that song title for years and never came up with any lyrics to do it justice. Someone suggested I make it for Valentine’s Day (the following Friday) and I said “Challenge accepted!”I wrote the song on the Monday after the con. Recorded the guitar on Tuesday, but had throat issues after the con for weeks and couldn’t sing. I was talking to Koa about the issue and she asked why I didn’t have Mumble sing it. I was blown away that he’d want to work with me at the time, but he had fun with it and really knocked it out of the park. It’s always a fun one to bring out from time to time and see where the line is.
More recently, you dropped an EP called “B-List Brony” Anything you’d like to share about that album?
There have been many, many times in my decade as a brony musician where a project I put together doesn’t live up to my own expectations and I hit a point where I consider giving up because achieving certain benchmarks feels unreachable. One such time was right after Between the Stars and the Sea failed to get on Ponies at Dawn: Oceansong (This was far from my first song that fell short of the P@D cutoffs). I had already been going through a very rough time (listen to the track – I think it’s pretty apparent) and fell apart for a couple months. Eventually, I came around, as I always do, and decided to try some new strategies. My driving inspiration at the time was sort of a dig at how I would unfairly compare myself to other fandom musicians and hold myself back. That idea was to say to myself, “I don’t need to be a famous musician. I can be happy with my own work and still share it”. In other words, I don’t need to be an A-Lister. I can just be a B-List Brony.Plus, I mean, come on – how fun is that to say?
Also I noticed More Pinkie Pie is 3:14 in length, was that intentional?
OMG I didn’t even realize that. That’s art right there.
I made that song in 2018 when the old Toastbeard competition came back for one week. I sat on it for soooo long before finding the right place to drop it.
You frequently perform in many different super-band like groups - what has that been like? Any particular bands jump out to you for one reason or another?
You know, in 2016 and 2017 (which is when I really started going to a lot of brony conventions), you’d almost never see a band. I’d talk to some of the old-timers who told me how in the early days they‘d all play for each other so they all had bands. I really wanted to do something like that so I could play in a full band instead of to backing tracks.
Then you hit 2018/2019 and suddenly there’s a huge influx of new musicians getting on stage and there’s not enough room for a lot, so to fit in more people, super bands became a useful tool for stacking up a lineup. The BronyCon 2019 Superband really showed me the creative possibilities of how so many instrumentalists could come together and became a blueprint for other groups I’d get to play in. Maerstrom is definitely the craziest one I’ve been a part of (Thrack, Canto Acrylic, General Mumble, Jesh P.K. and me). It’s such a variety of different styles and talents that we end up with a pretty unique act due to each persons’ contributions. My favorite part so far has been writing a song together.
Thrack brought up this idea that someone write like 8-16 measures of something and then someone else would add parts onto it and then someone else would add to it. We started with a guitar progression Canto wrote and ended up with Strom the Castle which is on the HarmonyCon 2025 concert album. The bulk of the instrumental came together when Thrack, Mumble, and I all hung out in Mumble’s studio and kept pitching dumber and dumber ideas (play a recorded badly, have a metal breakdown, put the breakdown in 7/8 time except for two measures where it goes to 8 because we gotta put a goose honk in, have an obscure EDM drop early in the song, etc.) I genuinely think it is the dumbest song I’ve ever heard and I still laugh every time I listen to it because of how ridiculous it ended up.
In addition to being a musician, you also do quite a lot to support the musician community, from hosting weekly music nights in your discord, to annually putting together a top 100 tracks of the year, to keeping track of all music that comes out this year, to running Horse Music Herald. How do you find time to do so much to give back to the fandom?
Those are all things I gradually started over the years. Part of my strategy for growing as a fandom musician was to take every opportunity to network with other musicians and the like. By random chance, I ended up putting on a panel at TrotCon 2017 to talk about some of the newer fandom music I had heard recently – that was how Modern Brony Music was born. That panel got me invited to Horse Music Herald where for a couple years I would be one of the more active writers which got me promoted to editor staff. During that time, ExplodingPonyToast (Equestria Daily music writer/promoter from 2015-2017 and HMH editor) would make his own Top 100 of the year. Once he stopped doing that, I was sad there wasn’t an annual playlist out there for other people to conveniently find new, great tracks so I decided to make one. It’s a ton of work, but I really enjoy it!
Once the show ended, I created my server (originally called Horsing Around, now firmly The Jar) so that anybody who wanted to watch the show – be it to catch up or just to enjoy it again – would never have to watch alone. During the pandemic, I had time to actually listen to all of the fandom music again and instead of doing it alone, we realized that it would be better if multiple music fans could hang out in a voice chat while we all casually listen to the new stuff. That continued to grow into what is now our weekly music night. A lot of my fandom journey started out of the idea that “this would be better if I had friends here with me.”
Initially I only wrote down the songs I thought might qualify for my top 100, but after doing a Modern Brony Music panel at Everfree Northwest in 2021, it became apparent that there was use for some way to actually keep track of all the songs coming out and thus, Luck’s Brony Music Tracking spreadsheet was born
Each of these things is helpful to people in some capacity, so I keep doing them. The music fans should be able to find new songs they’ll love and the musicians should be discovered by the people who will love their work!
In addition to being a musician, and a supporter of musicians, you also run many of the MLP conventions as music lead, the department head of events, or even vice chair. What has it been like stepping into those roles and filling some big shoes?
What’s crazy is I remember being at EverfreeNorthwest 2018 and thinking to myself “I bet I could be on convention staff…but then I wouldn’t get to just freely enjoy the cons” and thinking I’d never aim to help out. A couple months later, TrotCon (my home convention) needed help with their concert and so I volunteered to shoulder some of the load. Shortly after, Ponyville Ciderfest announced the big celebration of music for their theme and I contacted their staff to say “Hey I actively promote and listen to all the fandom music – I think I should help” and I was accepted to help judge applications and run the Apple Orchard side stage. The music lead at the time was BluNoseReindeer who was looking to move on and recommended me to take over, so Con Chair Charlie reached out and I became music lead for Whinny City and Ciderfest. Around the same time, HarmonyCon was getting ready to launch their first convention and the chairs approached me to lead their concert as well (my first official concert lead position). I was happy to give it a shot and couldn’t be prouder of how much ColtChella has grown from there! As the pandemic started, I got brought in to help out with BABScon, Everfree Northwest, and PonyFest Online so at my peak I had a hand in every major US convention concert! So much for “I could probably do this….”
Stepping into that role, especially in so many places for so many people was daunting because this fandom has always had a tremendous music scene and storied concerts. Since I had made many connections through Horse Music Herald, I had a number of people I could ask for advice to make sure the lineups I put together were of good quality and sometimes even get ideas I would never have thought of (shoutout to EPT for suggesting the TCB x Nevermourn b2b of PVCF 2019!)
I held con concerts to the highest regard as that’s where I really learned how much music can touch people and help them turn things around for the better. I knew that if that was going to continue to have a future,
1) I would need to keep up with the music scene so I would know who is active, of a performing quality, and relevant
2) New names needed to be cycled in so that there would continue to be variety and every concert wasn’t just the same
3) Giving musicians a chance to grow would be beneficial in the long-term (my goodness look at MelodyBrony now. Can you imagine if he hadn’t been given chances to perform in 2019/2020?)
During the pandemic, I picked up extra staff positions as PR for HarmonyCon, TrotCon, and PonyFest Online. Coming out of the pandemic, Charlie needed someone to replace Vivid Syntax as programming director for Whinny City and Ciderfest (Vivid is still around – he just went on to get married and start a beautiful family) and my old mantra of taking every opportunity to network and even hopefully impact other bronies for the better was still in place so I stepped up to that role. Thankfully, this made it easy to foster in newer musician leads like Koa and help Pinkaboo transition back into running concerts again so that I didn’t have a monopoly on the scene (but could still determine how much time the concerts get mwahahahahaha). It’s important to have multiple perspectives and allow the concerts to change and adapt. It is my opinion that Koa puts together a better ColtChella than I did and ColtChella 1, 2, and 3 were giant highlights of my time as concert lead. It’s actually crazy that the only concert I’m in charge of now is TrotCon!
At every level from concert grunt (PVCF 2018 I reported to the people who reported to the concert lead) all the way up to HarmonyCon vice chair, I would always remind myself of that first pony concert I went to and how meaningful it was to me, and that the goal is to give as many others as I can a chance to have that experience. I think that’s really how anyone should step into big shoes.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
It changes a lot over time. Back in 2016/2017 my original group was DoTheDaringDew and Crusader!. We’re all still great friends now, though my current brigade comprises of Evershade (who runs Top Brony Music on YouTube), Koa & Mumble (my roomates), BlueBrony, and Thrack & MelodyBrony who I get to visit every so often to hang out. Honestly I think I have to set a cutoff because there are easily 20 more names I could put down for musicians who mean a lot to me that I could reach out to at any moment for just about anything!
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
I mean, I have to say Forest Rain first. Deep, emotional pop-punk and then later a bigger range of metal and showtune-style music is everything I aspire to make! I think I draw the most inspiration from musicians who are able to infuse an emotion so strongly into their music that everyone feels it whether or not it is in a style they prefer. These are people like BlueBrony, loophoof, SlightlyAmiss & Acouste Wholenote (please come back I adore your later work like no one else!!!!), PrinceWhateverer, Jyc Row, and Direct Current.
I’m just realizing now that even a question about who inspires my work has become an opportunity for me to promote more fandom music that I think is just really really good and everyone should go look up right now!!!!
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
Early on I wanted to model my performances loosely off of my favorite band, Blink-182. If you’ve ever seen them live, they banter mindlessly between songs and I think it’s hilarious. There’s something charming and authentic about friends just messing around while performing. I also draw from a lot of theatrical experience as I often try to add gimmicks into my sets. My favorite is when I get to break out marching cymbals and play The Supreme Leader of All Things Pony – I got that idea from a Christian music festival of all places. Another big one is the band Lordi. I used to be a huge Eurovision fan and when they won in 2006, Mr. Lordi did a stunt in the bridge of the song where huge demon wings unfolded from behind him and spread out. I thought that was so cool and eventually commissioned Crackle’s Cousin Cosplay to make my OC wings with a motor so I could do the same thing during Altius Volantis! Also I have a Trixie hat.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Hooo I feel like I gotta choose carefully – that’s potentially a huge opportunity! I think I’d go with FritzyBeat – they have a magically beautiful voice and manage to make music that you feel on a spiritual level. Just an absolute talent!
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
I constantly go back and listen to Pony Holiday and am amazed that I made that. To me it’s just a really solid, tight track. I made it on a last minute whim for a DustCar competition and then spent a few days afterward polishing it. I think it’s really fun and unique for a holiday song.
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
Haha alright let’s go with Pipp Song (ft. Brittney Ackerman). Coming out of my slump which would turn into B-List Brony, I decided to start with a silly, simplistic song to get back in the production mindset. This was early on into G5 when the first specials and episodes were coming out, and I noticed Pipp was getting a good-sized following online. I don’t have anything against her, but I didn’t really understand why she would be anyone’s favorite character – like how do you relate super well with her? I put the question out on Twitter as an authentic “not judging, just curious – what makes her so special to you” and almost every answer was to the tune of “she’s small” and “she’s cute”. That was kind of anti-climactic to me, and a great punchline is one that you build up and then make it super underwhelming.
Blink-182 has a song on the album California called Brohemian Rhapsody that’s just a 30 second instrumental that goes pretty hard and then a dumb punchline. If you listen to Pipp Song and Brohemian Rhapsody, it’s a pretty obvious inspiration, and one I’m really glad we were able to actually do live with Maerstrom at Ciderfest last year! We even made a dumb video to introduce it like a Twilight Zone mystery.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
I keep thinking about remastering Crowd Pleaser, but haven’t been hit with the right inspiration for what to add to it. The same goes for You Are a Princess where it was originally longer with more 6/4 time. I think I will actually go back and re-do one of the first songs I produced on my own (and thus, had no idea what I was doing). It was about Moondancer and called I Never Thought That We’d End Up Here. I wrote it while getting an MRI (90 minutes in a loud, clanging machine will make your head wander).
What's next for you as an artist?
I have a massive list of ideas and WIPs. I keep telling myself I’m going to work on them and sometimes I even make a little progress. My hope is that I’ll get back to a place where I’m consistently making music, if only because I want to and not to put any self-value into it. One idea I had is to take some of my really negative experiences that pushed me away from making music and turn them into songs. I would like to have one friend appear on each track so as to take something bad and turn it into something good through friendship. I’m also very close to being done with a parody of Stan by Eminem. Will it work? I dunno, but I’m going for it.
I have a couple cool ideas for my live performances that I’m almost definitely going to get to implement this year so be on the lookout for new shenanigans onstage!
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
If you want to make music for the fandom, do it because you want to make music and not because you want to be famous. I’ve seen enough people who start out thinking super highly of themselves and when they don’t get treated like a superstar, they throw a big fit and rub everyone else the wrong way. Make music because you like making music.
Now if you have that as a foundation and you’d still like to grow in popularity (and honestly, who doesn’t?), then there’s a few things I recommend.
1) Keep making and releasing music. It doesn’t have to be perfect – it never will be. Just put in as much effort as you reasonably can and when you’re burned out on minimal tweaks, look to wrap it up and get it out there.
2) Always strive to keep growing and improving. There’s always something you could improve on or new ideas that could compliment what you’re already making. Keep your eyes open and your work ethic strong.
3) Work with other musicians. This helps you grow by getting different perspectives in your tracks and forcing you to build off of something you wouldn’t normally write. It also is great for networking and maybe even making more friends.
4) Never be afraid to ask for help, opinions, QA on tracks, or anything. Communicating with other musicians is a great way to stay relevant to them, build networks, and improve. Musicians LOVE any chance to talk about their processes and songs. Listen to them.
And finally, who is best pony?
I wasn’t joking. I WOULD DIE FOR ZIPP
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
It was in 2011, my friend had me watch the first arc. I was rather incredulous, and after the first
episode, said, “OK so then they spend the rest of the season hunting down all the Elements of
Harmony, right?”
My friend said, “Haha no. They find all the Elements in episode 2, and spend the rest of the
season partying!”
I was thoroughly intrigued. Several episodes later, and I was thoroughly hooked. By the end of
the season my life was changed.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I grew up learning piano, and played a ton of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, which I really do think
helped hone my musical sense.
The first song I ever released was Saddle Arabia, published March 24, 2013, made entirely from
chopped up Apple Loops in Logic Pro. Incidentally, it’s the second song I ever made from
scratch, if you can even consider Apple Loops scratch!
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
The origin of the name is a secret ;) My ponysona, Mathie, sort of evolved from various
interpretations from different friends of mine, like a game of visual telephone. It was none other
than Chi Chi herself who drew the very first iteration of her, though she probably doesn’t
remember.
I picked the colors by rendering the text “Mathie” at low resolution, scaling it up, and color
sampling from the anti-aliased pixels. So, I like to think I evoked the colors from the space
between light and dark :)
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Of the 6 performances I’ve done, definitely Everfree Northwest 2016. I really found my voice as
a live performer with that one. Incidentally, it involved completely abandoning my own original
musical pursuits, and instead embracing the chaotic energy of a wild party, and curating a wild
and ridiculous setlist of trap, anime, hip hop, and some very deep cuts.
I played my own (heavy, dour) music at my very first set, Running of the Leaves Con 2014, and
it went extremely poorly. However, immediately after, I also played a full length tribute set to
Aoshi, who had to drop on short notice, and the crowd loved it. I learned an important lesson
that night: ponies love to party.
A significant amount of your work has been done with And The Rainfall. How did the two of you start working together?
I cold-messaged her a fan letter after releasing Crooked, thanking her for her amazing music
and gushing about how her works inspired me. She graciously read my letter, listened to the
song, added me on Skype, and we have been friends ever since! She is absolutely wonderful,
all of my love to her.
One of your significant projects is the “Tampopo Tempo” Project. How did that project come to be & is there anything you like to talk about regarding it?
That’s another secret ;) But I hope there are people whom it speaks to, especially people who
feel trapped in spiral of darkness, and who can find some sort of healing from it.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
I feel very fortunate to kept a few friends those wild days. I’m excited to see some of them in
person this weekend!
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Absolutely, too many to name them all of course, but besides ATR, I’d be really happy if more
people listened to Maddie Tourmaline, Le Soldat Pony, Flutter Rex, Dr. Dycer, and Clippity Clop
by Psychedelic Brony
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
Lot’s of progressive rock like Rush, Pink Floyd, Tool. Some more eclectic artists like Baths and
The Gorillaz. A bit of N.W.A., Snoop Dogg. My soul was shaped by My Chemical Romance, The
Used, and A.F.I
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
That would be Le Soldat Pony, for sure. We crossed paths a few times, but never made music
together, alas. I hope they are living a wonderful life!
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
I think Art Fonseca sang absolutely beautifully on Rarity † Fluttershy: I. Toils, II. You and I, and
And The Rainfall really pulled out all the stops for The End Of The World. I tried singing it myself
too!
