Anders Ponders

Anders Ponders is the stage name for Anders Mattson, a Minneapolis multi-instrumentalist who is very insistent about his commonly mispronounced name. Similar in style to Andrew Bird and Final Fantasy, Anders writes songs on viola—as opposed to violin—with the aid of a loop pedal and embellished by sequencers, samples, guitar, and vocals. The aim is to heavily orchestrate lyrics about mythology, astrology and opera, to create music that has the ability to transport the listener. 

 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. In 2008, he 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. 

 With the encouragement of his new housemates, Anders started to write music again after years of self-imposed silence. Playing in basements of show houses, 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. Nodes of Overtones named a City Pages Best Album of 2009 

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"It is the emergence of one of the most refreshing musical voices in years. It is a masterpiece.” -City Pages 

"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." -Gimme Noise 

"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... 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