MUSIC Feature: DANIELLE PONDER
‘Some of Us Are Brave’ by Danielle Ponder is out now. Listen to her debut album here.
Bravery can take many forms. For Danielle Ponder it took the shape of a leap of faith: leaving her successful day job working in the public defender’s office in her hometown of Rochester to devote herself full-time to sharing her powerful voice with the world.
The singer-songwriter’s mesmerizing debut album reinforces that her faith was not misplaced, and her leap has been rewarded with a safe landing. The release follows performances at the Juneteenth Celebration at the Hollywood Bowl, SXSW, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and CBS Saturday Morning, along with supporting the likes of Leon Bridges, Amos Lee, and St. Paul & the Broken Bones. She wrote and sang on Marcus Mumford’s newest album and joined him for several dates on the road, and she is currently supporting Young The Giant on select shows in their Fall run.
The sixth of seven children, Ponder had always been musical but chose to pursue a career in law after her brother received a 20-year sentence due to a “three strikes” rule. But even as she became a tireless advocate for justice in her community—first as a public defender and later as a diversity, equity, and inclusion officer in that same office—the music was never far from her heart as she played in bands and wrote songs, first between classes, then between cases.
“I loved being a public defender, I loved standing next to my clients and advocating for them,” says Ponder. “But it came to the point where I had to choose.” And so, she leapt.
Head of Social Impact, Aisha Becker-Burrowes caught up with Danielle to learn about how feminism informs her music making and what it means to be brave. Discover the feature below & a special invite to a live performance in New York City on Nov. 5th.
Q: Tell us about your latest album. What message do you want your
listeners and fans to walk away with the most?
DP: My latest album is really about letting go of what no longer serves us and doing it with self reflection and bravery. It is just an honest reflection of where I was at the time and they are the songs that I needed to survive what I was going through.
Q: Your album is titled Some of Us Are Brave. One thing that’s clear is that you hold so much power - in your voice, in your artistry and as a former public defender - what does it mean to you to be brave? And, where do you go to find your bravery?
DP: I think bravery is the ability to show up every day as yourself. That can be hard in a world that tells you you need to be someone else, or work a certain job or date a certain person. Bravery is the ability to listen to and follow the internal compass.
Q: You’ve talked about losing hope in the possibility of an equitable
justice system and how music restored your faith. What
encouraged you to take this leap from being a public defender to
pursue being a musician and artist full time?
DP: It was clear to me that, while I love working as a public defender, music is my true calling. When I am on stage I am so content, so present and really it is when I feel the most in love with myself. At some point it occurred to me that if I was on my death bed and did not give music a full chance I would regret it.
Photo by Grace Rivera
Q: There’s a long history and connection to music and social justice. What does it mean to you to be a part of this legacy? And, who inspires you the most?
DP: I don’t set out to write about social issues. I just write about things that impact me, and being a black woman in America, it is difficult to not address the systems of oppression that impact my life and the lives of my family and community. I am inspired by Nina Simone, bell hooks, Alice Walker.
Photo by John Liwag
Q: What’s next on the horizon for you and in your own evolution as a musician?
DP: I’m learning to be here and to be present with gratitude. I think so much of receiving what is meant for us is being grateful for what we currently have. So with that being said lol, I know that if I work hard, if I am authentic and kind, my music will reach people all over the world, offering them healing and continuing to heal me along the way.
Q: What does Feminism mean to you?
DP: Feminism to me is the belief that every woman should be completely in charge of her body, her voice and her future. It is also a recognition that gender roles do not serve us no matter how we identify. It is a way for all people to be free of the constraints of patriarchy.
Q: How does feminism inform your music and your craft?
DP: Without feminism, without feminists like Audre Lorde and bell hooks, I would not be the artist that I am. From feminist theory and feminist writers I have learned a confidence, honesty and freedom that is the foundation of my music.
Join us ✨ a live performance by Danielle Ponder
Saturday November 5th at S.O.B.s in New York City 🎟 Purchase Your Ticket Here.
Support Danielle Ponder by listening to her debut album, “Some of Us Are Brave”
You can follow on Instagram and checking out their website at danielleponder.com
This feature is in support of Barbara smith
Danielle Ponder’s album, ‘Some of Us Are Brave’ is inspired by the feminist anthology, ‘But Some Of Us Are Brave: All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men: Black Women's Studies’ edited by Barbara Smith. As one of the original founders of the influential Black feminist Combahee River Collective, Barbara continues to be a key figure in the creation and realization of modern intersectional feminism. The ideas first discussed in the Combahee River Collective statement, have become the foundation of countless social justice movements, including the Movement for Black Lives.
The Smith Caring Circle (SCC) is a crowdsourced retirement plan for Barbara Smith, a groundbreaking and lifelong Black feminist writer, activist, scholar, organizer and thought leader. The Caring Circle People's Pension is crucial for Barbara to continue the work, in her retirement. Her lifelong commitment to struggle and liberation did not lead her down a path with a pension and much of her work was and still is uncompensated. The People's Pension (SCC) was created when she retired in 2017 and it has afforded her to live with respect, dignity and safety.
Subscribe the Barbara Smith's Patreon (The Smith Caring Circle)