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
ごめん、ひみつ です。
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
Crooked deserves a lot better than what I could give it at the time. However, Tourmaline already
made a wonderful reimagination of it, and I lack the confidence to try my hoof at it again.
What's next for you as an artist?
Have you played Plague Friend’s Deathly Journey yet?!
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
If you want to start making music, start! If you want to grow in your popularity, stop!
And finally, who is best pony?
I’m afraid that’s another sec— no, it’s obviously Pinkie Pie.
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I joined the MLP Fandom back in 2016, and started making music in 2019I actually got into it from my younger sister! She would watch the show occasionally, and when I was able to catch it, I became addicted
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I used to be in a few bands in middle school and stuff and learned some musical and production skills from recording and writing songs for my channel little by little lol.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
My name comes from me being a brony (obviously lol) and really liking songs with Melodic elements to them particularly in metal and rock music. My OC kinda represents me with the long curly brownish mane and tail and being a Pegasus so he can play instruments with his wings!
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Definitely HarmonyCon 2024, the crowd was insane, and that’s where we started MLR, which has been one of the most rewarding and fun projects I have ever been a part of.
You started making music for the My Little Pony fandom relatively late in the game, yet you are considered one of the staples of the rock/metal scene. What do you think helped you achieve this feat?
I really try to aim on being consistent with my music and upload schedule, always finding new ways to make my music better and improve my production.
My personal favorite Melody Brony song is SOVEREIGN! Would you like to tell us more it and what it’s like to work together in collaboration with musicians like Prince Whateverer and Blackened Blue?
Sovereign actually was inspired by Biscuits show at HarmonyCon, seeing the way the crowd reacted to more heavier genres of music really inspired me to start writing more heavy tracks. The collaborative part was pretty fast tbh lol, I needed some vocal harmonies so my go to guy for those is blackened, and there is a place where I can post my work for feedback and Prince had some awesome ideas which ended up turning into a collaboration lol
Based on some of your earlier work, it seems that you’ve always had a diversity of vocalists/other musicians collaborate with you & your work, especially with your tracks off of “Origins.” For a lot of smaller or new musicians, this seems like a dream to collaborate with so many talented & well-known musicians (such as PrinceWhateverer, General Mumble, 4everfreebrony, Luck Rock, Shadez, Cyril the Wolf, etc.). How did you end up collaborating with everybody back then, especially when it seems you weren’t that big of a name at that point?
Honestly, just not being be afraid to reach out to people and also form connections. The worst someone can say is no, but it definitely helps to have some content to show for it. I reached out with a track to show and see if it peaked their interest.
On the topic of collaboration, it seems that these days, you and PrinceWhateverer are basically inseparable together. What’s it like working with him (especially with projects such as My Little Romance and Dawnseekers)?
Prince is one of the most authentic and hard working people I know. We tend to work really well together since our music and production styles are so similar, at least I think LOL. I also consider him one of my best and closest friends, and I always really appreciate it when we are able to work on something together.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
I do have around 2 groups I'm most active in, but tbh we are like one big group. I do consider most of these people my close friends, so it's more like a close friend group than just a circle of musicians, a lot of these musicians do perform at cons though.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Its no secret Prince is a huge inspiration, but also dBPony has been a big source of inspiration lately, his musicianship is truly unmatched.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
I definitely do! Some of my biggest ones right now are: Bring me to the horizon, set it off, pierce the vale, Panic at the disco, and architects but I am probably missing a few 😅.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Collaborating with more electronic musicians could be cool!
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
Bitter end is a track that I released quite recently, and while it didn’t perform badly, I still think its overlooked against my other songs in the same topic
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
Probably one last show, it feels kinda rushed and I think I could have perfected it if I had more time.
What's next for you as an artist?
Just gonna keep on pushing and chugging along with more releases and cons, and hopefully more bangers for y'all to enjoy 💙
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Don't be afraid to release or create, trust me when I say that alot of your favorite fandom musicians first ever tracks probably weren't amazing but it was the progress that mattered. Just keep on creating and trust your ear, not everything is going to be perfect and sometimes you can actually embrace that, don't be afraid to ask for constructive criticism and if you want to work with somebody it never hurts to reach out!
And finally, who is best pony?
Twilight!
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I originally got into My Little Pony around mid 2011, during the hiatus between Seasons 1 and 2. If you can believe it, my first music for the fandom was in something called the Pony Swag megamix, which was basically a bunch of bronies rapping about how much they enjoyed the show. I remember we messaged each other over email at that point. My microphone was the default mic on my laptop. After that I did a couple more songs where I rapped before I ended up writing my first solo song a little after the second season premiere. It was an acoustic piano song themed around Discord called I Remember, and it was the first song I wrote entirely on my own in my life. It was through working on these songs that I realized how much I loved writing pieces that told a story, that had an emotional arc and ended in a different place than they started. I still carry that now. I've definitely improved a lot as a songwriter since then but I really cherish those early days.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
As I said, My Little Pony represented my first time making music. I was a senior in High School in 2011 and I had already been playing piano since I was a little kid, and I performed with school choirs and even an a-capella group for a few years. It really gave me a lot of the initial experience I needed to get started, but there's definitely a very choir-singer vibe to my early songs that has since faded as I've moved a bit more towards pop. I think what My Little Pony gave me that I loved was, as I mentioned, the chance to tell a story with my music, which is an instinct I've always had. It's why fandom music has such an appeal to me.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
Ohhh, boy. So, Metajoker was a monicker I started using for online platforms as basically a throwaway, including my empty YouTube channel, and when I put out songs I basically just said "eh, maybe a few people will hear this. I'll put it on my channel and that'll be fine!" As a result, I've been Metajoker, or Meta, for the last 14 years. It's definitely grown on me but I think I probably would have picked a more fitting name for my brand now. Also, since I started with rap, Metajoker felt pretty fitting, whereas my more acoustic vibe now feels a bit softer. I've started going by Ari Noble on a lot of my stuff now too, but Metajoker will always be a part of who I am, name-wise. As for my ponysona, it was basically "hey, I'm Middle Eastern and kind of tan, make my pony tan. I have black hair, give him black hair. I have brown eyes, give him brown eyes. I play piano, make him a unicorn so he can magic the keys down. I play piano, call him Arpeggio!" But since then my sona has evolved and become more and more fitting to me beyond surface level appearance. I really like Arpeggio! I also came out as nonbinary since joining the fandom which has definitely altered the way I see my sona, and myself, which has been super cool.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
I've loved every concert I've performed at. I've been lucky enough to not really have any rough experiences, and the cons in the brony fandom have been really welcoming. One of the things I cherish about this community is not only its appreciation for musicians, but for acoustic stuff, which is not always common on the internet. I doubt another fandom would have given a pianist such a rewarding and incredible opportunity. In terms of my own performance, I unironically think every single performance has been better than the last one as I've gained experience and confidence, so my most reason in-person con at Harmonycon 2025 was probably my most proud personal performance. Getting to come back into the con scene after 2020 has been so gratifying and seeing the community blossom has been incredible. Pinkaboo’s Neighhem is such a significant event all its own because this feels like an evolution where the musicians come together beyond cons to put on a show. I hope this can really evolve into something special.
Can you tell us a little bit more about your most viewed song on YouTube, “Sight For Sore Eyes”?
I always heard from musicians throughout the years that their most popular songs was not at all what they expected, and that happened to me here, too. I really love the song, but when I was writing it it didn't particularly feel like "the one", you know? It helps that 4EverfreeBrony is an absolutely incredible musician and he helped bring it to life in such a big way. He nailed the Two Door Cinema Club vibe I was aiming for. But yeah, when it was released it really struck a chord with people, which meant a lot because the lyrics are a bit more nebulous and vague than I typically write, and I didn't really expect it to make such a connection. But it was a real learning experience, too! Realizing that I'm allowed to write in these, I guess you'd call it "artsy" ways and try things out and people would respond to it gave me a ton of confidence as I developed as a songwriter. It's a convention mainstay for sure!
Looking at your discography, it looks like you frequently work with other musicians, where you serve as the singer and songwriter and your collaborator provides their genre expertise, be it acoustic or electronic. Was there ever a genre you wish you could have explored with a collaborator?
God, I love collaborating. I like making music on my own, but I've always been more of a songwriter than a producer, which are definitely two distinct skillsets. Collaborating is a lot of fun, whether it's as a musician or writer, because you are not just creating something from your own experience - you're combining that experience with a different person's artistic insights and history, and every collaboration is an entirely different combination of abilities. I've loved every single collaboration I've done. In terms of genres, I really want to do more pop. Just unapologetic pop. Hyperpop, too. A lot of my stuff tends to veer acoustic, rock, or into EDM, so pop is an area that I've had light experience with and want to explore more! I've had multiple incredible collaborations with 4EverfreeBrony which also helped me evolve my work and push myself to new heights. I'm also looking into some music projects in the near future that are EXTREMELY exciting, so stay tuned for those!
In addition to being a musician, you’re also a comic writer and editor. How are those two artistic disciplines similar, and how do they contrast?
I appreciate this question! It was really fun to dive into writing webcomics (I write a comic called Mothorial and co-write one called Tamberlane, both with absolutely incredible artists. Shoutout to IzzySqueakzy and Caytlin Vilbrandt). Like I said, storytelling is something I already love about fandom music, so it felt like a natural extention in some ways. There's a band called The Decemberists whose frontman Colin Meloy went on to write a young adult fantasy series, and you could totally see why. All of his songs and albums tend to tell stories and create worlds. I always wanted to try that as someone who loved writing as a kid, and comic writing has given me a chance to expand my writing ability (which I think has helped me as a songwriter, too) and even incorporate music into my webcomics. Like, there's this graphic novel called Trent (huge content warning: it's REALLY dark) that is literally a musical where you get a CD with the book which you play along while reading to hear the songs that the characters are singing in the comic panels. Stuff like that excites me. I think people tend to think of music as a very "moving" medium, something for concerts and movies, and finding a way to bring it into literature is just so cool. I think of writing as the second love of my life along with music. I couldn't imagine letting either of them go. In terms of contrasting, music is definitely a more immediately rewarding art form. You write a demo, you can send it to people, get feedback, play it for people...When you're writing a comic or something it's like "let them cook" a bit. You gotta find confidence in what you're doing because sometimes it can take a VERY long time to get real feedback, and that feedback can be really, really complex.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
I'm, and it shocks me to even think of this, really, a bit of an oldie in the fandom. All the musicians were pretty tight back in the very early days since there weren't that many of us. Like, these were back in the days when the Living Tombstone, Mic the Microphone, Woodentoaster, IBringDaLulz, all of those old school juggernauts, were also in the email threads and literally everyone was just kind of figuring things out. When we moved to Skype there was definitely a bit of a peer-group-ification as people found "their people", and I had my core group I was friends with, but I was lucky enough to have a pretty positive experience with most of the musicians in the community at large. Most of the people I was close to back in the day have since moved on from the MLP scene or from music entirely, but then I started meeting the musicians who started in the mid 2010s, and everyone has been just so welcoming and sweet. To list names would take too long and I would be afraid of missing someone, but I'd say that what has always felt really special about this community is that it doesn't feel split into "The Acoustic Side" and "The Electronic Side" like you might think. It feels like a family, an ever growing and changing family of warm and friendly people sharing their work with each other and the community. The musicians coming up in the scene now absolutely astound me. They're just so good at what they do. This fandom is lucky to have so many musicians and artists with such talent and skill.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
God, so many. 4EverfreeBrony is someone I look up to so much and feel so lucky to get to do so many collaborations with. The guy is a genius. Koa, MathematicPony, Vylet, Forest Rain, Loophoof, Mumble, Odyssey, Chi-Chi...those are just some of the ones off the top of my head, but there are so many more. Just so many unique and incredible people who I really look up to. That list isn't even close to exhaustive. I've always felt, in some ways, like I'm playing catchup in the best way. Like all these artists are putting out pieces that inspire me and push me to improve and learn and try harder and try new things. It's exciting to be able to look up to your peers and improve yourself as a result of their work.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
As if my answers aren't already long...I mean, if we're talking mainstream musicians, stuff like Coldplay, Chappel Roan, the Mountain Goats, Twenty One Pilots, Charlie xcx, 100 gecs, Jacob Collier, boy genius, plus a bunch of classics that would take too long to list. I just want to listen to this stuff and absorb their perspectives and musical skill and insight. Listening to them is the closest to getting to sit down and have a conversation, to learn how they see the world and how they see music. Online, so many of the musicians who moved on from the fandom to make music outside of it are still so inspiring. Making music where your heart takes you is so important and whether they've gone more mainstream indie or into nerdcore or whatever you'd call the medium, I still follow a lot of the careers of old-school Brony musicians and feel so much inspiration from what they do.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Oh, god, I feel like I can't answer this question without making them feel pressured to work with me! I was lucky enough to get to work with Chi-Chi on the song Ghost in the Machine, which was SO exciting because I've known her from the con scene for ten or so years and she's just incredible. If I listed a name, you can assume I want to collaborate with them. I love singing on tracks for other people and writing melodies and lyrics so in that way I am pumped to collaborate with so many people.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
Let's Talk, with 4EverfreeBrony. That song should have been way bigger than it was. It's the only song that I look at in my discography and genuinely mourn that it didn't get more attention. I think it's because it's a Bojack Horseman song, which is definitely not a super popular fandom for music, but it came out just perfect for what I was aiming and I think it's one of the best songs I've ever written. If you like my stuff and haven't heard it...go give it a listen. I'm so, so proud of it.
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
Great question! My Tamberlane feat. Respin (she goes by Clara/postergirlxoxo now; check her out!) was such a fun experience, because I originally wrote it as a fan song for the webcomic Tamberlane by Caytlin Vibrandt. I absolutely adore her work and we had become friends over time, and I wanted to express my love for the project. I ended up getting to work with Clara on it after our last project being Become, and she's genuinely such a genius producer that it was such a privilege to find the time to work together again. Partway through production of the song, Caytlin asked me to be a co-writer on Tamberlane, so the song ended up becoming the theme song for the entire work, even getting an official animation done by the production team for Ashley Nichol’s Far-fetched, Burrowed Alive. It was just such a flurry of activity stemming from a fan song, and between getting to work with such an incredible friend and then have the song be seen by so many is just such an honor.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
Recently, I actually answered this question! The song I Sing to You feat. Faux Synder and 4EverfreeBrony was one that I always adored, but which has such a strong vocal track by Faux Synder while I always felt that mine just didn't quite hit the mark. When I compiled a new album, Ghosts and Waterfalls, which included some of my favorite work I've done over the years, I ended up rerecording my vocal track and remastering the whole thing with 4EverfreeBrony. It was such a cool experience, and I'm so happy with the new version!
What's next for you as an artist?
A lot of stuff, hopefully! I'm releasing (or maybe have released. While I'm writing this I'm still finishing the final version of the music video) a song with 4EverfreeBrony and Chi-Chi based on Digital Circus which I'm SO proud of. It's easily the biggest and best thing I've ever put out as a package. I'm just really excited about it. I'm also continuing work on my webcomics, and I'm really hoping to do work in the animation scene in terms of writing and songwriting. I feel like the indie animation scene is, in many ways, such a fitting extention of what we have done in the brony fandom. Inspiring each other, working online, telling stories, developing as artists, all outside of the corporate executive creative world and rather independent and community-driven.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Be your authentic self. Genuinely. I think people tend to think that that means being so unmainstream that no one will listen to you or whatever, but while it's possible to be your authentic self while finding accessible ways to share it, it's impossible, I think, to sustainably create stuff that you don't genuinely love in some way or another. If you want to gain popularity, the key isn't to lose your authenticity, but to find ways to channel it in ways that connect with people. Listen to others. Learn, figure out what excites you about other musicians. Got a favorite popular artist? Figure out what about their stuff attracts you. I just think we're lucky enough to be transitioning into a more authentic age as people get increasingly tired of fake behavior, of artificial intelligence and all these things that are taking the people out of art. As someone who came out nonbinary over the lockdown, I can say that I feel so much more myself coming to this con than I ever did before, in ways I can't even fully define, because I'm being my authentic self.
And finally, who is best pony?
Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. The same answer I gave in 2011, baby.
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
[Response not obtained]
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
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How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
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What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
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Most of your discography comes from 2011, the first year of brony fan music. What’s it like being an OG musician?
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You’ve worked with other, legendary Brony Musicians such as Yoav Landau (TheLivingTombstone), JackeApp, and WoodenToaster/Glaze. What was it like working with them back in the day?
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The most popular song that you’ve been a part of is obviously “Nightmare Night” with WoodenToaster. How does it feel to be one of the creators for arguably THE most popular & well-known Brony song of all-time?
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During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
[Response not obtained]
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
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What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
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If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
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What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
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Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
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If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
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What's next for you as an artist?
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Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
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And finally, who is best pony?
