Matt Pond PA returns this week Permanent Change Part 1, yet another indie-folk capsule from the songwriting vet that also inherently promises that it won’t be his last. We had the good fortune of announcing the record back in June with the lead single “Endless Summer,” with the visceral sense of a quiet life in Upstate New York continuing to come into focus with each new single that’s dropped since as we approach the record’s release this Friday.
Yet it’s that first sample that Pond returned to for his “Neighborhoods” sessions, which he performed alongside his multi-instrumentalist collaborator Chris Hansen in Saugerties, New York. Set up near Bob Dylan’s recording space of legend in the Catskills, the peaceful setting is a perfect match for the song’s quiet angst. “When we’re not working in my basement, we rehearse and record over the sound of lawn mowers and snow blowers at Chris’ house in Saugerties,” Pond shares. “Big Pink is nearby, and Overlook looms in the distance. There’s so much history and beauty in the Catskills. We’re pretty lucky to live here.”
Regarding their unexpectedly hazardous choice of location, he adds: “We thought the woods out back would be a good place to escape the wind and play ‘Endless Summer.’ It took us a few minutes to realize we were standing in a patch of poison ivy, which seemed about right, so we just went with it.”
Check out the performance below, and pre-order Permanent Change Part 1 (which appears to be streaming already) on Bandcamp here.
