The Ponys drummer Nathan Jerde has died
Nathan Jerde, the drummer of Chicago garage-rock band The Ponys, has passed away. No cause of death has been revealed.
The Ponys were formed in 2001 by singer and guitarist Jered Gummere. They began as a three-piece, with Gummere working alongside Melissa Elias and Jerde, who also played in local punk band, the Mushuganas.
They grew to a quartet with the addition of Happy Supply’s Ian Adams, who contributed organ and additional guitar. They worked their way through record labels to eventually sign with the Los Angeles-based label In the Red.
Their 2004 debut album, Laced with Romance, led to their touring the record alongside The Fall and the Fiery Furnaces. They stepped things up sonically in 2005 with the Steve Albini-produced Celebration Castle and their EP Another Wound.
Their last recorded album arrived in 2007. Turn the Lights Out saw Adams replaced with Brian Case and the label switch to Matador.
Jerde would continue working in the music industry, focusing on the artwork for bands such as Outer Minds, Mannequin Men, and Choke Chains. The Ponys would reunite again in 2016 for a series of shows.
Matador Records broke the news of Jerde’s passing on X on May 6th, with a post that reads, “Deepest condolences to all friends, family and bandmates of The Ponys’ Nathan Jerde.”
The Ponys took to Facebook to confirm the news in a heartfelt post that included some nostalgic film photos of the band in the early 2000s. Their message calls Nathan “an amazing drummer and possessed savant-like art skills. Nathan loved goofing around and had the sweetest of hearts.”
The post continued to reminisce: “We traveled the world together. We ate amazing meals together and we met lifelong friends together. We fought like brothers sometimes, but we had so much fucking fun together. Nathan, we will miss you so much!”
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