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Note: this was origianlly done in-person between Brass Scribe & Mongo Cross (with Scribbles sitting in) at Ponyville Ciderfest 2023. It has been transcribed for that con & re-edited/updated by Mongo Cross for Pinkaboo's Neighhem 2025
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
Got into MLP back in the 80s[Brass] Oh, that’s interesting hearing that you got into it through G1I’m the oldest of 8 & used to play ponies with my sisters. They were canonically a part of the same world as my Hulk and He Man figures.I got into G4 from season 1 when my kids got me to watch it with them. All it took was Pinkie Pie gasping and running away from Twilight and I was sold.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
20yrs from the Texas Renaissance Fair. I was given the name Mongo.A character from Blazing Saddles named Mongo punched a StallionOne day, one of the barbarian’s horses got spooked by some kids in front of my booth. I went to save the kids. When I went to calm him, he leaned into my fist that was holding his lead. I accidentally punched him out, thus the nickname stuck.[Brass] That’s an interesting one for sure!Haha. As for my ponysona: in G4, the stallions interest me. Big Mac is a big pony. Rockhoof is bigger. When I used to play ponies, I was always the big pony, so my OC is a big pony/stallion.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Ooooo. [pause to think] It’s kind of a tie. It was Ciderfest where we did the acoustic set. What con was that?[Brass] Ciderfest 2019Ah yes, that’s it. My kids were up there with me singing. That was also the first Rogue Squad set. Galen burst his appendix, so we had to scramble to make a set in 20mins. I talked to Luck Rock and we pulled it together. We called ourselves the Rogue Squad of the Wonderbolts.And Bronycon 2019. The last bronycon because singing “What you see is what you get” with all the dancers, pyrotechnics, horn section, cheering fans. That was baby-Mongo dream.
The Wonderbolts have a fair amount of history to them. What’s it been like for you to join the band in the middle of that history?
It’s been amazing. I still feel like the new kid, even though I know a lot of the fans have come to make me synonymous to The Wonderbolts!We’ve also had even more lineup changes and I think that’s what gives the Wonderbolts the staying power we have. Our ability to change.
How did you become the dad of all Brony Musicians?
I’m trying to think of when it happened.[Scribbles] Was it Nightmare Nights?No…I think it was Whinny or Ciderfest. It was the first con i saw Koa play. As my kids would say, I can’t turn the dad off, and I’m always at the musicians table. I made it perfectly clear that I will always be like a dad and will act like a dad. I always read non-verbal cues. I always distract to make people feel better. The biggest thing, if you're going to say anything about it, I would hear all these con-goers and what they say. I heard all these kids saying that their parents are mean, saying that what they are is wrong. I know how much it hurts. I can’t stand by and hear that. Nobody will be unloved or alone while I’m around.
The first Wonderbolts song I ever heard was WYSIWYG (and it’s my personal fave, in part because of software paradigm reference). But that song’s been around since 2016. What finally got you all to record it and have it out on the Ponyville Ciderfest 2019 charity album? Also anything else you’d like to say about the song or any other Wonderbolts songs?
In 2017 was when I joined the band and I was brought in to be a temp bass player, just to play NMN. After rehearsing a gig, they asked me to be a permanent member. The first time we played WYSIWYG, I played it, listened to it, and I said “I’m going to steal this song. I understand you wrote it, but I’m stealing it.” When we were talking about songs to add to the charity album, we just finished recording my version of it, and we wanted to put something on it that I was a part of, so that was the one we chose as a band.Now, Wonderbolt! songs as a whole I think Galen is one of the greatest songwriters across any genre of music. He’s such an inspired writer. Our song “What Went Wrong” was the most important song of the past 20yrs. It’s such a song that any kid who’s feeling different should hear. I would put it right next to “Great to be Different” by Forest Rain.
The one thing that makes “The Wonderbolts!” stand out from other musicians/bands is their inclusivity with a dynamic cast of other musicians/instruments. Are there any instruments/musicians that you wish could join you up on the stage?
Other than all of them, I would really like…we had horns…umm. We really need a bagpipe.One musician that is glaringly missing is Cyril the Wolf. It is kind of my mission to get as many fantastic musicians up on stage with us.We need Cyril and maybe an up-in-comer, like from Renegade Stage.[Brass] I remember your set [at PVCF22] where you had Whirly Tail & Trey Husk, where y’all did trading 8’s. That’s what stood out to me compared to the other sets.Yup! That’s what we like to do
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
My answer to that is not really an answer because The Wonderbolts, although we have core members, we include so many people. My core group, I’m always hanging with different groups of people, and they are all Wonderbolts. MathPony, Koa, Nectarina, BlueBrony, and probably 4everfree. That’s kind of the core people that I’m always around, but that’s also because those are the people who are always at the musicians table.And because I’m like their dad, literally everyone is in my peer group.The way I like to do it, and I was telling Dewie this, we don't do self-deflating humor, but I call it “Slumming with the Wonderbolts.” It’s like the Isle of Misfit toys. It’s like an honor. And it shows the community as it should be.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Yes.[Brass] Okay cool! Next questionHaha.
Blue
Math
Koa
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
So many!Buddy Guy, first and foremost. If you don’t know who he is, he is living Blues history. 14yrs old, left Louisiana, went up the Mississippi with a guitar. Went to Chicago to perform with Muddy Waters. He’s still alive too. Hendrix attributed him.Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath. And Chris Squire from Yes are big bass influences.Lady Gaga or Prince for Stage presence
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
I want to collab. with Math, Blue and Koa again. I would also love to collab with Seventh Element and do like a DepecheMode thing… maybe we could call our collab DepecheMaude.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
That’s a great question. Best Young Flyer or Pink & Yellow
What's next for you as an artist?
Well, the album made it out! My EP is still slowly in the works. I really want to do an overseas show.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
DO IT. We all have. Every musician suffers from the same two things: Imposter Syndrome and Stage Fright. Push Through! DO IT Make that music, get on Renegade. Play anytime and everytime. Just, do it! Put your music out there. Don’t think about it, Just get out there and do it. Make a few friends in the community. Start with me, I already love you. I’ll introduce you to a lot of people.
And finally, who is best pony?
Oh, I know this trap well. I’m just going to put this out there and let the hate wash over me like a comfortable shower.G4: My mainstay is Pinkie Pie, but I’m kind of in my Rarity phase recently.
G5: Pipp Petals and Alphabittle (Dadabittle…. It’s basically me)
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I played with MLP toys once at a relative's house as a toddler and found them pretty cool because one had a tail that spun when you pressed a button and i used that as like an attack move. That was it for me and My Little Pony until one fateful night in early August 2011 when I was browsing the TV Tropes page for skinning people alive and noticed that MY LITTLE PONY was inexplicably mentioned in the fan works section because of a fanfiction titled "Cupcakes".....i clicked, i read, i found it darkly amusing, and wanted to see more. The rest is history......
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I grew up in a radio station/audio engineering household watching DJs edit reel to reel tape. I'd experiment with sampling keyboards and Cool Edit Pro a lot until a digital media class in my senior year of high school got me interested in making beats.....and thus in 2003 I downloaded a program called FROOTY LOOPS VERSION 3. it didn't even have a mixer or timestretching back then holy smokes i'm old. So i'd been producing hip-hop for about 8 years for local nobody rappers before pony came along.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
yeah so uhhh in August 2011 I assumed I'd only be interested in this pony stuff for like, A WEEK OR TWO, TOPS, so I came up with "MYCUTIEMARKISAGUN" as like a edgy throwaway joke name to use on EQD comments. LOL. LMAO EVEN
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
BABSCON 2022! Performed after Eurobeat Brony, packed house of like 150+ ppl, super hot crowd, miraculously great set from myself. All the stars aligned that night
Your music heavily samples a wide variety of music and pony sources alike! What is the method to your madness, how do you go about choosing which tracks you’d like to sample from?
wayyyyy back in the day when IRC was still a thing i'd sample a lot of WIP files that would get posted in the ye olde MyLittleRemix #Bronymusic IRC channel. That was also how I made a lot of friends, such as my concert collab buddy Seventh Element. The whole point as a sample based hip-hop producer is to "dig crates". Traditionally this meant searching record stores for rare vinyls like on the DJ Shadow album cover, but I've always been pretty good at scouring the internet for sounds. so I revel in pony music being a crate nopony else will dig except me. Outside of pony sources I've been focusing lately on lost media type sources like elevator music, public domain films, and old pornos. Its rare, its untouched, and nobody will complain if its on Spotify.
Having released your first track back in 2012, you’re an OG pony musician, but have never really been center stage as many others from the same time period. How would you describe your experience across over a decade of being involved with the fandom?
I was always pretty respected and well connected for somepony that wasn't center stage - one of the things that took me aback at my first con (BC '13) was how many "Horse Famous" musicians flipped out when they saw the name on my badge. People recognized early on that I filled a cultural void and some of my production habits started to rub off on them. My experiences in this fandom have been overwhelmingly positive and almost everypony has been incredibly nice to me and yes that actually DOES include most of the racists lmao. Choosing to upload all my best work to fandom sites like EQBeats instead of YouTube probably held my Horse Fame back more than anything....welp.
Toastbeard, Dust Car, or Busty’s?
Toastbeard because it was on a SATURDAY
Can you tell us more about your most recently released mixtape, BOOTLEG ZEBRA TAPE?
BOOTLEG ZEBRA TAPE was half an excuse to release music, half an experiment in old school bootleg physical media distribution. This may surprise younger viewers, but 3,000 years ago in Ancient Greece you had to actually hold an IRL compact disc or audio cassette in the palm of your hand if you wanted to listen to a hip-hop mixtape. You couldn't just download it off Rapidshare. You would literally risk traveling to the ghetto and getting shot just to buy mixtapes from guys selling incense and bootleg movies. So I've been selling these Moozua art CDs at cons and using the opportunity to show off tracks that would probably get me copyright struck from the world wide web
Luck Rock shot me at your set at BABSCON 2022 and I died. Will you pay my funeral costs?
Pony Row Records LLC admits no liabilitry or wrongdoing; throw your body over the wall and let the Furries feast on you like Diogenes
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
The old #Bronymusic IRC/Toastbeard peeps are like family and I'm performing with one of them at this con. Most of them are still involved in Pinkamena Party, which is the only album series I've committed to. The pony hip-hoppers give me my elder statesman props, ofc. And honestly meeting & hanging out with fellow musicians of any stripe is one of the things that made me fall in love with Pony Conventions ❤️
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
I think everypony's influenced by Vylet at this point so....... anosci (Toastbeard founder) was always a huge influence on me. The dudes talent is unreal. Hurricane Dial is still the most insane Balloon Party song ever, one of the best plunderphonic songs ever, and I watched them make it like 6 hours before the deadline. I've remixed or sampled like 70 of their songs and I still plan to release them in one giant album someday......
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
THE ALCHEMIST. ALAN THE CHEMIST. AL-AL-AL-AL-ALCHEMIST. GOAT hip-hop producer of the past decade. Drops like a half dozen masterpieces every year. Honorable mention to Roc Marciano for bringing sample loops back to rap music tho.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Devi McCallion aka Cats Millionaire. I doubt she realizes how hip-hop influenced her work actually is but yeah lol
What's next for you as an artist?
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Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
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And finally, who is best pony?
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How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
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More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
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How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
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What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
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You’ve worked with a diverse set of artists over the years, lending your voice on over 50 different tracks produced by other artists (including many that are now fandom staples). What has that experience been like?
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On your own youTube channel, you cover a lot of fandom songs as well as songs from the show! Do you think you’ll ever try venturing into solo artist territory and make songs which only have your name, Namii, on them?
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You frequently work with Vylet Pony - what’s it like working with her?
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Currently you’re teamed up with Evershade to form Starcrush! What’s it like working with them and how has that experience been? Do you think you’ll be doing more Starcrush shows?
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During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
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Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
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What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
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If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
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What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
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Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
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If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
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What's next for you as an artist?
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Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
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And finally, who is best pony?
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How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I got into the fandom in 2012 I believe? This is kinda funny, I went to college at MTSU, and the mascot is a pegasus. I saw someone with an MTSU shirt, but instead of the mascot it was Rainbow Dash. As a big anime fan growing up the art style kinda caught me so I asked about it. They said it was for the My Little Pony club they had. I really wanted that shirt. Stayed for the ponies though. I met people in the club who showed me fandom music, and formed a band w some of the club members. That’s how it began, as Knights of the Crystal Empire. From there, I met people through fandom groups on Skype and started doing features of my own.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I would consider that (previous answer) when I really “started.” I always dabbled in rapping and free styling growing up, but never published anything.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
I was in Walmart w my club mates from college trying to come up w it. At the time I was going to school for media production and very much wanted to get into content creation via video games and such. We were spitballing and landed on “Nexgen Console” for my sona name. Nexgen just kinda stuck from there.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Goodness this is one tough question. All of them are extremely memorable for me. If I had to pick, I’m going to go with Everfree Northwest 2014.
Your first track takes place in the Fallout Equestria universe. What got you into that side of the fandom? Are you still involved w/ FoE today?
One of my club mates suggested I read it because he was (and is still) really big into that side of the fandom. He also features on the song, it’s Biscayne. I had actually never played Fallout when I watched the show. So I played Fallout 3 and New Vegas before reading the original Fallout Equestria. I have not finished Project Horizons yet, but I really should. I’m not very involved in the Fallout Equestria side of the fandom, and I wish I was more back then and now. I know there’s been like voice acting stuff for it previously, lemme play a side character in one of those I’d be so honored lol
Since "The Chronicles of Bladedancer," it seems that your more recent work has been more P@D exclusive. Do you have any music plans (that you are willing to share) outside of submitting your stuff to P@D?
Yes! I have some collabs that I owe people that I’m behind on honestly, tracks w Gloomrotten, Awkwerd, Sound Bandit & Evershade to name a few. As for my own stuff, I do think I plan on releasing a single outside of P@D this year (I’d really like to) but otherwise no longer term plans like albums or EPs or anything. I was really burnt out after Survivors, so I took a bit of a break after that and I’m just getting back into the groove.
For Pinkaboo's Neighhem 2025, it seems that you are doing a combined set with MicTheMicrophone & Rhyme Flow called "Pony Rap Gods." What inspired you guys to make that group & how did it all come together?
Pinkaboo had contacted Rhyme Flow and Mic and had gotten them to agree to a set. With how big the entire roster was going to be, she asked me if I’d like to do a group act. She threw us in a group chat called “Pony Rap Gods” and we ended up sticking w the name. Since then, we’ve all gotten along really well and even have a song together!
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
Back in the day, sure, but now, I wouldn’t say so. I’m in a lot of discords with many different groups of musicians, and I hang out w a lot of them doing different things, mainly gaming lol. I feel like I’m pretty cool with just about everyone on an equal level since being back in the fandom. It’s extremely refreshing.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Absolutely! Back in the day it was Yelling at Cats by a long mile. Sickness and Automatic Jack were like older brothers to me and mentored me when it came to rapping along w some other rap peers. Rhyme Flow, IbeConCept, TheGrassSaysMooo, Nicis, D. Ranged, LevelNone, Versal, Aoshi. And that’s just off the top of my head right now when it comes to rapping. I’m so insanely inspired by my fellow musicians on the daily. More recently, Evershade and Thrack & Canto are big inspirations for me in the music scene right now.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
It’s tough to nail this down to a few artists, but off the top of my head, Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, J. Cole and Joyner Lucas all come to mind. The entirety of hip-hop artists I could name that are inspiring would go on forever lol.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
ArtAttack. Good homie, miss them a lot, we never got to do anything together. Was always a big ArtAttack fan and always wanted to collab w them.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
Purple Smart w/ TheGrassSaysMooo
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
Yes! My track w Aftermath, “Zap, Boom, Cannon” was made since I was initially denied from TrotCon 2014. A lot of the accepted musicians thought that I should’ve been on the line up and reached out to me to collab so I could feature on their sets. I ended up getting in since someone else dropped, but in making this song, we became really good friends and I met a lot of fandom friends from this all coming about. There is a snippet on my SoundCloud called “Zap, Bow, Cannon” where I imitate Waka Flocka on the track lol. Also, Aftermath was not a fan of the name of the track when I pitched it, but he ended up vibing w it once I explained it.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
Worth. I think I would take an entirely different approach to it, have it mixed better, etc. it is by far my least favorite song I’ve done in the fandom but I keep it up as a testament to my improvement.
What's next for you as an artist?
I’ve got an EP coming with Vinyl.rawr, and some collabs with really cool people in the works. I also have a Daring Do single I’ve been sitting on for a minute that I have to get out there. Long term, I’ve considered making a sequel to The Chronicles of Bladedancer, but we’ll see if that comes to fruition.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Don’t worry about the popularity, it’s not important. Make the music you wanna make. I wanted to rap, and was clowned on for not being that good. Do what you love. The biggest thing for me, was I never cared how popular anyone was. If I wanted to do a song with them, I asked. It’s how I did songs w so many different people. The worst they could say was no. Part of why I enjoy making music is doing it with friends. That’s what ultimately matters.
