Meet August Ponthier.
You are likely already familiar with the Allen native’s music — KXT spoke with the singer-songwriter when they returned home for a headlining Deep Ellum performance earlier this year — but earlier this month, Ponthier came out as nonbinary and said their new name is August.
In an Oct. 15 interview with Them, Ponthier described the feeling of coming out as “elation.”
“Being myself and knowing that other people can see me and have the ability to see me how I want to be seen is like, I never thought that would be possible,” Ponthier told Them’s James Factora. “It feels just as good as playing a giant show or putting out a record. I’m really, really glad that we’re doing this now, because I want everything that I make in the future to have a name I’m so proud of on it.”
To that point, Ponthier wasted little time getting new music to the masses, dropping their latest single, “Betty” on Oct. 24, which lyrically touches on the transition and alludes to the challenges Ponthier encountered growing up in North Texas: “It’s tough in Texas/When you’re hopeless, helpless, different,” they sing.
The gorgeous, bruising “Betty” is the appetizer for the 29-year-old Ponthier’s debut album, Everywhere Isn’t Texas, due out Feb. 13. The record will feature a few songs Ponthier has previously released as singles, including “Karaoke Queen.”
“It’s a collection of songs that tackle topics like gender envy, reconnecting with childhood, escapism, generational trauma and queer joy, all while processing a complicated relationship with your hometown,” Ponthier told Rolling Stone last week. “When I would sit down to write songs, those are the experiences I wanted to draw from. It’s simple. It’s a record that can be fun, silly, heartbreaking, disarming and covers a wide range of topics and energies, but it’s a record that is about my life.”
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky (@prestonjones.bsky.social).Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
