Anders Ponders is the stage name for Anders Mattson, a Minneapolis musician who is very insistent about his commonly mispronounced name. Similar to Andrew Bird and Final Fantasy, Anders writes songs on viola (not violin) with the aid of a loop pedal and embellished by sequencers, samples, guitar, and vocals. Whimsical lyrics, juvenile melodies, and driving percussion express a desire to return to innocence and magic.
Anders began to play music at the age of three when his mother, who coined the future stage name, fashioned a tiny mock violin by taping a ruler to a matchbox. She--a Swedish Folk fiddler--and her three sons formed a string quartet that gave recitals at their church.
In his teenage years, he rebelled against the strict practice schedule that kept him in the Minnesota Youth Symphonies and began to play piano, guitar and to sing. Drawn to theater and performance--perhaps due to realizations about his sexuality that would make him different from his peers--Anders wrote and recorded an album at 15 that he didn't end up liking and which caused him to stop playing music for several years.
During this time, he studied Political Theory at the University of Minnesota and learned to analyze the ironies and injustices of modernity. This experience radicalized him and steered him toward DIY ethics and aesthetics.
In 2008, Anders moved into a punk house where he encountered a world of working local musicians. He joined Bouncer Fighter as their new violist and a few months later, had the honor of playing with them on the First Avenue Mainstage for the Best New Bands of 2008 show. Gradually, Anders began to write his own songs once more, this time about Greek Mythology, Tarot, Astrology and Opera. Playing shows in bars and friends' basements, he learned how to make simple rhythms and complex harmonies build to an ecstatic climax. Neil Zumwalde of New Tectonics agreed to produce and record him, an experience which has transformed the sound of Anders Ponders' debut album, Nodes of Overtones, into a pop-folk symphony.
"It's the purity of his songwriting, the strict beauty of his melodies, and the heart rending lyrics he applies that make his craft so breathtaking... Rarely does so tender and simple a song [The Discus Incident] involve so much movement, so much loving orchestration, and its chorus, which doesn't arise until the final minutes, is as uplifting and heartbreaking as anything in Gimme Noise's recent memory."
-City Pages Gimme Noise
"The child-like emperor of Minneapolis... Anders Ponders... creates wind-blowingly light, full of whimsy and wonder arrangements aligned with the likes of Sufjan Stevens or the lineage of indie pop, twee and freak folk artists from the past fifteen or so years, but really, the sound is all his own. Reminiscent? Sure. Derivative? Not so much that it gets in its own, vibrant way. Fun? Totally. The orchestrations are built with beauty and hope and the lyrics (choruses especially) are gleeful. It's the sort of thing that will make you smile and maybe well up in tears depending on subject matter, though sometimes, you'll do both." -The Culture of Me
"There isn't a single second in Anders Ponders' new album Nodes Of Overtones that isn't completely nourishing for your soul, ears and heart. This Minneapolis artist possesses a pure wit which leads to some incredible turns of phrase (see the Discus Incident) and when combined with his lush instrumental arrangements causes your cheeks to blush with excitement. Ponders explores mythology, astrology and opera with a whimsy and curiosity that are undeniably evident in this collection of seven ditties. Building from a viola base Ponders creates intricate arrangements of instruments and vocals to wrap around his words and ultimately his audience. This will undoubtedly be on my winter soundtrack and I unreservedly demand you give it repeated listens to, please." -The World in a Paper Cup
"Nodes of Overtones is a grand debut that is tuneful, infectious, and above all a lot of fun for the listener."
-Lavender Magazine
hey Anders, thanks for finding me here! If you haven't already please head over to iTunes and send me some digital love. let me know what you think of my album. peace
i thank you dearly for your album, it exudes the same luminance as your shining spirit. and holy crap, congratulations, what a debut! you're so wonderful.
You left me this comment on October 22nd, and I am now logging into Myspace on 26th... goddammit. I am sure it was wonderful, you should let me know when your next all ages show is, and hopefully I will be more proactive about checking this page more often.
Come grab an advanced copy of the new disc from my fuzzgrunge noisepop band The Sextons, and as always bands, let me know how I can help out with your next tasty record!
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the total IT thing in my cd player right now
