Allison Ponthier Isn't Content to Live Life Stuck on "Autopilot"
Photo: Julian Buchan
Singer-songwriter Allison Ponthier begins a new chapter in her latest single, “Autopilot.” The Texas-born, Brooklyn-based artist's latest track, written with Adam Melchor and Ethan Gruska, collaborators on her 2021 debut EP, Faking My Own Death, is a stirring exploration fear and going through the motions of life without actually living.
The track pairs her signature wit and warm, crystalline vocals with an expanding musical palette, building from a gently strummed acoustic guitar to lush, technicolor instrumentation. “‘Autopilot’ originally started out as a song about my phobia of driving,” shares the artist. “I’m 26 years old, and I’ve had my permit three times, but ultimately the responsibility of driving has always terrified me. While it started out as a song about something silly, it ended up being an exercise to write about my weaknesses. I don’t like to tell people how to interpret my songs, but I think 'Autopilot’ can take on a double meaning about trying to break through the feeling of going through the motions.”
After teaming up on tour and in the studio last year for “I Lied,” Ponthier invited Ben Schneider of Lord Huron to join her in the official video for “Autopilot.” The music video, directed by Jared Asher Harris, is brimming with retro details, including a gorgeous, pristine, sky blue 1957 Ford Thunderbird. The storyline traces a peculiar love affair from the first meeting, romantic dates, marriage, to a homebound honeymoon that doesn’t go according to plan. Finally, viewers watch the singer deal with the aftermath of heartbreak, including lots of crying, cutting up roses, and eventually finding new love in the most unlikely of places.
Ponthier is set to perform her first-ever headline shows at Baby’s All Right in New York (June 14) and the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever in Los Angeles (June 16). She’ll then join Bleachers on their North American tour, which launches May 17 and perform at BottleRock Napa Valley.
Watch the "Autopilot" video below:
Allison Ponthier Tour Dates:
5/17 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues Orlando
5/18 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Live
5/20 New Orleans, LA Fillmore New Orleans
5/21 Austin, TX Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater (SOLD OUT)
5/22 Austin, TX Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater
5/24 Houston, TX House of Blues Houston
5/25 Dallas, TX South Side Ballroom
5/29 Napa, CA BottleRock Napa Valley 2022
6/14 New York, NY Baby's All Right
6/16 Los Angeles, CA Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever
