Wild Ponies, ‘Mom & Pop’ [Exclusive Premiere]

Wild Ponies, comprised of Telisha and Doug Williams, are giving The Boot's readers the very first listen to their new song, "Mom & Pop." The song appears on their upcoming record, Radiant, which is due out on May 13 via No Evil Records.

"Mom & Pop" tells the story of a "mom-and-pop" store that first opened its doors in 1944 ... and, sadly, is now closing. The lyrics break open the feelings that every small business owner likely has when a franchise pops up down the road. The song's upbeat, toe-tapping melody masks tough words.

"I'm a little bit glad that you both passed away / So you don't have to see what I'm doing today," the Williams sing. "It ain't nothing but hard work and dreams / Packed up, stored in a box / So, goodnight, Mom and Pop."

Wild Ponies wrote "Mom & Pop" with a friend, Jeff Barbra.

"Bigger isn't always better," Wild Ponies tell The Boot. "When we travel around all over the country, it's kind of sad to see all the small, independent groceries and hardware stores die off. Places lose their personality when that happens, they lose their history."

As a whole, Radiant discusses the moments that make up a good life. It's the follow-up album to Wild Ponies' 2013 release, Things That Used to Shine. In addition to the full-band version of Radiant, which includes instrumentation from Megan Jane and Fats Kaplan in addition to the Williams, the duo is also releasing a limited-edition acoustic demo version of the record. Only 500 copies will be made available.

“The edge is still there ... without the electricity, tubes and drums," says Telisha Williams.

Radiant is available for pre-order on iTunes. For more information on Wild Ponies and their upcoming show dates, visit their official website.

Listen to Wild Ponies, "Mom & Pop":

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