And finally, who is best pony?
I’ve changed my answer a lot through the years lol. It’s been Rainbow Dash, was Rarity for a while, but I landed on Twilight Sparkle as I’ve gotten older, there’s a lot to relate to her about for me.
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
It's kind of a dark story looking back! My grandfather had been taken from us due to severe malpractice, and I had just started living on-campus at university. I turned to cartoons and animation to cope, and found on an imageboard at the time some discussion about the new MLP... helmed by Lauren Faust. I recognized the name, so I checked out the first episode... oh, it's a two-parter. Okay, what's after that? ...and I found myself hooked. As for the music, there was a thread where someone asked for Flutterguy's vocals removed from "Evil Enchantress", and I said I could do it... and failed. I offered a remix of the song to compensate, and in doing so, accidentally released the first documented song in the fandom.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I grew up in music! My parents and siblings are all musical— Dad plays bass, Mom plays piano, my sister plays drums, my brother plays guitar, I play keys, and we all sing. My gosh, the Partridge Family jokes we used to get...! I had already released eurobeat in a few places before (not least of which the Super Eurobeat series, from which Initial D gets their tracks!), so trying my hand here felt natural!
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
My fandom name was only novel for its new-ness at the time. "Brony" was new, I make eurobeat... naturally I was The Eurobeat Brony.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
I still have such incredibly fond memories of BronyCon 2019. It felt like the world was on my shoulders, being the last act of the last night of the last concert of the last BronyCon... but to end it with a whole new edition of Discord, it felt magical. I felt like quite the star up there~
It’s not everyday that someone has the opportunity to talk to one of the absolute OGs of the music scene. How would you describe the scene back then? How much has it changed over the years?
The biggest split seems to come from pre-summer 2011 and post-summer 2011. Mind you, the fandom at large felt a bit less Manifest Destiny to it— there was less of a sense of "I must contribute to the brony fandom" and more a sense of "I like this thing, I'm gonna put a lot of work into making something cool and compelling about it". That has its benefits and drawbacks, of course— we wouldn't have the convention scene we have now if the mindset hadn't shifted! But it felt a bit less rigid in some ways, too. Naturally, as folks had more free time to enjoy new media once summer rolled around, new minds and eyes and ears were introduced to the show, and a new scene began to form. It was cool BECAUSE it was unique to like this thing! It became inspirational BECAUSE it felt new to like something not geared towards us directly! And with that, the scene became a bit more friendly to beginners, with a bit more of a shared pool of talent and encouragement as the scene gained this enthusiasm for... I worry that when I say "enthusiasm for itself" it sounds bad? But I mean that in a generally positive way.
Speaking specifically about the scene back in the early days of the fandom, what made you specifically want to start producing fan remixes of Friendship is Magic, especially when fan-related music for previous generations of the show were next to non-existent?
I liked how the show got me to smile— it was cuteness and sweetness in a similar sense of cutesy slice-of-life anime, at a time when I needed that as I recovered from grief. I also generally make remixes of the things I enjoy (also see Touhou, Adventure Time at one point, more recently other Vtubers), so making remixes of a property that already has music to it felt like a natural progression. A dose of joy in a remix I already enjoy making, what's not to like~?
It is common knowledge that you created the first Brony Song with “Evil Enchantress [Super Euro Mix]” (later renamed “Evil Enchantress [Euro Spell Mix]”). Obviously, you didn’t know at the time how much the fandom would explode into one of the most well-known fandoms of all-time, but looking back, how do you feel knowing that you essentially started the Brony music scene?
I-- still don't know how to wrap my head around this. Remember, at the time none of us were really aiming for some claim to it all, we were just making material for something we thought was cool. I kept my head down and kept making remixes and originals at the time; but to see how things have evolved, exploded really, and have any kind of claim to that? I'm genuinely honored. If this got one more musician to start their career, to make something that inspired them, to join a community and try something new and vulnerable, then I'd gladly do it all again.
When you were creating your first songs in the fandom, were you trying to be the first person to release a “brony song?”
No. Back then I was just making stuff for something I liked, easy as.
Before your pony eurobeat remixes, I’m sure many people didn’t even know what eurobeat was exactly (I know I didn’t learn about eurobeat until I listened to your work). What got you into eurobeat?
I was discovering my own taste in music as a younger kid/entering my teens, when I saw this strange arcade machine at the local beach boardwalk. It had these four arrows on it, you'd dance on it... and the MUSIC was WILD! Unlike anything I'd ever heard before! And as I grew up and got to learn more about the game and its music, I found I was particularly drawn to certain songs, almost all of which tended to be eurobeat! I decided to try to learn how to make it myself with my abandonware General MIDI sequencer I was using at the time, and the rest was history.
...this last year, I had the honor of making a song FOR that crazy little dance game— "Not Alone" is my entry on Dance Dance Revolution's roster, and it feels like my career really came full-circle that time.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
I had that more early-on in the scene compared to nowadays. It consisted of NotACleverPony, PinkiePieSwear, and Alex S. We used to play Team Fortress 2 together, and those early discussions and warm laughs well into the wee hours of the night still hold a special place in my heart.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
I'm a bad brony musician! I do enjoy brony music on its own, but I can't say it's had a huge influence in my own work. I will say NotACleverPony and Vylet Pony have influenced my work, though!
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
I've generally kept to other eurobeat artists and a few vtubers lately! Dave Rodgers, Niko, Laurent Newfield, Bratt Sinclaire, Eurobeat Union (DJ Command and FN2), and a lot of IRyS and Akuma Nihmune. Big shoutouts to Turbo, also.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
ohgod here we go Prince Whateverer, NotACleverPony, Vylet Pony, MicTheMicrophone, Loophoof, TAPS and I still need to do a thing together!... here's the thing, I'm not USUALLY super collab-minded, but if I have the capacity to take one on I'm usually super down for it!
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
It was mixed terribly but I'm proud of Fly! I also have a soft spot in my heart for the Wild Joe's Eurobeat Band tracks (remixes of You Gotta Share, Raise This Barn, Love Is In Bloom), infusing little bits of bluegrass into eurobeat was WAY too fun! I'm also proud of the In My Head Like A Catchy Song remix and In Our Town.
...honestly, I'm still very proud of my brony discography in general. Outside of my brony work, I did a remix of Monster Mash that is UTTERLY slept on. My recent release with MandieNRG, Stupid Cupid, is also worthy of WAY more love, Mandie's a legend.
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
Is it a copout to say "Discord"? I tried making the song a few times, with different approaches and concepts. It was my second original track in the space after "Luna" and I knew it needed to be good, but the first few efforts were either too plain or too much of a ripoff of the Deathsmiles soundtrack. I finally had the idea of a song that changed mid-way through as if Discord was manipulating it in real time, and tried it that way. I had an idea similar to Dave Simon's "Speed Man" in my head, but made sure it wasn't 1:1, built out the tune, and... well, the rest is history! A less obvious one is "Batty"! Everyone was remixing "Stop The Bats" which is a fine song, but I wanted to do something from Flutterbat's perspective, and my "villain" series felt like it needed another turn! So I made something a little extra-spooky and silly... wisely dropped the intended dubstep drop and replaced it with a vocoder (and a synth solo just afterward), and dropped the track! It performed extremely well at the time, which surprised me quite a lot.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
Folks ask this often. I'm currently working on an update of Batty now, but I've also had my eye on Diamond Dogs. And, who knows which other tracks could get updates under the right conditions? When I do get around to finishing the show (again, I'm a bad brony musician aaaaAAAAAA ) I'd rather focus on seeing if the songs I haven't heard in-context yet inspire me, instead of remaking old works. (This answer is only for my brony work... looking over my originals is an entirely different story altogether!)
What's next for you as an artist?
I've been performing in a variety of new venues now— I've been active as a Vtuber, but still do in-person shows. I want to start doing performances that are less DJ oriented and a bit more performance-oriented, maybe more finger-drumming or video work, maybe even some choreography. Celestia forbid, I might even look into how idols in Japan do their thing... would the world want Idolssey???
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
This may not be the answer you want to hear at a brony music panel, but— don't make music "for a fandom" or "for popularity". There are easier ways to become popular and I advise against creating content for a fandom unless you feel genuinely compelled. Instead: Create what's on your heart.Sounds... kinda crunchy, right? But so many folks get caught up in doing music one way or another way, for one reason or another, when they might enjoy doing it a different way altogether. (I have a similar answer when folks ask about making eurobeat— I tell them to learn to make songs first, then produce music, THEN make eurobeat. The songs on their heart may not be eurobeat in the first place, and that's okay!) Creative fulfillment comes from expressing what's true to you, not what's trending on algorithms.
If you're determined to learn how to make music... learn enough theory to make the song that's on your heart. Major chords, minor chords, playing in-key, dissonance, assonance... then learn how to produce enough to make the song that's on your heart. A little bit about sound design, or picking sounds/presets/samples, loops, EQ, enough to get something out there.
The song will suck, when you look back at it. But it'll be yours, and it'll be done— and when you get the itch to make another song, chances are that you learned a little bit from the previous endeavor that you want to bring into this one. And the cycle begins anew, and before you know it you've made a bunch of songs you like, each better than the last, about things that speak to you in a genre (or genres) that reflect what you want to express.
If you feel compelled in your heart of hearts to make music for the brony fandom, then I recommend reflecting on that— which scenarios, which characters, which concepts speak to you? What can you express about those things? Does a character's cutie mark inspire a strange story? Does a backstory break your heart? Does a what-if scenario intrigue you? Make your song about that. It will be "pony enough" if the inspiration is from pony itself.
And finally, who is best pony?
To my faithful students at BABSCon, Princess Celestia is best pony. Sincerely, Eurobeat "I Once Cosplayed Best Princess And I Was Right To Do It" Brony. (See ya at Neighhem~!)
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
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More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
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How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
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What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
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You specialize in both chiptune and glitch hop genres, which are very different from each other. What interests you in those two genres, and how do you decide whether you want a track to be one genre or the other?
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Anything you’d like to tell us about your latest album, 8-Bit Brony Bop?
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Your Poneland series of albums only comes on CDs. What’s the thinking behind that, and do you ever think you’ll put them online on a site like bandcamp?
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You’ve been heavily involved with the Ponies at Dawn group over the years and currently serve as one of its admins. What’s that been like?
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During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
[Response not obtained]
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
[Response not obtained]
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
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If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
[Response not obtained]
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
[Response not obtained]
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
[Response not obtained]
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
[Response not obtained]
What's next for you as an artist?
[Response not obtained]
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
[Response not obtained]
And finally, who is best pony?
[Response not obtained]
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
Christina and I (Dane) grew up watching G1 and G2, and I got into FiM after seeing fan art during season 1. I immediately loved Luna and was inspired to write "The Moon Rises", but I only recorded and posted it because Equestria Daily announced a special post featuring original villain songs. Originally, the song took place after S1:E2 as a gentle retrospective, but the prompt led me to rewrite the second half completely. (And then it was expanded further years later.)
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I had written a little prior to MLP but never released any of it. Christina and I had been singing for many years, but I only took up piano seriously in college.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
The band name leapt to mind almost immediately. I wanted to convey that the music was cute and classically inspired. (And pony.) I never had a ponysona, but the artist Enuryn (who contributed to WarpOut's animation of "Lullaby for a Princess") created some lovely album art for us featuring a golden, celestial unicorn, and this has become our de facto symbol. (And I love the cute version drawn for this interview!)
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
We've only done one! It was GalaCon 2024, and it was a lot of fun.
It’s no secret that both “The Moon Rises” and “Lullaby for a Princess” have been taken by fan animators and turned into some of the most loved videos in fan history. What’s that experience been like?
Really wonderful and surreal! We've been so thrilled to see people connecting with our takes on the princesses. The animations exceeded my wildest expectations. It has absolutely opened doors for us to appear at concerts like Neighhem. It has also led me to fret about how I might have done better on the songs, but I try to just be thankful and move forward.
Do you enjoy making bronies cry?
Well... maybe a little. Only if they want to though.
Anything you’d like to tell us about your latest album, “Heart in a Cloud”?
It's a substantially remastered compilation of our songs over the last decade. About half the songs are pony-related, and the others are in a similar fantasy vein. The songs sound much fuller than before, as I didn't really know what I was doing early on.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
We've only recently begun to actually interact meaningfully with the MLP musician community, but it has been really fun! At GalaCon 2024, we played with crackinglazer, Rhythm Sticks, and Sound Check, and at Neighhem, we're playing with Azure Comet, Luck Rock, dBPony, and Whirlwind, and they're all great!
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
I've recently been rediscovering the pony music scene. In the early days, I remember enjoying MelodicPony and Forest Rain.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
Elton John, The Beatles, ELO, Muse, Radiohead, Regina Spektor, Keane, Tally Hall, Katzenjammer. Disney and musicals in general, traditional hymns.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Everyone we've worked with so far has been great! We're still getting introduced to all the amazing musicians after being away for so long.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
"The Rose" is about the anime Revolutionary Girl Utena. It's big, dramatic, Beatlesque, and I'm very pleased with how it turned out.
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
"Lullaby for a Princess" started out with the "may all your dreams..." couplet near the end, and I had no idea where to take the song. I told my mom that the sun princess was sad, and that was as far as I had gotten. She was the one who suggested that Celestia might feel responsible for Luna's downfall (seems obvious in retrospect), and that insight broke open the whole thing.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
It would be great to re-record most of our songs with real strings. The remasters in Heart in a Cloud did take care of my biggest issues though, giving me the closure I needed to move on to new material.
What's next for you as an artist?
We're writing again! And we almost have a whole new album ready to start recording! Not as much pony this time, but we're still sticking with cartoons, fantasy, and emotional journeys that might wreck you a little.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
We were uniquely fortunate. I'm not sure how to replicate our success. We owe a huge thank you to Equestria Daily and WarpOut, and to our many fans. I will say we never tried to sound like anyone in particular, and that your own voice and perspective may be just what the fandom (or music in general) is missing.
And finally, who is best pony?
Ah, so difficult. They really are best as an ensemble. I always kind of liked Applejack the most, though.
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
in mid 2011 I was in college and I bought a bronies before hoenies shirt 'cause I thought it looked cool, a close friend of mine (who's still a brony now and a pretty successful artist) saw it and asked if I was a brony. I did't know what that was so he told me it was fans of the new MLP series and since I had watched G1 on tape when I was a kid I was super interested! And the rest is history 😄
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
For the making music part (this will pretty much answer the next question too) I was in a few local bands from around 2007-8 ish to maybe 2015, so there was some overlap with my joining the fandom. I would write and record amateur demos with them and stuff and play shows in the local circuit. but even before that I just enjoyed playing drums and guitar. I wasn't a confident singer until way into the fandom times though! I started making pony music not long at all after I joined the fandom after seeing musicians like TLT and AcousticBrony making original pony tunes 😄
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
Well I really enjoyed (like REALLY) a novel series by Darren Shan called the vampire saga. And being an emo in the mid 2000s I started using Vampire Prince as my alias. Then in 2009 I made my YouTube channel just to comment on things and that name was taken. So Prince Whatever... "No spaces allowed." Okay, PrinceWhatever. "Already taken." Alright fine, PrinceWhateverer. And so it was lol
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Oof idk that's like picking your favourite child... If I had to pick though... Probably still the first Neighhem. Very biased as I co-organised and it we were all still running on the bittersweet high of the biggest and final BronyCon but that show was everything I loved about fandom shows mashed together with everything I used to love about playing small local bar shows in my town. Half the gear didn't work, the stage was tiny and cramped, but the place was packed with hype bronies, everyone was drunk and having an awesome time listening to tunes and moshing with their friends that they rarely ever see outside cons.. It was electric
Having been in the fandom so long, you’ve seen everything from the days of hype, through the end of G4 and into G5, all the while continuing to make music. How does all that fandom history shape your current mindset and plans for the future?
Well in te broader sense, the fandom made me a better person. I won't go into detail but I used to do some things that I'm amazed I got away with. But that all stopped almost the instant I got into ponies. Looking back I was a pretty directionless angsty teen emo with a guitar, I was never going to fall in with the right crowd. But thankfully I found the fandom before things got out of hand! To do with the wider fandom though, I think things will be okay! The fandom was ablaze back in the day and while that was awesome but I think we're fine as we are. It's natural to pine for the golden days but much as we wish, they can't last forever. Despite that we're still here having an awesome time, new people are joining and it's inspiring to see people coming into the fandom with the same wide-eyed amazement I had back then, and as long as there's anyone out there to listen to my pony tunes I'll keep making them 😄
Over the years, you’ve worked with many musicians. Is there any musician you wished you could have worked with but never got the chance?
Hmmm. Honestly it's hard to say.. I'm actually awful to work with. There was a collab with a guy called Galt Aureus that was being worked on WAY WAY back, he wanted to do a song about fluttershy & discord with me which was incredible because I was a huge fan of his work outside pony for a long long time, but our styles were so different and I was so embarassed to bring sub-par material to the table when he was so GOOD. I couldn't make it happen and it just fizzled out. Biggest regret of my career tbh
Some of your most popular songs are all part of a series called Destabilize which is about Sweetie Bot. Can you tell us more about it? How long is the series going to go on for?
