Behind The Band: Matt Pond PA

We sat down with prolific singer/songwriter Matt Pond to get the inside track on his newest album, The State of Gold, and his upcoming fall tour details

From the LifeMinute Team

July 28, 2015

You can take Matt Pond out of Pennsylvania, but apparently you can't take the PA out of Matt Pond. For his 11th album, The State Of Gold, just released on June 30th, Pond collaborated with the loose-knit ensemble of musicians who have long made up his band originally formed in Philadelphia. "The name, The State Of Gold, may seem slightly pretentious, but it really is just the thing that we are all reaching for that we'll never get," says the prolific New York-based singer/songwriter.

Prior to the full album release, Pond debuted the first track "More No More" earlier this spring as a teaser, along with a music video. "All of our videos are about escapism. The ability to escape worlds. Time is never fixed. You can speed up or slow down," he told us.

As for the album's sound, Pond pushed himself beyond his usual chamber pop style. "We decided to work with pulses and polyrhythms to push around what we were doing and a little bit more outside of what we are normally comfortable with," explains Pond. "The song, 'More No More', is about the acceptance of being stuck with the body. Sometimes, when I'm playing, I completely forget what I'm doing, but it's all happening. Sound is coming out of my mouth and my hands are moving--hopefully in the right direction, hopefully with the right words. You know, you kind of lose track of yourself. Whiskey does the same thing," jokes Pond.

The band is set to go on tour this fall. To keep up with Pond, check out his blog Kingstonian and follow the band on Facebook and Twitter.