(The pic above is a moment from a session we did for Relix last fall. The song we performed, Spaceland, is both my favorite on The State of Gold and the most funereal. Because I guess that’s how I like it?)
Our old label, Polyvinyl, has granted us permission to give away the music we released with them on Patreon. (As a precursor today, I’m setting another EP free. A relic from 2001, I Thought You Were Sleeping.)
Thank you very much, people of Polyvinyl!
That’s huge. And for not only this but also for their continuing history of putting out great music with honor, they get the most massive cheer that my still-beating heart has to offer.
Next week, I’ll post The Green Fury along with a handful of meanderings through the dells and drifts in my mind.
—
Meanderings. If I were to extract the long history of my mistakes and release it for public amusement, there would be a lengthy interlude about how I should’ve tried my damnedest to continue releasing records with Polyvinyl.
Simply, they’re some of the only folks in the music business that haven’t tried to screw me/us over. Or worse, own us to ignore us.
I don’t believe we exist to be exploited. This should be a fundamental tenet of labels/management and all existential baloney outright. But it would seem that the opposite has become acceptably, even expectably, elemental. In fact, some of the smallest labels known to science will try to stab you in the back, the front and anywhere they can see the slightest glimmer of cupronickel.
If you have any spare cupronickel, please spend it on excellent bands atop virtuous labels like Polyvinyl.
Thank you. And yes. m.
Today is the first day of Spring!
Though there are no bursts of blossom and green up here in Kingston, hope is on the tips of our fingers and countrywide passion feels like it’s on the cusp of coming to pass.
The image above was created by Ms. Jenna Casey, referring to the wonderful season that’s upon us and the mighty state wherein I was born and bred.
Further, Jenna’s design alludes to a theme of fawns, which had fully enwrapped and engrossed me in the spring of 2007, when songs flowed from my brain like an awkward geyser.
The demos for a few of these dingdong songs can be heard here.
If you want to go further in depth, you can download and see the notes and whatnot here.
Regardless, live free and well! Yes! m.
Hello!
This is one of those minor missives in between the mountains of baloney, down in the valley between albums and tours.
I wrote a small piece in this excellent publication.
If you’ll allow me a few more breathless words, the precipice I’m trying to reach with both words and music is that there might be a better way.
I’m the last one to point it out with any kind of high-mindedness. Up until recently, I loved spending holidays alone with frozen dinners under a fortress of blankets.
But there is a choice in how and what we consume. Food, music and everything.
With all the ways that our lives have become easier and easier, it might just be the perfect time to take control and seek out localized modes/means of consumption.
Or not. Our existence is already hard enough to unravel. My words might just be making a further mess of it all. (It’s definitely happened on many late nights in upstate New York.)
Mostly, I merely hope you’re well. m.
Let’s take a moment to simultaneously celebrate all those things that are truly awesome!
Pickles, popcorn, women and music! (Please pardon the avalanche exclamation points.)
Gifts! We have half of our merchandise up here. Next week, we’ll be uploading the rest.
Also. We’ve uploaded and annotated the album Measure for free downloading, streaming for our patrons here. Join us over at Patreon to get access. (In addition, patrons get a discount code for the aforementioned merchandise.)
With the cynical bones that you and I share, it’s obvious that there’s degree commerce attached to some of my shoutings. That may be true.
But all these things I’ve made matter to me. And if you’re reading these words, they might matter to you, too.
In most ways, I’ve always written music to connect. As time moves forward, I’m wielding every tool in my metaphysical belt to inspirit the bonds between us all.
I sincerely hope these words make some kind of sense. Thank you. For reading, listening, supporting.
And thank you very much for women.
(If anyone knows the show at which this picture was snapped, please remind my lightheaded mind.)
Yes! m.
The lion of March is here!
Fear not: This shameless lion’s going to handily vanquish winter and take the lot of us out for margaritas.
So to celebrate, here’s a demo concerning the fearlessness that we’ve been patiently courting, hanging fire until the spring finally hits.
It’s called Force of Nature and it’s streaming here.
And/or you can download it and keep it as your own on Patreon.
Next week, we’ll be posting/giving away the album Measure on Patreon — with all footnotes and baloney you can handle.
Mountains of merchandise should be available shortly, as well.
Thank you for both the listening and the reading. Yes.
(Above is a picture at SXSW in March of 2010. And yes, I still chew on my picks while soundchecking.)
I’m at the kitchen table, making a simple lunch of fried eggs and greens, trying to get a handle on the songwriting spigot.
There is a level and intensity I need to reach. I see hints and glimmers on The Full Stop. But I can’t tell if they’re leading or misleading. Or is it just this season between seasons?
I was recently made aware of Julien Baker. Alongside some of my familiar favorites Land of Talk, Hop Along, Sibylle Baier. (Of course, I always try to mix it up with some Johnny Cash and Dylan.)