Oh jeez. I'm actually about to (most probably have by the time this comes out) release what's meant to be the final part of the Destabilize series, a song called Alr3ady D3ad, being Destabilize pt.4b. it's one of two endings to the story, part 4a being the good end and 4b being the bad one. The story of Destabilize is still evolving and it kind of precedes the story of my Redefine album with it going into a Cyberpunk future but I've never made a good timeline of events, it's mostly just in my head for now and I really should write it all down sometime. For now though it's largely up to interpretation, which is a huge cop-out answer I know, but when I finally explain everything (might need a few fanfics) I hope it'll be worth the wait x3
Many people credit you as the one to spread the popularity/hype of tamers12345 & especially Flawless Sparklemoon.
Bah.. I have gotten comments about how my music was their introduction to Tamers but I definitely think the content speaks for itself! I'm just happy to be any small part of spreading the word :D
Speaking of tamers, It’d be a crime if I didn’t ask you about working with tamers to create a song for one of his videos. How did that come to be & what was your experience like working with him?
Oh I think I first reached out asking if they would want to (or were planning to) attend any conventions and he ended up mentioning he knew of me from the older days and asked if some kind of collab would be possible which I jumped at of course hehe. He was great to work with but I definitely don't want to influence his creative process at all x3
Since the last time I interviewed you, you facilitated the bands My Little Romance (a pony-parody of My Chemical Romance) & Dawnseekers (a tamers-inspired band debuting at this current Neighhem), both of which have a lot of hype behind them. How did those come to be?
Ahhh while I did a lot of work for MLR the idea first came from 4everfreebrony, I just happened to have more time and energy available to commit to the project at the time xD and Dawnseekers is (as far as we've planned) just a one-time thing hehehe
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
Ahhh yeah that tends to happen. Honestly I'm more than happy to talk to anyone but if I had to single out a real close group, it's basically been MelodyBrony, Biscuit, and Blackened Blue for a long time. There's of course many people I'm friends with and work with outside them but they're the ones I talk to most regularly =u=
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Oh yeah for sure, Vylet is an easy one. I feel like they're so above so many of us on a lot of levels which I find both inspirational and infuriating 'cause I'm actually quite a competitive person, which works out okay since it just drives me to do better and improve my craft beyond my limitations 😄
Melody again is another inspiration. He's still quite new and young but he's improving at goddamn lightspeed and it's just incredible to see. His passion and skill are clear as day and I'm always excited for his next release!
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
Oh mostly 2000s to 2010s emo, punk, and post hardcore bands. Things you would've heard in highschool like Fall Out Boy, Green Day, A Day to Remember, Amity Affliction, Hands Like Houses. and so many more. That era of music I think really started a movement of just writing what you wanted, being a little dumb or cringe or crass, just letting your feelings out and it just felt so genuine to me.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Hmmmm, probably dBPony again. He's such an awesome guy to work with and a stellar songwriter.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
This Party Never Ends for sure! I thought I did such a good job and write a super fun silly song but it performed pretty mid. Just the way it is sometimes x3
What's next for you as an artist?
I wanna do more live action music videos with higher production value, I want to get better at songwriting in general for sure and better on stage!
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Mmmm, I'm actually quite the grumpy old man when it comes to this topic lol, If you are inspired by the show, the fandom, and the music then you'll do it. You'll make it work. People like me may play some part but in the end it's you and your passion. If you truly want it to happen you will find a way, you'll make it so.If you're the person who wants big views, free rides to cons, people asking you to sign their plushies, and complain on twitter when you don't get it, quit now. This is fandom built on love and passion for a show that means something to people.
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
My wife was a classic chubby hippo horse Gen 1 MLP Fan/Collector and she told me about Lauren Faust’s version of MLP:FIM. She had watched the first episode and told me it was pretty good. Of course simultaneously I discovered 4Chan were unironically enjoying it and I went down the fan music rabbit hole. That’s when I discovered Swagberg and Pogosama. That’s when I thought… I could try this. This was roughly in 2012.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I was casually writing hip-hop battle rap lyrics in 2011 more for fun. I never took it seriously. But then I met someone at a call center who also shared my interest in writing hip-hop. We had recorded an entire album together, and then his brother who produced the beats, lost it all. I decided to try the Brony Music Community because I was frustrated with my friend losing all of our work, and I wanted to see if people would enjoy what I could write.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
So my OC name was MC FLowny and my Hip-Hop name was Rhyme Flow, in the same way DJ Pon-3 was Vinyl Scratch. Flow + Pony = Flowny. Nothing fancy.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
It was my first… BronyCon 2012. I was never invited actually, but 3 of the musicians who WERE invited (Brony Mike, Ibeabrony/IbeConcept/RayneyShark, and Feather). Brony Mike asked if I could rap “Brew the Prequel” he would have me on his set. Ibeabrony asked me to perform “Dodge This” and Feather asked me to perform “Apples of My Eye”. So on my own dime, I flew to Baltimore, got a hotel room, and literally crashed the BronyPalooza concert. It was rebellious. It was rock and roll, and it was exhilarating performing rap for the first time live in front of 3000 people. That performance was my breakout exposure that lead to my future invitations to many future concerts. (EQLA, BabsCon, BronyCon, and the Pacific PonyCon)
Your most popular song on youtube is a clever reworking of the classic “Pinkie’s Brew” by Sherclop Ponies and its Russian Gypsy Jazz cover. Anything you’d like to tell us about it?
My MOST popular song on youtube is actually On Hold with Yourenigma. (Sitting at 470k views, Another Mare with TAPS at 177k, and Apples of My Eye with Legion and Feather at 150k) But yes, on my channel Brew the Prequel is the best performing. Honestly, I worked with another amazing producer ColorTwelve who approached me with his Electro Swing Remix version of Pinkie’s Brew. Something that I really loved was whenever someone reached out to me with a collaboration idea, they would send me on a research rabbit hole that allows me to deeply understand the subject matter I’m expected to write about. For example, a song that MyCutieMarkIsAGun (MCMIAG) approached me with was about Pinkamena Pie from the Grimdark Fanfiction, “Cupcakes”. I had never read it before. In order to write from that incredibly dark perspective I had to really read and absorb that work. It was a terrifying deep dive, but doing so allowed me to write a track I felt truly represented her evil. So I had to do the same thing with Brew. I got to binge “Friendship is Witchcraft” which I really enjoyed and it gave me everything i needed to write the track.
It looks like you have two new albums out this year with “Traveler - The Performance Album” on Bandcamp and “Total Eclipse” on Spotify. Care to tell us more about either of those projects?
Traveler is a setlist album. When I started performing, I realized I had a “regular” rotation of tracks I would choose to play at concerts. The problem was, most of those songs were released by the primary collaborator so people would never find them on my BandCamp or Youtube. Traveler was a way to aggregate those songs and sell physical copies. I would literally burn CD’s and sell them physically at Musician Merch tables. Finally making it Digital years later was just the final resting place of this album. (It’s also a giveaway if someone buys my Limited Edition NeighHEM pin…)Total Eclipse is much more controversial. I know how the Community feels about AI and I’ve ruffled feathers by using it before for things like Album Art or Podcasters reviewing my tracks. I learned about AI Music generation and I wondered since i’ve been writing for so long, if I could write realistic and earnest lyrics and create generic pop music that people might mistake for real pop music, it would be a testament to my writing and an experiment to see if it could musically pass the litmus test. People can tell when AI Video or Images are fake, but AI Music has a better chance of blending in because singing by nature is structured (notes), heavily overcorrected and overproduced potentially allowing AI vocals and instrumentation to be less noticeable. (Think DAWs have access to digital instrument libraries) I had listening parties and casual music listeners had NO idea they were listening to AI.
What do YOU think about at Five AM?
I’ve been a dad now for almost 8 years. I’m asleep at 5am. But if I get up that early or stay up that late, my brain is in a weird liminal state where lyrics can manifest and I can let the muse run with my mind.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
I tried to hang with the newer rappers in the music corners, but when I had to leave the fandom in 2016 I lost connection with most of the groups. I got to see my colleagues and friends blow up from a distance (Chi-Chi, Rayneyshark, Rustage etc.) but now, being so separated from the show and not being connected to other musicians I’m just a relic from an older time.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
There was a producer/rapper named Pogosama. He inspired me to start. But once I got into it, I was more excited to work with vocalists and producers to challenge myself to write on various themes, genres, and storylines.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
I could bore you. Rakim, Tupac, Biggie, WuTang, Mos Def/Talib Kweli. Hip Hop Lyricists have really deeply informed how I approach writing.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
I’d love to work with Feather again. She vanished from the fandom in 2016 (or thereabouts) her singing was absolutely stunning. She ended up getting married to her childhood friend and becoming a preschool teacher in Australia. Honestly, I’ve been so fortunate to have my verses on tracks by Silva Hound, TAPS, Living Tombstone, Prince Whatever, Yourenigma, GARNIKA, MCMIAG and with other rappers like Ibeabrony/IbeConcept, Mic the Microphone, WootMaster, IAmSwagg, ChiChi, Nowacking. The collaboration lists I’ve accomplished are treasured.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
Lion’s Pride is a Steven Universe inspired track and it’s one of my absolute favorite flows I’ve ever performed
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
The Ballad of Whitetail Woods. It’s an AppleDash track I wrote and sung to the tune of “The Mario Kart Love Song”. But I performed it thinking I’d collaborate with an artist/friend I made in the early part of my music career. She was a great friend and vocalist/artist and she vanished into thin air, and I never heard from her again. It’s a perpetual vigil to her friendship. I don’t know what happened to her but I hope she’s alright and I wish the best for her.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
Honestly, I’m super proud of every track I’d ever made and released on my channel. But I think if I could remake it, I’d create a 2025 version of Apples of My Eye. It has been one of my favorite songs to perform, and has appeared in EVERY SINGLE concert . I’ve ever performed at. Those that know the song have come to find me afterwards and tell me it makes them cry. I’d LOVE to make a modern version… maybe acoustic? Maybe Orchestral? Either way I’d love to bring that intense emotion to a newer generation
What's next for you as an artist?
Less live performances and more/different collaborations. I will continue to be inspired by new media… TV Shows, Movies, Stories of the human condition which is complicated and unlimited in what unique perspectives I can create. I might not be doing as much MLP inspired music but the core themes and emotions are universal and persistent and if there’s a story to tell, I hope to keep doing it. If I can find an audience, I will keep writing.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
DO IT. Be bad at it. Prove you’re bad and keep being bad at it until one day you aren’t. Record on a potato until you can afford real equipment. Collaborate with as many people as you can. Use whatever free tools you have at your disposal until you get to a point where you can afford to not use free tools. Engage your audience. Don’t be afraid to receive all types of criticism. Keep making music. As much as you can. Even if you stop for years, come back and make more. You’ll lose fans but you’ll gain new ones and they’ll want what you make now. Don’t stop. Don’t ever stop.
And finally, who is best pony?
The pink one. She is joy. She chooses to be joyful and wants others to smile. To me, that’s the best.
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
Three years ago my best bro FL0 invited me to BABScon 2022. He told me the music for the Friday concert was really good so I hopped on BART the next day. I didn’t poni poni yet, so I watched all of FIM in 2022. I started making pony music October 2022 for /mlp/ Secret Santa.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I’ve been listening to electronic music like S3RL since forever, but I never properly composed music or played an instrument until I started making pony music.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
Shuffle/Shufflepone comes from EFNW 2022, where the girl organizing the dance circle remarked “yay it’s the shuffle guy!” or something like that. It grew on me and I started training shuffling. Shuffle Filly/Shuffilly isn’t really a ponysona. It’s just Anonfilly in my outfits.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Mare Fair 2024. Best performance and best crowd.
The thing that I truly appreciate about your music is how much energy it has behind it. What is your process for making it so I cannot listen to it without dancing?
I usually start with a theme(emotion/character/genre) and then come up with possible melodies/progressions. Every melody has to have a good rhythm. The melody and the bassline must have some contrast rather than one following the root notes of the other. Aside from dubstep, the drums are always four-on-the-floor. After arranging and finishing any necessary sound design, I’ll finish the transitions between sections and mix and master to be clear and loud.
Another thing I take from your music is a styling taken straight out of late 2000s, early 2010s culture. Is that your intention when creating your music?
Exactly right. I love hardstyle and happy hardcore from that era. Classic/reverse-bass/euphoric kicks are my favorite hardstyle kicks, and my intent is to blend classic kick styles with modern chord stacking like with my recent tracks Fillystyle and This December. The old hardstyle/happy hardcore aesthetic is what I aim for. I made my own pairs of phat pants after watching ancient Melbourne shuffle videos on youtube.
A lot of your music seems to be based around anonfilly and the 4chan side of the fandom. How would you say that subculture influences your work?
The Secret Santa event on /mlp/ gave me the drive to start making music, and Mare Fair 1 gave me the chance to perform for the first time. In general, my focus is set on pone. I filli filli. I just Do It For The Mares.
Currently your most popular track on YouTube is “Pretty Rave Mare”. Anything you’d like to tell us about it?
It’s a cover of S3RL’s breakout track Pretty Rave Girl. After drawing the design for an anon’s Secret Santa 2022 ID, I thought of ponified lyrics right before going to sleep. I knew it was too good of an idea to pass up, so I had FL0 help me with production and released my cover a bit before Horsemas. In 2023 I redid the production completely and re-released it, and following that I’ve made changes to the mastering over time.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
I’m more close with artists/vendors than with other musicians. FL0 and I have been friends our whole lives, and we’re both friends with Vale, so us three would be our small little group.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Vale & FL0, Vul, BGM, Odyssey
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
S3RL, Headhunterz, The Whistlers, Skrillex, DEVO, 100 gecs (there’s so many; here’s one per genre)
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Vale. I haven’t seen him in forever, and his trip out to CA keeps getting delayed.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
This December has been out for a few months now and didn’t get all that much traction. It’s not as directly poni poni as my other tracks, but it’s still a Secret Santa song that means a lot to me. It marks the point where I finally figured out euphoric kick sound design and huge lead/chord layering as well as started to understand mastering better.
What's next for you as an artist?
In the next few months: Sweet Disposition cover(hardstyle), MTC cover(super ambitious 10 minute happy hardcore), Producing sessions with Vale, Release new mix/CD
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
To those who haven’t yet: (you) have to start NOW! I started out with 100% free software. I used cakewalk as my first DAW. I still use Vital synth as my main synth. There’s tons of info on how to make any kind of music and find whatever freeware plugins(thank you bedroomproducersblog). Remember that music production is a skill and will take time to become decent. I barely knew how to mix/master for so long, but even still I could see noticeable improvements with every song. Don’t be too hard on yourself. In a year you’ll be so far ahead.To those wanting to grow in popularity: idk lol talk to people and get feedback I guess. I barely even promote my music.
And finally, who is best pony?
[Answer]
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I was really into fanfiction in 2013, and was recommended some mlp stories. My first exposure to the fandom irl was Musiquestria in 2013, in a tiny bar in Portland, Oregon. I fell in love with a lot of pony music that day that I still think of fondly. I started producing silly little songs a couple years after, none that got released, though.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I've been playing guitar since I was 10, I helped write a few songs for a band I was in at 13 or so. Eventually I got sick of classic rock and metal, and started mixing EDM.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
The sona came first. She was originally a stallion I made in the Black Ops 2 Emblem editor. Then I thought, "hmm, but what if a pink stripe?" From then on she was a mare. Call of Duty turned me trans smh.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
BABS 2024 will always feel special, as my first performance ever. It felt incredible to be on the other side of the lights, so to speak.
From what I am finding online, it seems like you’re primarily an on-stage performer with acts such as “Canto & Thrack.” What is it like performing on stage with all the musicians?
Correct!~ I am primarily a supporting musician for Canto & Thrack for live performances. It's incredible getting to help put on the shows I've been so enamored by for over a decade. Meeting so many people you've looked up to for so long, it's hard not to get imposter syndrome, but they've made me feel like I belong, and they're all a bunch of goofballs I love more than anything.
Outside of music, it seems that a lot of your fandom work is with RiffPonies & Taylor, specifically with their streams/panels. What’s it like working with them?
...Fascinating. The RiffPonies crew are some of the silliest and strangest people I've ever met, and I wouldn't change them for the world. The fact that they not only tolerate my unhinged intrusive thoughts, but actually encourage them is astounding. Taylor & Co have been nothing short of encouraging and incredibly sweet. I owe all of them so much (in some cases literally $$$).
During one of Taylor’s “Making Your Mark” panels, you mentioned potentially releasing your own music work in the future. If I may ask, is that still a goal of yours & how is that going?
