by Lauren Gitlin

"A lot of the stuff that I sing about - well, everything I sing about - is regret," says Matt Pond, singer, guitarist, and mastermind behind the chamber-pop quintet Matt Pond PA. "There are so many days that you can't go without making a small mistake or a large mistake.  Maybe it's good for writing songs, but it's wrong for living the exact life that you want to live. I'm one step behind the last mistake I made. But it's kind of funny too."  And herein lies the formula for Matt Pond PA's body of work - tender, beautifully crafted gems about love, relationships, nature, and nostalgia undercut with a humor and sarcasm that keeps the songs from being melodramatic.
 
Pond formed the group in 1998 after moving from his native New Hampshire to Philadelphia, and has remained the one constant in a rotating cast of band mates which at the moment includes cellist Eve Miller, drummer Dan Crowell, bassist Will Levatino, and guitarist Brian Pearl. Through its various metamorphoses, the band's sound has always relied on the added flourish of string instruments ranging from violin to cello to harp, which lend warmth and richness to the otherwise simple melodies."       
 
The band is currently at work on its fifth studio album, the follow-up to 2004's glittering Emblems.  But for those who can't wait, the group recently released a seven-song EP entitled The Winter Songs, complete with covers by Fleetwood Mac and Richard and Linda Thompson. 
 
*Matt Pond PA has no current plans to tour.