Twenty-five-year-old singer-songwriter Allison Ponthier will release her debut EP, Faking My Own Death, on August 6 via Interscope Records. You can pre-save Faking My Own Death HERE. Today, she shared her spellbinding new single, “Hell Is A Crowded Room.” Ponthier’s crystalline voice skims along a gentle guitar as she explores a common fear. “Hell Is A Crowded Room” is available HERE. You can view the visualizer for the song HERE.
“‘Hell Is A Crowded Room’ is a song about pushing through social anxiety, especially when it manifests in a really physical way,” explains Allison Ponthier, who wrote the song with Rick Nowels (Lana Del Rey, Stevie Nicks), who produced it along with Dean Reid and Brandon Shoop. “I always wondered why a shy person like me would choose to be an artist when it’s constantly putting yourself in front of people, and I think HIACR is a response to that. It took on a much more intense meaning post-pandemic, but I also think that it’s an applicable song for anyone that gets nervous in groups and is doing their best to be brave enough to get through it.”
Ponthier will join Lord Huron on select dates for the Long Lost Tour which kicks off September 9th in Philadelphia and hits various venues in New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle, Portland and other markets across the country. Check out the full itinerary HERE. They recently performed their collaboration “I Lied,” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Watch it HERE.
Growing up as a wide-eyed misfit in the Lone Star State, Ponthier dreamed of running away to New York City. When she made the move to Brooklyn at age 20, she felt out-of-place in a new way—like a goody-two-shoes Southerner in the epicenter of East Coast hipsterdom. The corresponding internal journey has inspired a string of reflective, idiosyncratic yet relatable songs.
Faking My Own Death merges raw self-expression with a sound both timeless and delicately inventive, tapping Ponthier’s affinity for indie-folk and alt-rock, yet hinting at her country roots with its heart-on-sleeve storytelling. Additional producers who joined her in the studio include Mike Crossey, Ethan Gruska, Dan Wilson and Adam Melchor. Along with “Hell Is A Crowded Room,” the EP features her debut single, “Cowboy”—which was an Apple Music World First—and “Harshest Critic.” See below for track listing.
Billboard said, “’Cowboy’ immediately captures and captivates as both a personal and professional coming-out story” while FADER called the track a “bright slice of queer country-pop.” In this feature, Vogue delved into the details behind the accompanying video, directed by Jordan Bahat and informed by the campy B-movies that Ponthier adores.
Teen Vogue noted, “‘Harshest Critic’ continues her enjoyable, introspective musical hot streak.” V Magazine declared, “You’re going to need to learn to pronounce this name because Allison Ponthier (Pon-tee-ay) is here to stay.”
Track Listing – Faking My Own Death:
- Cowboy
- Paid For
- Harshest Critic
- Hell Is A Crowded Room
- Faking My Own Death
- Tornado Country