I think about it every day. The groundwork is there, organized notes, lyric outlines, sample melodies. I truly can't wait to see it all come together, especially with the help and support of such talented friends.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
You will never infiltrate us! >:c (jk <3). I kinda flutter about at cons between a lot of musician friends. Every one of them is so unique and think about music and the world so differently, so I make a point to make friends with as many as I can. Though, Thrack, DoTheDaringDew, and Turquoise Splash come to mind.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Plenty! Every musician's performance always leave me with inspiration in some form. Specifically though, Turquoise Splash's catchy and sincere pop-punk, Thrack's silly and fun onstage persona, John Kenza's perfectly balanced and moving EDM, and LoopHoof's perfectly blended audio-visual experience.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
I adore any show/artist with a great visual performance. Madeon, Porter Robinson and AJR come to mind. I've also been obsessed with WSTR recently, thanks to Turqouise Splash.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Oh, gosh, the idea of writing and performing a pop-punk song of my own with Turquoise, Prince, and Thrack rattles around the empty void where my brain should occupy. Though, I honestly think about collaborating with dozens of artists, and how our styles and visions could blend.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
Spark and Sway is currently the only public one. I hope more people get to hear it, Thrack put a lot of heart into it (I also helped! <3)
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
Spark and Sway was a love song to Thrack and I's partners. We're both very sapphic people, and Twixie is one of the ultimate sapphic ships.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
A few years ago I remixed a James Egbert's "Autumn's Fading Sun". I think it has potential to actually become something, I just dunno what that something is yet.
What's next for you as an artist?
Planning some upcoming shows, some pop-punk covers and ideally at least one song before Everfree 2025.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
There are MILLIONS of people in this fandom alone. And more than you think want to hear your unique sound. Even if you think it's garbage, there's an audience out there who wants to hear your specific garbage.
And finally, who is best pony?
Twilight, Twife, Wife-Horse, Twiggle, Twinkle Sprinkle, Twily, The-Cutest-Smartest-All-Around-Best-Pony
And, of course, my horse-wife Cloudy Birb <3
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
Funnily enough, I essentially got into all of those things at the same time, very early into the COVID lockdowns. It’s a long story, so to summarize, a deepdive into some new musicians I discovered had me discover “pony music”, which made me watch the show, and the rest is history!
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I started making music because of early fandom EDM songs which inspired me to try to make my own in 2020, but I had dabbled a bit in audio programs without any real direction for a year or two before that.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
I’ve had the name SpinScissor since 2015. When I became a brony, I pondered changing it to something more relevant, but I decided to keep the name going because… if I’m honest, I just think it sounds cool!
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Trot ‘24! That concert hall was just incredible!
In terms of the modern set of musicians, you are one of the few that got their start after Friendship is Magic ended. How would you say your experience & rise differed compared to others who got started when the show was still airing new episodes?
I suppose that for me, having nine seasons worth of the show, alongside tons of existing fan content to write music about, helped jumpstart me a good bit. I didn’t get to experience the magic of writing a song about an episode that had just aired, but in a way, being able to really meditate on each episode for as long as I needed was a big help for me, especially when it came to punctuating the meaning and weight of my lyricism.
The one thing that I think of when I think of you is your unique & diverse sound(s) when it comes to your tracks, each with a different genre per se. What is your process when creating your sound & mixes?
It’s a bit different every song; ideas tend to come up for me at random, sometimes while playing a new instrument, messing with samples, or just as a thought while I’m out and about. Whatever musical style I’m most interested in at the time I start writing the tracks has a big impact, too. But ultimately, I try to work from the heart. I let ideas flow freely, and that’s partly why I have hundreds of projects on the backburner. Some of them speak to me immediately, and some have to grow on me. When it comes to mixing specifically: LOTS of practice, good headphones and speakers, and a few friends to listen to your songs and give constructive feedback works wonders.
I know that you always joke around, stating that you are known for your “Sad Spike Songs” given the vast amount of Spike-related songs you’ve created over the years. Is there a specific reason you write these Spike songs or is it more of a coincidence?
I think on some level, I resonate with Spike: his struggles, fears, doubts, and the lessons he had to learn. The show is very candid with his personality, both showing his highest highs, and lowest lows, and I found episodes featuring him prominently to be some of the most emotionally gripping for me. A lot of those same points apply when we’re talking about writing Scootaloo themed tracks as well!
It seems that you and Trey Husk have been doing a lot of collaborating for songs, specifically P@D songs (with one song coming out in the future album “Limelight”). How did your collaborations with Trey start & what’s it like working with him?
Trey and I have been very good friends for a while now, and collaborating on music together happened quite naturally. It became apparent early on that we had a great degree of reverence for each other's music, technical skill, influences, and general attitude when it came to making fandom music. “I Can’t Do This Alone” came together very quickly and smoothly. The production of that song made us aware of just how well our vibes matched, both on a personal and stylistic level. He also lives fairly close to me, which allows for us to work on big projects in-person (which I always love!)
How is your singing voice so damn good?
Two Monster energy drinks a day. Kidding, of course! I do really appreciate the compliment, though! My background is that I sang a bunch as a kid, and I did a year of Chorus class in High School. I don’t have any formal training. Now that I’ve stated my complete lack of qualifications, I’ll go ahead and give you my best advice: PRACTICE. PRACTICE. PRACTICE! Did I say practice yet? Seriously, though, there’s nothing that helped me more than committing to singing at least a little bit each and every day. And, of course, sing whatever you find joy in singing; it doesn’t have to be a sucky slog on drills and exercises like some make it out to be.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
My peer group is composed of anyone who wants or needs a friend. Treat me the way you wish to be treated, and I will reciprocate.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Absolutely! The old greats like WoodenToaster, StormWolf, General Mumble, TLT, H8_Seed, and SGaP; some lesser known gents like The Frost Shard, Brilliant Venture, and char; and of course, the whole host of modern brony musicians! Well, except for that SpinScissor guy, he kinda sucks.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
I’m a huge metalhead! Anything from soft indie rock and pop metal, to beatdown hardcore and slam. Bands I’ve been super into recently include: Haken, Leprous, Modest Mouse, ONE OK ROCK, Periphery, Knocked Loose, Signs of the Swarm, Scar Symmetry, alongside many others!
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
That’s a tough one! TCB keeps coming to mind, though. I adore TCB’s work! Equally awesome would be a collab with General Mumble and/or Synthis!
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
Reality Check! I spent over a year working on that song, and it was my first time featuring a few different musician friends together in one song! The message seems to have resonated well with the folks that did listen, though, so I’m happy!
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
My “Find A Way” remix started as a joke song I made while hanging out with my nephew. The project was literally called “generic house track”, with the joke being that I would make it a painfully generic House track, with every cliche imaginable. I ended up picking some cool sounds, and scrapped the idea of making it a joke in favor of making it an actual track, which I’m very happy I did!
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
Probably “Never Everfree”. The song has a cool melodic idea, but the sound design was a bit cheap, and the vocal performance I did was not very good. Maybe I’ll work on a remake of it soon!
What's next for you as an artist?
More ponies! More songs! More experimentation! More live performances! More friendship! And, truly, a bit of a return to the simplicity that used to be. I want to lean more into that sort of free-flowing experimentation and curiosity that defined my earlier discography in some of my upcoming songs.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Be yourself! I know it sounds cliche, but genuinely, there’s no better piece of advice I can give. Just be authentic, and make what you really want to make.
And finally, who is best pony?
Scootaloo! Easiest question thus far
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
Back in 2010, I saw that The Hub was going to be a new TV channel, so I decided to check it out. That’s when I watched Friendship is Magic for the first time. I’ve always loved animated shows, so I kept tuning in more and more. Eventually, I found the fandom online and started shifting my music in that direction.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
Before all that, I used to watch general YouTube and viral videos and would start making little remixes of them at random.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
Taps is a name I’ve had for a very, very long time. It goes back to when I used to animate in a program called Pivot. I also used to tap on desks in middle school and get yelled at all the time for it.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
To be honest, still to this day, probably BronyCon 2016.
Your most popular track on youTube is Sound Barrier, with an impressive one million views! Anything you’d like to share with us about it?
Man, it's crazy how that track is still going! Honestly, I don’t know what to say other than thank you to everyone who still enjoys it!
Your music is currently split between two band camp pages, tapsofficial.bandcamp.com and tapsmusic.bandcamp.com. Do you feel like your TAPS alias is too closely associated with MLP to properly break away into the main music scene, or has it been a relatively simple transition?
Back in the day I was kind of torn about it, so I made a new one as like a new chapter, separate from fandom music. Looking back, it’s a bit silly, but I’ve evolved and learned a lot from it. These days, the tapsmusic one is more like an archive, and I mostly just use SoundCloud now a days
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
Yeah, I’d agree with that. It’s changed a lot over time, but these days I mostly hang in Chang31ing’s server.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Man, it’s been a while, but PinkiePieSwear comes to mind, and Scraton too.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
Deadmau5 and Skrillex are the main ones… yeah, I know, lol.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Would love to make something with Feather again!
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
Probably BURNT or DIGITAL.
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
For DIGITAL, I was actually in Vegas for HRPC and stayed up late in the hotel lobby, making most of it just on my laptop speakers until like 4am.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
Probably Sound Barrier again, haha.
What's next for you as an artist?
Stay tuned.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Just make what you like and be yourself. Don’t tailor yourself to fit in. People who like what you make will find you.
And finally, who is best pony?
…Derpy.
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
My start into the fandom is a bit tricky to place a date on, I spent a really long time trying to convince myself I wasn’t into ponies lol. I was first introduced to G4 by my little sister, who shared some fandom music with me in early 2012. I was enamored by SoGreatandPowerful, and would listen to their music regularly. Slowly I started watching more and more fanmade stuff; YTPs and other vids, reading fics, and enjoying art. This went on for years before I finally caved and started watching the show, by then already getting into season 4! It was fairly shortly after that I decided to join in the fun and make some music for the fandom
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I had already been making music for a while. Music production and composition intrigued me from a very early age. I like to place my real start in making music in August of 2011 when I downloaded an app on my Mom’s old HTC phone that essentially operated as a DAW. That app isn’t in existence anymore, it was called Pocketband (formerly Uloops.) I was 13 at the time, and that’s where I really cut my teeth, and even ended up putting together the fundamentals of music theory on my own! (of course later learning this is something people have been studying with extreme complexity for thousands of years) My start in pony music would come a few years later in 2015, now equipped with a laptop and FL studio
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
Fandom name was easy, I was in the closet about being a brony, so I went with TheClosetBrony. I realized shortly after that this name was taken by another YT channel, so I switched it up for a little to ThAClosetBrony (not really much of a change,) before again stylizing it as just TCB because it looks nicer. Stayed that way for a while, again realizing that the abbreviation TCB is also used in different context in the fandom, and now stylizing it as TCBpon where it will probably stay forever. My ponysona “T” was sort of made on a whim on ponytown, by request of another fandom artist Ponytronic who wanted an OC for some album art for a project I worked with them for. I thought she was cute, so she stays :)
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
I’ve got to say, I have a real soft spot for Cider as they were the first con I performed at back in 2018. I think Cider last year may have been one of my favorite performances, getting to play all original music and remixes for the con, and being able to share that with some of my oldest fandom friends
Your music has a very distinct style - you can easily tell it apart from more common genres of EDM. How did you go about developing that sense of style?
I think a big part of my sound comes from taking influence from so much music outside of EDM and electronic music. I make a conscious effort to always look for new music, and to look specifically outside of EDM for inspiration. The vast majority of individual songs of mine are directly inspired by music that isn’t EDM. Hip-Hop, Classical, Folk, Metal, Jazz; anything I can find that touches me. I let that inspiration guide my sound design as well, and am always looking for new ways to make sounds and try and steer clear of just copying stuff I hear
A lot of your music is great with the crowds at conventions because it’s bass heavy and sounds out of this world on a large speaker system. When you make your music, do you aim for creating that experience, or did it just evolve that way over time?
I think it just evolved that way. There have been times when I’ve tred to achieve that, but I think I’m just a fan of stuff that sounds “big,” so I just started gravitating toward that in my own music
Can you tell us more about your album, CONGRATS, YOU WERE TOO LATE: A 10 YEAR RETROSPECTIVE, which will be turning two years old at roughly the same time PVCF is this year?
I put that album together in a fairly quick amount of time, at a very tumultuous time in my life. The album came about because I was feeling really lost. At the time, I was out of College for a year, and not getting any bites on work. The pandemic saw me move back into my parents house, and my physical and mental health was deteriorating being stuck. I had just spent the previous two years trying to make a career out of music (outside of the fandom). I saw some genuine success. I had been to places, played at venues, and met some people that I had only ever fantasized about, but it all seemed to get sucked away from me very quickly. I felt that I had failed, and my dreams were lost. I ended up putting that album together referencing sounds and motifs from all the music I had been making for the fandom up to that point (something a few astute listeners were able to catch) as well as referencing some of the music I had made under several other aliases. I used the project to get a lot of what I was feeling out. The “10 year” part of it referencing how long I had been making music, and feeling “too late” to achieve the goals I had wanted to. The album ended up doing a lot for me, I always seem to feel more at home making pony music. These days I’m much more at peace with where I am, and am happy to be employed full time working as an audio engineer
Do you think you’ll ever come out of the closet and embrace your brony identity?
Idk, maybe someday lol
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
Don’t know if I really have ever had that. I do have my friends in the fandom, and I think naturally out of circumstance a lot of them do happen to be musicians. That group of friends seems to be ever changing, growing and shrinking from time to time.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Easily a big inspiration is VyletPony. Some other influences include Princewhateverer, Radiarc, Nitchi, MatchmaticPony, and many more!
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
There are really so many, but I guess a few more recent ones include Son Lux, KOAN Sound, Nińo de Elche, beastboi, and NXSTY
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
I would love a collab with RoomVR. They have an amazing way of conveying emotion that I would like to work of off
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
It’s not necessarily super unpopular, but my song “CLOSE MY EYES, SEE THE THINGS THAT I WILL NEVER BE” is a bit less played than some of my stuff, and something I’m really proud of. I was able to think up and build out the narrative I wanted to with it
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
My song “FRIENDS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD” and all it's subsequent VIPs/different versions was something I had started 2-3 years before I first released it. The first iteration of it was actually something I made to submit to ASOS. It got rejected, lol. So I worked on it some more, and eventually had a version I thought was much better, so I thought I'd submit it to P@D. That also got rejected. So I went back and reworked it, and this time I thought it was a much more solid track, and also firmly planted in the style I had developed up until that point. I decided to just put the track out myself. I short time later I would make a VIP which finally got accepted to something lol, ending up on P@D: Eclipse. The song means a lot to me, and so I've continued to rework and integrate it into a lot of my songs in the 5 years since
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
I'm constantly pulling from older stuff as it is, so I don't really think I'd have a song in mind I'd want to go back and remake. I usually will get the inspiration to go back to something pretty spontaneously
What's next for you as an artist?
I’m honestly not too sure, that’s something I’m excited to find out myself!
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Not sure I can give any wisdom to growing in popularity, but for musicians looking to start, I say to constantly challenge yourself to try new things! Don’t get too caught up on following others, you build your musical identity through trial and error. I think if you can bring your authentic self to the table, the audience will start to show up
And finally, who is best pony?
Twi
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I started watching friendship is magic in 2011. A friend of mine from the college group of a church I went to mentioned to me that there was a new My Little pony show and that it was pretty good. I watched it, I liked it.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I started making pony music in 2012, but I had long been a church musician. The first song I wrote for the fandom was actually What Went Wrong. You can hear my early demo of it on my SoundCloud.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
My fandom name was just my Twitter handle. I didn't ever really interact with anonymous websites, so I really had no concept of making a separate online persona from who I was in real life.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Favorite concert is a difficult question. There's nothing like the fast and furious 20 minutes we did in front of thousands of people at the last BronyCon, but there's also nothing like the 2 hours we did for a small group of passionate fans at the last Nightmare Nights.
According to bandcamp records, you’ve been with the Wonderbolts since their first release in 2015 with Punch Drunk. What’s it been like as one of the members who’s stayed the same over all the years.
It's kind of strange to be one of the only remaining Wonderbolts members. For several years it was very clear who the band was: our four founding members. Then Audiveaux left the bass position and Mongo took over. When wootmaster moved to the PNW during covid, we kind of realized that things didn't have to be exactly the same all the time, and I feel like that really freed us up to explore new sounds and ideas live.
The first Wonderbolts song I ever heard was WYSIWYG (and it’s my personal fave, in part because of software paradigm reference). But that song’s been around since 2016. What finally got you all to record it and have it out on the Ponyville Ciderfest 2019 charity album? Also anything else you’d like to say about the song or any other Wonderbolts songs?
For wissy wig, the thing that delayed its release was myself more than anything. I've always been very focused on the live performance aspect of music, and honestly, a lot of times I get intimidated by the idea of recording something. So it's not that we waited on purpose, but I'm not sad that we did. Mongo didn't join the band as a permanent member until 2018, and if we had recorded it earlier, it wouldn't have his amazing vocal performance!