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There’s a vocal and lyrical truth they achieve that I’m not hitting.
I don’t want to focus too tightly on what isn’t happening. When I finish my food, I’m going to be wrestling words and chords again. This time, no mercy.
——
Soon we’ll be posting my/our second, full-length album, Measure, for patrons. For anyone who’s interested, join us over at Patreon where I’ll write out all the angles. As always, I deeply question some of my previous musical decisions — while others still somehow make sense to me.
——
I hope everyone is doing well out there. Yes! m.
We will be periscoping the house show we’re playing in Cleveland tomorrow. I believe we’re set to rock softly at 8:30 EST. That is, unless Chris has another one of his turbulent costume changes. Follow us on Twitter to grab the link.
This will be the last show we’ll be playing in public for some time. (There are whispers of a cello house tour in the fall. But the wind isn’t always a reliable source of information.)
In Cleveland, we’ll also be picking up 500 pounds of misplaced merchandise. Next week, these items will be available on Patreon at half their original price. A store will be up shortly.
Misplacement, misbehavior, mismanagement, misguidedness, misunderstanding — these are the negative spaces that we’ve chosen to fill in with the full-on optimized optimism of our new bearing. (You’re invited to virtually kick me whenever I sound like a salesmen. The truth is that I’m honestly excited to extract myself from all these terrible entities I daftly trusted. And further, to be able to move forward.)
We’ve also uploaded more free music from an early self-released album for patrons.
Please pardon me if I ever sound like a broken album. But there is meaning in constructing and controlling a positive realm for making music. Right?
Life is strange. But life is good.
I hope you are all well. Yes! m.
Today we bring you looks and listens. (If you’re busy or you need to stare at the sky for the rest of the day, I totally understand.)
Brody McGee and Chris Lane put together this initial preview of a mini-doc they’re doing about me/us. (Brody is my imperious nephew and their production company is called Scalabrin Cousins.)
And Folkadelphia Radio and WXPN released a live session from last year today. From the write-up:
“It was fresh around the release of The State of Gold and the tenth anniversary of Several Arrows Later that we at Folkadelphia were privileged to record this live session with Matt Pond PA. The band had recently been robbed of precious musical equipment while on tour, but still came out to hang with us for a while. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for doing that.”
Thank you! yes. m.
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.
We have a bunch of baloney for you today!
We’ve revamped our Patreon video and offers. Check it out if you’re interested in checking things out.
I wrote a piece about a relatively new establishment in Kingston, NY, an excellent little wine bar on the Rondout, Brunette.
We have a new Lowlifes track for your perusal. We Are Lights.
And there are just a couple tickets left to our house show in Cleveland.
We couldn’t do any of this without you. As always, thank you for listening to my baloney.
Thank you! m.
Hello!
We have one public event on the calendar this year.
Chris and I will be playing a house show in Cleveland on February 19th. Doors at 8pm, show at 8:30. A late Valentine for all the delayed lovers. We’re offering 30 tickets. Please click here if you can definitely come. The first to respond are in.
We’re also asking that you pay what you can. We appreciate whatever you can afford. (For instance, if you have to cross hill and valley to see us, we totally understand your thriftiness — we just want to rock. Softly.)
Also. We’ll be posting more pieces of the puzzle on Patreon later this week. We’ll let you know what’s up shortly. Yes!
Thank you. m.
Hello, everyone!
I hope you are all victoriously charging through wintertime.
We continue to move forward with our efforts. Songs, spirits and stories are all forthcoming.
Our most recent undertaking is a digital single, two songs with accompanying visuals. An effort made possible by my great friends and collaborators, Jenna Casey and Chris Hansen. The most dedicated, truest Lowlifes I’ve ever met. (The songs are available for purchase here.)
I’m not a salesman. I will not try to convince anyone to part with their money on my behalf. But I do love music, the connection and creation that it’s graced me.
In order to continue constructing and controlling our world, we’re carrying on over at Patreon. It isn’t a perfect paradigm. But it’s been an excellent place for us to operate and interact.
Everything we’re working on will be available over there. And you are only asked to contribute what you can afford.
If that doesn’t appeal to you, I totally get it. We will still be here, there and everywhere — trying to slip by the adversaries and hang on to the beauty and generosity of our most faithful friends.
I’m speaking to you. Thank you. Yes! m.
Post Scripts:
* I love New York, both the state and the city. But I don’t feel like it’s a competition. From touring, all these towns and faraway lands have their own stunning, vital people and parts. Cleveland, Portland, Tucson, Birmingham, Salt Lake City, more. All, with their noble days and their wild, wild nights.
* I sincerely apologize for using the word “paradigm.”
* As a friend, I must now offer a hand if you’re moving. Of course, I will be expecting an endless supply of beer and pizza as the sun sets on our success.