"The tempo is just a touch lazy, the vocals carry the right amount of wistful and thankful, and together it’s an anti-commercial holiday anthem." -Twangville
Live & Kickin' (2020)
Slow Ponies
Led by the great, great granddaughters of Charles Applegate and the great, great granddaughter of Camafeema (Chief Halo), the Slow Ponies have made an album unlike any other.
Live & Kickin' was recorded live in Yoncalla, Oregon over two days in March of 2018. In choosing a site for the project, the Ponies decided on a community space close to where the Applegates met the Kalapuya people over 150 years ago.
Known best for lively performances that pay homage to Western acts such as Rose Maddox and The Sons of the Pioneers, Slow Ponies Live & Kickin' captures the very best of the Slow Ponies: Their stories, their songs, and their show.
The album, produced by singer-songwriter Melissa Ruth, showcases old favorites (Tumblin' Tumbleweeds, Ride, Cowgirl, Ride), new favorites (Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, They Call the Wind Maria), and originals (Pancho, Cafe Vaquero, and the Song of the Aging Cowgirl). These songs often reflect the experiences of women and minorities in the West.
Outside of their music, the Slow Ponies are vibrant members of their communities. Esther Stutzman received the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Governor’s Art Award for her work in Oregon as a traditional Kalapuya/Coos storyteller. Also a recipient of the Governor's Art Award (2007), Shannon Applegate is an historian and acclaimed author best known for her book Skookum. Susan Applegate is a writer, activist, and celebrated visual artist. Linda Danielson is a retired professor of literature, music historian, and old-time fiddler. Stacey Atwell-Keister, former city-council member and mayor for the City of Yoncalla, is a local music educator and author of the book Teaching Harmony to Beginning Singers. Liz Crain is a rancher and a multi-instrumentalist, performing in roots ensembles throughout the region. Melissa Ruth is a touring musician and an award-winning music educator. Together the Slow Ponies are as dynamic as they are diverse.
Slow Ponies Live and Kickin’ is a true celebration of women in the West, then and now, and a testament to the power of story, song, and great saddle pals.