Dead Pony

Dead Pony began in 2015 when Anna Shields, looking for a guitarist, contacted Blair Crichton; the pair bonded over their shared love of 1990s grunge and started writing together. They first performed as Crystal, alongside university classmates at the University of the West of Scotland, and won a competition to open for Paolo Nutini at a BBC Scotland Hogmanay concert.

Shields and Crichton later formed a quartet with Lizzie Reid and Aidan McAllister, still releasing music as Crystal, before Liam Adams replaced Reid and Euan Lyons replaced McAllister. The band renamed itself Dead Pony in 2020, dropping the Crystal name in favour of something sharper.

Their sound draws on grunge and alternative rock, with distorted guitars underpinning vocals delivered in a flat, sardonic register, and their songs often work sharp, repeated hooks against noisier arrangements. The band has cited touchstones ranging from Nirvana and the Breeders to Hayley Williams and Limp Bizkit.

Dead Pony built a following through the Scottish live circuit on the strength of early singles and EPs, including War Boys, before releasing their debut album, Ignore This, which reached No. 8 on the Scottish Album Charts in April 2024.