matt pond PA

We’re digitally releasing our first album, Deer Apartments, on Patreon today.

It’s strange to revisit these artifacts. But there are whispers and hints that could be worth hearing.

At some point, we’ll properly re-release it. For now, it exists in the one place where we have complete control over our lives. And I kind of love that.

Deer Apartments was the first proper album I ever made. It took about three years to write and record. In the frame of mind I remember from way back when, I was going to make one album and move on with my life. (That was not the case.)

Josh Kramer was the engineer. He was also my first true bandmate. We haven’t spoken in over fifteen years. But he was a fine gentleman. I’m sure he still is.

Jim Hostetter joined us in mid-recording. Jim played the cello, one I’d spotted while moving his furniture. (Between my professorial ambitions and rock n’ roll, I was the world’s greatest — and skinniest — furniture mover.)

My fascination with The Beatles, Jeff Lynne and Shostakovich made me throw caution to the wind, and I asked him to record with us. Jim didn’t have the greatest technique. He was often angry at his instrument (and the rest of the world). But he wrote amazing parts. He was the first musician I sincerely respected that believed in me. Which was huge and changed my life.

There are parts of this album that will never make sense to me — lyrically, structurally, production-ally. Yet it pushed me forward.

Heck, everybody’s got to start somewhere. Right here, this is where I began.

Get Deer Apartments