First, the blurb from the page:
Having formed during a ski trip in 1996, Pond quickly transcended their school band roots to became a fixture of the North Antrim music scene during the late 90s and early Noughties. As well as having a strong songwriting ethic, the group were also responsible for running the wtts music collective during the summer of 2002.
Their body of original work spanned over 20 songs, channel-hopping between punk, pop rock and increasingly open-ended arrangements, that reflected the diverse range of influences each of the members brought to the group.
It also serves as a fitting epitaph to many a lost afternoon playing together after school, discovering a shared passion for music and songwriting that has since lived on in the hearts of its members.
It is with some satisfaction and relief that another of the skeletons from the mixing cupboard makes its way out into the public domain.
The Pond sessions were remarkable in many ways, since the band seemed to intuitively snap back into their old ways of playing, despite the decade-long gap in its members playing together.
The recordings also captured a depth and subtlety to the songs, hitherto only heard in the players' imaginations. This was a high definition realisation of pieces composed in teenage bedrooms, and played scratchily in Portrush bars.
For me personally, these recordings marked a watershed where I moved away from working as a producer for other bands, and began to concentrate on material by projects I was personally involved with.
It was also very satisfying to capture the mid-90s rock guitar sound so conclusively - especially on the final track Swan Song - that had been the driving influence behind starting the band in the first place.
It's therefore of immense personal pleasure to finally listen to material that harks back to the very genesis of my involvement with music.