All grown up

Jered Gummere and Melissa Elias of the Ponys

Even though bandmates Jered Gummere and Melissa Elias have been married for five years, there are still moments when they question their status as grown-ups. “Our house is cute,” Elias says, “but nothing fancy. I’m not sure if we’re adults yet!”

It’s true that when you spend up to three weeks at a time playing indie rock in a new city each night, it can be easy to neglect your home decor and end up with a house that looks like it’s inhabited by 21-year-old slackers. Gummere and Elias are going to great pains to avoid that. “When we moved into our place, it was on our minds to not have it be collegey,” she says. “Posters came off the wall and went into to frames. And I think it’s good to get a cool piece that you can build around.”

And what did these two Ponys choose to decorate their living room around? A pair of 1950s Chinese-Americana chalkware lamps that Elias had been coveting for years and finally found when the band played in Boston this summer. “I would research them, and they were always too expensive,” she says. “These were in good condition and only $100.”

And although they haven’t started buying items (Elias is looking to brighten up their Northwest Side apartment with a new rug and couch) to complement the lamps, that could change once the band hits the road on two different tours with Spoon and Chin Up Chin Up this fall. “Usually when we’re on tour, I always try to do some shopping,” she says. “And we have the van to bring everything home in.”

Catch the Ponys before they leave town when they play The Riviera Friday 12.