The one thing that makes “The Wonderbolts!” stand out from other musicians/bands is their inclusivity with a dynamic cast of other musicians/instruments. Are there any instruments/musicians that you wish could join you up on the stage?
Regarding arrangements or instruments that I would love to do live, the rest of the band isn't so hot about the idea, but I've always been a big fan of bands like Allman Brothers or Tedeschi Trucks Band which have two drummers. It's completely over the top and I would absolutely love one day to be able to play with two drummers on stage!
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
I guess I'd say that the peer group that I have in the MLP fandom has changed over time. At the very core, of course, are the other people who are in the band. It's just different when you're living in playing and hanging out with people for 20 hour van rides to conventions. Apart from that, one of the relationships I treasure the most is with Seventh Element. I've known DoTheDaringDew since the second convention I ever went to, and that's also a very special relationship for me. There are a lot more whom I really love hanging out with, but sometimes my anxiety gets in the way. I don't like to only hang out with musicians at conventions, but between rehearsal, sound check, performances, it can be pretty hard to get outside of that group. I remember the excitement I had when I went to my first convention. I wanted to meet everyone. I still do, I just sometimes don't have the time or the spoons anymore.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Musical inspirations within the fandom? First and foremost and always, Odyssey/Jessa. Been listening to her since Luna came out. Despite the stylistic differences, she's a fantastic songwriter and performer, and always inspires me. Also, all the other guitarists in the fandom which make me feel like I should practice more!
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
Oh man, musical inspirations outside the fandom are very wide-ranging I guess. On different days I'll tell you a different things. Recently, I've been listening to a lot of Gojira, so look out for something like that in a song soon!
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Regarding collaborations, I'd have to say Wasteland Wailers! Such good songwriting and amazing production. I'd also love to get some female vocals on future tracks!
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
I did kind of a goofy version of "I Heard the bells on Christmas Day" for the 2019 Ciderfest album. It kind of expressed a lot of what I was feeling at the time in my added bridge. I put that together in about 3 hours. It might sound like it, but I think it's pretty good for 3 hours!
What's next for you as an artist?
What's next for me as an artist? I suppose you'll have to wait to find out. All I can say is that next year is the 10th anniversary of the Wonderbolts playing live shows and we've got some big plans!
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Finally, I have two words of wisdom for anybody wanting to get into music. The first one boils down to," "just do it." No matter whether you think you're good or bad or if you can't see how to get to where you want to go from where you are, just go for it. Look for opportunities to perform anywhere you can, with anyone and everyone you can! Be humble and have fun most of all.The second one is, "don't be afraid of the little red light." This is something that it took me far too long to learn. Record, collaborate, put out your mixes for people to listen to and critique. For a long time I was afraid that my skill it recording would not match the versions of the songs I had in my head. I've had to just accept the fact that that's going to be the case sometimes!Nothing is perfect, and that's great. That's Rock and roll, baby! Embrace it!
And finally, who is best pony?
[Response not given]
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I joined the MLP fandom in 2018, new years day. kind of a new years resolution to just see where it took me, though I first watched the show a month prior.I got into it in a few ways, mostly from my girlfriend at the time, but also from seeing the movie releasing in theaters. I didnt go see the movie but I convinced my friends to get drunk and watch an episode for the funny. I was hooked after that.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I never made music, picked up guitar about 6 months prior to my first song. But I am a music education major (graduating about a month after ciderfest) and while teaching is ultimately my passion, I love creation in music too, the satisfaction of improvement is what drives me. The point of all that is to say I have been doing music a long time
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
Whinny23, and I wish I had footage.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Ponysona I've had for a while, her name is skrrah, which I took from "Man's Not Hot" in which he goes "the ting go skrrrah, pop pop ka ka ka"
Fandom name I took from thrackerzod, been shortening it for a while. Koa had the idea to put captain in front of it when I first met her and expressed my interest in creating pony shanties.
How did you become a pirate?
My brother and I have always liked shanties (Folky too) but I got really into it just before making music last year. My character is canonically a drummer, but goes out sailing on the weekends with her friends (who put up with it because theyre supportive haha)
You’ve paired up with Canto Acrylic for most of your on-stage performances. If I recall correctly, that wasn’t your original plan, but was something pitched to you from Harmony Con 2023 staff. How did they convince you?
immediate fear, as I heard his voice already on 4everfreebronys song (unreleased at the time) "Keeping me Alive" and was NOT ready to be paired with this powerhouse vocalist. Spent the weekend making jokes about how much he was gonna improve my songs, and he did. Anyways didnt really take that much convincing, I was pretty stoked to perform.
Since the last time I interviewed you, you had two recent songs that surpassed your previously most popular song: “I Can Set Her Free” & “Learn to Love You More” [both sitting at 6.1k views at the time of asking], both tamers12345-inspired songs. Would you like to tell us more about either of them?
I Can Set Her Free was part of a lil competition I had with Prince and Melody, kicking off our tamers era songs by giving us only a week to produce them. Mine ended up being satire on the obsession over flawless sparklemoon, I just kinda thought she was ok
Speaking of “Learn to Love You More,” I understand that tamers12345 reached out to you to add that song to one of his videos (with Braeburn singing it to Soarin). How was that experience working with him to make that happen?
Learn to Love You More was much more of a passion project, I even used the song to ask out my current girlfriend because ultimately, I wrote it for her. For Prince to then reach out and say he loved it enough to produce it I was honored immensely, and then Tamers asking to put it in a video I was over the MOON with joy. Seeing the animation was surreal, and genuinely felt like my peak in music creation.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
Well I play games and call with canto all the time, and ocean and jesh of course. but Koa is my best friend and I love Luck Rock, Mumble, Evershade, Nexgen and too many more to count
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
Within the fandom mostly 4everfreebrony, he taught me a good deal about mixing, Koa helped me with CD stuff and formalities so that's good too. I try to be pretty unique in the fandom though
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
OUTSIDE the fandom yeah a ton. My biggest is "The Longest Johns" for their incredible folk music and covers. I also appreciate Alestorm for heavier piratey styles though im not quite there yet in skills. and my rock music is all inspired by individual songs (more often than not, Taylor Swift.)
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
I'm not really sure, off the top of my head I'd say Francis Vace, but I'd want it to be a REALLY cool ska song and I'd need a good idea for that first.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
Start the Show. I'm in love with that song and a lot of my close friends love it, but its really unpopular. needs a remaster.
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
Most of my song's backstories I've forgotten over time, I remember the post-release significantly more than the creation. Most interesting I can think of is probably those Tamers songs I mentioned earlier.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
Honestly Id love to remake I Can Set Her Free, simply because the song was RUSHED and i wish i spent a little more time on it.
What's next for you as an artist?
Rock album coming soon, thinking of naming it "banjaxed" or "Shipwrecked" which in this context would have the ponies stranded on an island or something. It would have all of my already released Rock singles with some remasters. Also Canto and I (and crew) will eventually start going by our band name, the Snooty Snarky Vaders, but we haven't gotten around to promoting that
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Release singles to start, network with other people, never be afraid to learn, but most of all be unique there's a lot of talent in this fandom and you need to stand out in order to shine. I don't consider myself very talented instrumentally or mixing-ly but where else are you gonna find an acoustic harmony focused band with a fiddler? (shoutout to Jesh)
And finally, who is best pony?
fav ponyb is sunny starscout
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I got into MLP in 2015. I met some fans of the show at a summer camp and got curious when they started talking about it. When I got home I watched a couple of episodes of the show and was hooked. Soon after I got into watching fan-created content, and listening to fan songs. I didn't begin to make fan songs until 2018 when I joined the discord for “A State Of Sugar”. My first song in the fandom was a remix Paloris did of my still unreleased song, “Homage”, appearing on ASOS: Icecream. The original version of the song was soon released on the following ASOS compilation, Waffle. I still find it funny that my debut in the fandom was a remix of an ID. It's even funnier that he remixed it again 3 years later.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I started making music in late 2016. EDM had been a huge part of my life leading up to that point and I wanted to be able to make it myself. I started out playing with GarageBand on my phone in art class with my best friend Anthony. We created various loop-based tracks of varying quality, but the spark was there. In early 2017 I finally got FL Studio and that's where my real solo music-making story began.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
I had gone by a couple of names before landing on FORSAKE. “Trey Husk” is far from my first rebrand. But essentially I was in class pondering a new alias for myself, and as the edgy 15-year-old I was, I wanted something “cool” sounding. No joke, I was googling “cool words” and looking through dictionary.com. I eventually found the word “forsake”, but in my infinite coolness, I added a zero in place of the O. I kept F0RSAKE with a zero for around a year before deciding it was stupid, and just used the normal spelling. As for the name Trey Husk? Ask my parents. Just kidding, It's a little more complicated than that, but I’ll explain in a later question. My ponysona on the other hand, was made in 2019. I had operated in the fandom for a while without even having a ponysona, but one day I was like, ok, time for a horse. I first created him in Pony Town, thinking of how to make him look cool. I ended up just making him a purple horse with a blue snapback that was grumpy a lot. Very telling of my teenage angst at the time.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
I have to say my favorite concert to perform at had to be AnthroCon. The sheer production value of that event was off the scale. It's by far the biggest crowd I've performed for. It truly felt like I was fulfilling a childhood dream while being on that stage. 14-year-old me would be amazed if he saw me now. As for my pure enjoyment of watching the concert, it has to be HarmonyCon. The talent and production value shocks me every year I've attended. Truly the best concert in the fandom IMO.
You’re involved with quite a few fandoms, definitely the furry fandom for sure, and possibly the anime fandom with your feature on StarlingEDM. How do you feel the experiences compare and contrast?
The Brony and Furry fandoms have similar vibes. The cons are set up the same way and it feels quite uniform going between the 2. However, the concert experiences vary quite a bit. Furry concerts are mainly DJ-centric, where the overall vibe is more important than the artist playing. They are labeled as “Dances” at Furry Cons for a reason. Brony concerts, on the other hand, are more about putting on a show, where the individual artist's talents are on display. If I had to break it down simply, I'd say Furry concerts are like going to a club/rave, and Brony concerts are like going to a variety music festival. That being said, Furry Cons do still feature pop/band acts, but they usually play during the day during a different time slot.
I know you’ve been friends with SYLVVER and Jensen prior to becoming the Pony House Mafia. How did you meet both of them?
I met Sylvver on Twitter in 2021 after I posted about my car exploding and he commented on it. We DMed about it that day and then never stopped talking. We have been super close ever since. As for Jensen, we met for the first time at Cabbage Con 2023, an Avatar The Last Airbender convention, where he was performing. We had been familiar with each other for a bit before this, mainly with Jensen having commented on a couple of my song WIPs and releases. However, we truly hit it off at Whinny City 2023. We have very similar musical tastes and inspirations, so it was inevitable that we would connect. I'm super grateful to call them both my friends and I think we make a super good team.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
The main reason why I changed my alias to Trey Husk is because I wanted to have a more personal and recognizable artist name to go by. Forsake is way too common of a word and doesn't reflect my style of music or me as a person very well.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
I tend to float around between a few producer circles. I got started on the online producer scene back in 2018, being active in various independent EDM label discord servers and that's where I found a few friends that I still talk to today. However once I joined the fandom music community, I started meeting a ton of new people. In the past 4 years, I've evolved a lot as a person and a musician. Over that time I've befriended a ton of amazing people that I hold dear to my heart and awesome to work and collaborate with. As for any smaller circles, not really, I have a number of really close producer friends but a lot of them don't cross over too much. I have people I love to work with frequently, but don't be afraid to shoot me a message if you ever wanna work with me.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
If I had to list my fandom influences quickly, it would probably be Sylvver, John Kenza,
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
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What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
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Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
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If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
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What's next for you as an artist?
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Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
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And finally, who is best pony?
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How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
Back in 2011 I was seeing an influx of MLP related memes and clips of songs from the show, and being just a massive fan of animation I decided to check out the first two episodes. I didn’t quite get it at first, but I slowly started watching more of season 1, and with each episode watched the more in love I felt. By the beginning of season 2 I was a full fledged brony. In terms of making music, I was VERY into cover songs and was getting into recording some of my own of my favorite bands. So naturally I looked up covers of songs from the show, and noticed that not only was there a plethora of covers, but just a massive collection of original songs based on MLP! So after covering a couple of my favorite fandom songs by people like Forest Rain and JackleApp, I tried writing my own originals.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I believe I started recording covers of pony/brony songs late 2011 or 2012? I had been playing guitar for about 6 years at that point and had a little experience recording and mixing, but it wasn’t until I started working on pony stuff when I really learned how to be a musician and mixing engineer.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
My fandom name was originally a character I had created for a MLP fan comic series I was planning on writing with a friend. I just liked their design so much I adopted them as my sona
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
The concert I think I performed my best at was Bronycon 2019, but my favorite was easily Neighhem later that night. Just an insanely amazing and unique event that I was very lucky to be a part of. My performance with My Little Romance also holds a special place in my heart as well though.
Recently, you released your first album titled “A Splash of Color.” I got to say, it’s an incredible album and by far my current favorite album that was released this year. What was it like working on the album and what made you interested in getting an album completed after all this time?
This album was SO MUCH WORK haha. It took about a year and a half from start to finish, and during that time almost every day I was spending at least 1 or 2 hours recording and mixing it. When I wasn’t doing that or working my full time job, I was researching on how to make it the best sounding album I possibly could! I had the idea for a full length album in the back of my mind for years, and it just felt like the right time to tackle it. I felt like I owed it to my supporters, but also to myself to make a genuine album, finally graduating from just releasing single after single.
The most popular song on your channel is the gorgeous “The Twilight Will Rise” - anything you’d like to tell us about it!
Twilight Will Rise went through many MANY rewrites. Originally it was a song about Fluttershy that I was going to sing (which I think eventually turned into Chasing Butterflies) but I was just really unhappy with how the melody and lyrics were coming together. So I sent it to Megaphoric and asked if she had any ideas. She ended up writing most of if not all of the lyrics and melodies in the final version! Her partner and friend of mine Joaftheloaf also ended up recording the bass and piano too!
I’ve seen you around at cons, and you seem quiet and content with not having the spotlight on you. This contrasts with the typical musician who wants to be larger than life and on stage all the time. What do you feel motivates you most as a musician?
Yeah I’m very socially anxious and introverted. Being the center of attention is not normally my preferred place to be haha. But my absolute love of music and performing can sometimes win over my anxieties.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
During the Skype days I was in a group chat called Alternative Bronies which was just a big collection of non EDM musicians. People like Forest Rain, P1K, Cyril the Wolf, Joaftheloaf, Tarby, and PrinceWhatever to name a few. Forest was actually the first online friend I ever made! We met when they approached me about doing the acoustic version of Hay Ms Derpy. There was quite a divide between EDM and acoustic musicians for a few years there for some reason, but I’m glad to see that that’s no longer the case!
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
I was a huge fan of AcousitcBrony and Forest Rain when I first joined the fandom. Recently though my close friends MelodyBrony, Princewhateverer, and dBPony are my biggest inspirations as well as my biggest supporters! Love those guys so much and am always impressed with their content and performances
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
My favorite kind of music is and always will be pop punk! Bands like Yellowcard, All Time Low, blink-182, and Motion City Soundtrack are absolutely my biggest inspirations. Even my earlier work was inspired by these bands and their amazing acoustic works. My acoustic stuff is also HEAVILY inspired by Owl City/Sky Sailing.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
I really don’t know why we haven’t collaborated on anything yet, but I really want to work with dBPony on something. Our styles are very similar so I think we could really make something special together. Others I’d love to work with at some point would be Namii, Koa, MathematicPony, Metajoker, or Vylet Pony
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
One of my earliest songs, Honestly, definitely became more obscure over time. I really think I should record a new version of that one with better production
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
My song When You’re Offline was actually the result of a song writing class I was taking while I was still in school. The work in progress title for it was “The Skype Song” since I knew I wanted the song to be about online relationships
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
Oh man, can I say all of them? Haha! The ones I’m really considering are Honestly, When You’re Offline, and Canterlot Nights. I think I can really breathe new life into these. And my mixing has gotten so much better over the years, so I think I can make them sound really professional
What's next for you as an artist?
More albums! I actually have three ideas for albums cooking up in my brain. I know I eventually want to record an acoustic version of A Splash of Color, and I do really want to remake a bunch of my old stuff and package them all together in a new album. There’s also a light concept album I’ve been thinking about for a while now, but I’ll have to sit down and write out story and themes and such before I commit to the idea
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
RELEASE YOUR MUSIC. Really you have to just keep going at it. The more you release, the more people have a chance to see what you’ve made! You’ll also only get better with every project you work on. I’ve really regretted holding on to my works in progress, hoping for the “right time” to release them. But really I should have just put them out there instead of holding off for essentially nothing. Also, YouTube is your best friend. Everything I learned about recording and mixing I learned from a YouTube video! Do your own research, and trust your ears!
And finally, who is best pony?
LUNA
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
Funny enough I never planned on getting into MLP, but rather was curious about it back in high school. A group of friends were catching up on the show and as a joke I watched one episode. The rest is history!
When did you start DJ’ing in general? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I started looking into DJ’ing sometime in late 2017/early 2018 just after I came back from my first ever pony con (EQLA). I went in with zero skills beforehand and at first I found it almost overwhelming and almost decided to step back and drop it.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
Once I was knee deep in music, I started associating myself with Vinyl Scratch. During my first BABScon I attempted my first ever Vinyl Cosplay and a gentleman said “Hey that’s a pretty sweet VinylTastic cosplay”. The name has stuck ever since!
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
As much as I want to say the final Bronycon, I would have to say my first ever gig at Everfree Northwest. It was not only my first ever con performance but seeing a completely packed concert hall blew me away and it kick-started that urge inside me to keep doing this and bringing smiles to people.
As far as I can tell, you are strictly a DJ and haven’t ever put original tracks or remixes onto the internet. Have you ever tried dabbling in production and making your own bangers?
This is a question that I get asked a lot, I think because I started dabbling in DJ’ing and solely just that, music production has never crossed my mind. But it’s not entirely off the table!
Can you tell us a little more about your former radio show, “Scratching The Surface”, and what it was like to work with folks at PonyvilleFM?
PonyvilleFM was the first ever group of folk that welcomed me with open arms when I was just starting up with my bedroom mixing. Back then I was using a school laptop and a trial copy of VirtualDJ. They offered me every resource I needed to get started and further my interest in the world of DJ’ing. Once I had a better handle on it then they offered me a slot on their radio station so I can get a feel for what it’s like to perform for other people. I think that if it were not for them I don’t know where I would be today.
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
I’ll be honest, while I have been in the fandom for quite some time now and I have met an endless amount of musicians, I have found myself rather in a peer group consisting of non musician folks. Don’t get me wrong, I still hang out and talk to a core amount of people during off seasons and keep up with a couple people on a daily basis!
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
No one specific but I’d say that each and every musician in the fandom has influenced my sets in some way or another. Whether it be song choice, vibe, or how I plan my performances.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
Absolutely! I spend endless nights staying up and browsing youtube, twitter, facebook, etc looking up the big DJ names like Timmy Trumpet, Tiesto, and more. I would always watch their past performances and see what kind of songs they played to see how the crowd reacts and look into how I can bring that kind of energy into my sets.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
This is a very tough one to answer, mostly because I don’t actually make music! I have done collab performances in the past and they’ve been some of the most fun sets ever. So I can’t really nail down any specific names!
What's one of your favorite tracks to spin, but not necessarily the biggest crowd pleaser? that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
I’m not entirely sure how this happened, but after playing Crab Rave by Noisestorm people started associating that with my and my performances. I think it was one of those “wild card” things that no one else plays and it not only made people laugh but actually get into the groove. Almost every time I perform at a con, someone will ask me if I’m playing that song.
What's next for you as a DJ?
It’s really hard to say, I’ve been doing this for years now and I’m forever grateful to this fandom for giving me an opportunity to be someone in the brony scene. No matter how big or small the crowd I still walk away with a smile because of the folks that come out and support me. I may continue to do what I keep doing or I may end up hanging up the mantle and passing it down to the next generation. Only time will tell!
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start DJ’ing?
Do not be afraid to step out of the norm and try something different. I cannot stress this enough, I had many doors shut on me when I first started DJ’ing and was very unknown in the fandom but that did not stop me. No matter how many times a con would reject me I would still keep pushing and working on making sets. Even if I was the only one hearing them, it was a stepping stone for me to slowly build up experience so that the next time I apply for a convention or event, I would have a very built portfolio.
And finally, who is best pony?
Vinyl, because she’s so VinylTastic!
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
I got into MLP because I saw a guy with a Rainbow Dash T-shirt on a Disneyland trip in 2012. I joined the fandom on June 22, 2012, and I started making music for it at essentially the same time, as I was already experimenting with making electronic music at the time. I now no longer consider myself a part of the MLP fandom, nor any other fandom, and mostly interface with the show and others who like it in a detached state.
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I started making music around 2006-2007, but didn't really start trying until 2011. In early 2012 I discovered electronic music, months before getting into MLP.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
I originally wanted to be Vinyl Scratch DJ Pon-3, but Scraton — who was named Vinyl Scratch at the time — had already taken the name. People already called me "Vy" at the point I needed a new name, and purple is my favourite colour. Therefore: Violet (Purple) + Vy = Vylet.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Bronycon 2019, I had a lot of fun with the visuals for that one.
Your Cutiemarks album really blew up in popularity, bringing in a lot of new listeners, and revitalizing the fandom’s music scene to an extent. What has it been like trying to follow up after that?
'Following it up' hasn't really mattered to me, I just sorta do whatever I feel like at any given time. I think the only thing I actively am trying to do is not repeat Cutiemarks, thematically, or musically.
Your latest album, Monarch of Monsters, is quite dark to say the least, taking your music in a different direction (some might say you’re pivoting into furry music). It’s been very well received so far; do you think you’ll be continuing to make similar music, or will the quickscope era be yet another pivot?
I'll probably make more post-punk and progressive/noise rock stuff in the future, yeah, but it really just depends on whatever I'm feeling at the moment and what kind of stories I want to write. The Quickscope Era is entirely dedicated to filtering out the listeners who came from Monarch but aren't going to understand the rest of my music properly, so it's intentionally very different from Monarch.
So much of your albums is connected to lore, and it’s common for you to release a novella alongside your albums. At this point, there’s over a dozen OCs for fans to keep there eyes on. What do you think is the best way for newcomers to your music to get up to speed with the lore?
I'm trying to come up with a long-term solution to this, but I don't have one quite yet. In the meantime, Monarch will serves as a nexus for all the lore moving forward. Though, for those who are not able to stomach that LP, then listening to Super Pony World (Zräos Simulation), Mystic Acoustics, Homeward, and Super Pony World (Fairytails) will be a good way to understand the format of these things, and introduce people to the mainline of the current story arc.
Takyonymph, Septonymph, or Antonymphmania?
The secret fourth one, Party Rocktonymph
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
I tend to keep to myself, and I don't really talk with many other musicians, inside or outside of the fandom. I have a creative friend group we call Pilfcord, and some of my close friends Syzy and Tracey Brakes heppn to be musicians, and are within that social space.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
My absolute biggest inspirations in the fandom are FeatherVOCALS and Flutter Rex, both of whom are presently inactive creatively, as far as I know.
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
That's a list that could not be summarized on a small scale. The best I can do to answer that is to say that I started trying to get serious with my music because of Genesis and Skrillex respectively. My inspirations shift very deeply depending on what I'm listening to at the moment and where I am in my life. Right now, I've been listening to a lot of rap and hip hop in very divergent scenes of the genre space.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
Either FeatherVOCALS or Flutter Rex lol. Feather, because she's a brilliant songwriter and performer, with one of my favourite ever singing voices of all time. And Flutter Rex, because their proficiency with sound design and atmosphere is so inspired and still stumps my understanding of the art deeply.
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
My song "Destined a Fatal Flaw" from Super Pony World (Zräos Simulation). It kinda makes sense why it wouldn't be popular either, it's mostly a song where I noodle around on my piano with the Earthbound Piano soundfont. But all the feelings it encapsulates from when I wrote it, the time period it's from, it's place in the album, and the atmosphere I accomplished with it is all comes together to be something that most people won't value, but I do because it's a perfect moment in time to me. It stands for a lot of thoughts and feelings that I think will be evergreen for the rest of my life.
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
A favourite backstory is actually for my newer song "In the Name of Friendship" from my LP "Girls Who Are Wizards". The original demo and idea dates all the way back to 2015. The first 60 seconds of the song are virtually unchanged from the original demo. I basically listened to the demo over and over again over the course of many years thinking to myself "I wonder if I'll ever finish this". By 2024, when I decided to finish it — 9 years later — my skillsets and artistic sensibilities were so drastically different, as you might imagine. I originally demoed it when I was 16, and I was 25 when I decided to finish it. But "Girls Who Are Wizards" was intended to be the EDM album I wish I had been educated and practiced enough to make WHEN I was 16, so it felt like the perfect time to actually do it. It's one of the most full circle things I've ever done, and I think it's gonna be one of my favourite songs I've done for a very long time.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
I've been remaking a lot of my old songs lol, it's been exciting to do. But I'd really love to remake my song >_owo.pony-directory sometime. I hope I can get to that before 2026 lmfao.
What's next for you as an artist?
I'm finishing my LP "Love and Ponystep" right now. Then after that, I'm gonna tie up some project loose ends. Once I do that, I'm going to be working on the next Starship Ponyville record, "Promise Complex". This is really big for me, because the Starship Ponyville series of lore and music is something I've been developing with my close friend Sylver Stripe since 2012. When Promise Complex is completed, we will have finished the plan we developed all the way back when we were 13. Obviously the stories won't end there, but we will have completed our original vision. That's super exciting to me.
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
Don't try and blow up. Stay true to what you want to do artistically, and never compromise it for anyone. You have to make bad art before you can make good art. And once you know how to make good art, make bad art anyway. It's fun as hell. Reject elitist music values, be a pirate, and make music that you would listen to.
And finally, who is best pony?
Starlight Glimmer. That's the only possible correct answer. However, if she's off the table, then Big Mac. Big Mac, the beautiful woman.
How did you get into MLP, the MLP fandom, and when did you start making music for it?
long story short, I found My Little Pony from sources waaaay back in 2013. My classmate was a brony, What sparked the interest was a youtube ad for my little pony’s friendship is magic newest episode.
I gave it a shot and watched Wonderbolts Academy and then the rest is is history haha. Never went back.
I started making music in 2019, and more importantly my inspiration to make music was ponies. So it really kicked my way into being a full rounded producer and musician going forward
More generally, when did you start making music? Did you start out with MLP or did you bring in some skills beforehand?
I had start playing drums when I was 17. Still in high school at the time. I got the drive from friends at school and the music I was listening to at the time. Names like Korn, Slipknot, Pantera, and Metallica where one of the first non fandom musicians at the time I liked.
How did you come up with your fandom name and/or ponysona (if you have one)?
I created my OC Whirlwind in 2015 with no intention at the time to turn it into the alias, but I got inspired through my physical side of me as I was a prominent distance runner. I used to run like the wind haha.
But just sort of rode with it when I started performing. Probably could have made a better “alias” but the name and OC is very. Attached to me at this point in time.
What is your favorite concert that you’ve performed in thus far?
Honestly, I still keep asking myself that question. But for my favorite CON performance experience of all time has to go to Galacon 2023 withPrinceWhateverer. The room was so jam packed, the crowd was wild, and was an awesome setlist. HOWEVER, While technically not a con, when Prince and Brownie did the Neighhem fests in Baltimore and Milwaukee after the cons... stuff was insane! Have so many memories especially from the Baltimore one after Bronycon. I still wish I can re-live that night hehe
What’s it like being one of the main drummers of the pony fandom and getting to perform with all of the big names?
It feels kind of impactful the more I look at it. I started just wanting to play with the musicians I liked and for my love of silly paste ponies and music. But looking at the way I've come and grown musically and seeing others getting inspired by it makes me realize I've really made my mark and happy because of that. I will add that I'm thankful for Forest Rain for discovering me, and drummershy encouraging me to play with Forest during Everfree 2019 as they gave me a chance to play and thankful that that wasn't only time I played heh.
In addition to drumming, you also produce your own music too! How do you balance both performing with others and producing new tracks?
It’s been a second since I’ve made music under the whirlwind name. But to backtrack I make Electronic music and have an album and EP, and played in a band outside of fandom circles called Sleep Serpent. Yet the balance on playing shows and producing new music has always been hit or miss. I feel like right now right now it’s even more apparent. I’m in such a creative bubble that makes me more passionate to make art and maybe even make a new EP or an Album or… well you get it. But on the flipside being committed to play live shows has always took time away from creativity as well as life in general. I can get hyper focused on making a live show having a good result, I just forget that I took that creative juice away from making new songs. But in the end creative juices come and go for me
One of your most popular originals is Bright Green Eyes. Is there anything you’d like to share with us about that track?
Apparently Spotify thought that too lol. Unfortunately that was a curse because that track was algorithmically added to one of those “AI playlists” that seems to inflate numbers. And as a result it got taken down from Spotify. However in hindsight it is still one of my favorite pieces I’ve written myself. There’s even still a lot of “reinventing” I can do with that piece cause I’ve grown a lot in producing over the past three years as of today. But Applejack is my favorite horse. This is my piece to dedicate my lover for best pony =)
During their time in the fandom, some musicians find themselves in a close, smaller group of MLP musicians. Do you have a peer group, and who's in it?
I'm generally in the group of the current common rock and metal lineup of musicians at cons. The PW, Melody Brony bandcamp seems to lewer me into group projects like My Little Romance, more recently Dawnseekers, among other one off collabs.
I guess that’s my core group, but I feel pretty adjacent to that group myself. I’m also in a producer project/group called Lost Sun Valley which is mainly led by Shaunpocalypse. Though it’s mostly a WIP dump of ideas, it’s something that has potential to take off.
My favorite musician to work with right now is probably SpinScissor simply because we have so much in common and the fact we both inspire each other from production ideas, music talk, writing, etc.
Do you have any musical inspirations and influences within the fandom?
There's a lot of fandom influences that have inspired me both as a performer, producer, and just general enjoyment. Some of which I've got to play live with. My four favorite brony musicians that listens to and inspired me are Forest Rain, PrinceWhateverer, IsmBoF, and SoGreatAndPowerful. All of which I've been listening to since like High school years (2015). Alternatively there's been some peeps that Inspired me in smaller ways. Some names included new and old are Donn Devore, SpinScissor, Loophoof, Cannapplejack, Oodorato2, and Radiarc
What are your musical inspirations and influences outside of the fandom?
I take a lot of inspiration from non fandom musicians and dive deep into genres I find and like. One of my biggest inspirations is BT. Brian's work specifically on the "This Binary Universe" album in his discography has played a huge roll into how I write orchestral pieces that go somewhere and with unique textures with electronic/glitch like production to merit the track. Apart from BT I draw huge inspirations from different genres a lot as well. I've been writing and producing with my band Sleep Serpent and has opened the door wide open into metal and a new approach to how I write a song. There's too many artist to list but Periphery is the most consistent of those inspirations.
If you can collab with anyone in the fandom (either still active in the community or otherwise), who would it be and why?
I've had the honor to have collabed with my fandom music favorites. I would love to collab with SpinScissor on a more recent note. We have worked before for parodies with SBD for now, but I would like to produce a post-hardcore like track with SpinScissor. For past musicians I would love to collab with SGAP but that'll never happen hehe
What's one of your tracks that's never been too popular, but you are super proud of anyways?
I would say my track or piece I'm proud of is my piano piece "Thank You". Although a simple piano piece, it was something that needed to be done as a thank you to the show as it played such a big role in my life. I do hope to one day actually play this live on an actual piano and hope others can feel the emotional joy the show gave me
Do you have a specific track with an interesting backstory? If so, what is said story?
Hmm… I can’t say I’ve written something that was more unique among other tracks I’ve made. Simply because a lot of the sources of what I write to usually I imagine in my head or is a response to something I witnessed or felt. However my latest electronic track Astral Plane is sort of set in a dreamlike setting that has it’s own identity and not something I experienced IRL (like with Escape).
The concept of altering dreams or astral projection has always been interesting to me. Even that episode “Do Princesses Dream Of Magic Sheep” drew me closer to making music to the idea of a setting that is unpredictable and spellbound, yet comforting and a haven away from the conscious world.
If you can remake any of your tracks, which track would you remake?
Already mentioned earlier, but a re-invent of Bright Green Eyes would be nice. I’ve already had remasters, reinventions and other remixes of the source but have been hesitant on releasing something with the same exact face. But when the time gets right I juuuuust might release a reimagined Bright Green Eyes =)
What's next for you as an artist?
There are a lot of things coming. Some ideas that have sat for years and others very recent. In terms of my own stuff, 2024 will be my year for my follow up full length album. I could talk for days on what's been cooking, but I hope these new music ideas come out this year as it will be a milestone for my life and mlp fan music. Outside of fandom stuff, life's moving me on a whole different path. I co-started this deathcore band Sleep Serpent two years ago and now it's gaining lots of traction as we've been booked to play shows featuring music we wrote. On top of that we are hoping to release our first full length album towards the end of the year. Also another milestone for me as a musician as it's some of best metal drum parts I've written and co-produced tracks I've took part in.
I’ve also picked up guitar! And have been more creative than ever!
Any words of wisdom that you want to share for anyone who wants to start making music for the fandom, or wants to grow in their popularity?
I would like to say be happy of the art you make. If making music about silly little ponies is what you love to do by all means, love it like you'd love yourself.Write and perform with heart and desire.
And finally, who is best pony?
Applejack! Simply Applejack!!