They’re a self-proclaimed ‘supermarket trio’ from
Chicago, fronted by a being named Gordon Pond and performing a twisted style of
indie rock they dub on Facebook as ‘pondwater’.
Their brand new EP Battered
Boyfriend plunges into the topic of domestic abuse, matching tortured
lyricism with a tortured guitar sound. Bravely and cathartically drawing from
his own personal experience, frontman Gordon vividly paints a picture of life
as a victim and the self-deprecating and illogical thoughts that goes through
one’s head.
On ‘1811 N Francisco’, stark line ‘I’m calling to tell you that Gordon’s a monster/ He’s going to sleep
with your wife’ sees him reflecting his partner’s paranoia over beautifully
dissonant chords (of which the whole EP is uniquely made up of). ’32 Regis’ meanwhile
takes the lyrical content to even darker territory, the line ‘you’ll end up like your dad hanging dead
from a pole’ particularly creating a few chills, whilst instrumentally speeding
up and slowing down in a bipolar fashion. And
then there’s the two slower ‘1406 N Campbell’ tracks that close the record, the
latter’s percussion and guitars eerily building up and then dramatically
cutting out, Gordon’s final line being ‘the
truth will set me free’ leaving you to frighteningly ponder what he might
mean by that.
It’s a spooky, tragic, yet positively therapeutic record,
Gordon freeing his psyche of its murkiest thoughts not just for himself but for
every other victim of domestic abuse to relate to. There’s even a certain, dare I say it, black humour
to it in it’s sheer gristly bluntness.
Those wanting to delve deeper into Creature from Dell
Pond’s murky depths can read on for an interview with Gordon himself in which
the two of us discuss swamps, Rihanna and, of course, pizza…
If Creature from
Dell Pond was a pizza what toppings would it have?
G (Gordon): If we were a pizza it would have lots of milk on it and probably some
fish tacos. Nick Alvarez (drums) makes us frozen pizzas all the time so I'll
see what we can do about recreating this idea.
What’s the story behind the band
name?
G: I was born in a
pond and I am a creature of habit.
What
inspired Battered Boyfriend? How personal are the lyrics?
G: This record was
inspired by events that took place in 2015, and the lyrics are
autobiographical. One of the main themes is how domestic violence is primarily
recognized as male-on-female violence, and that is a huge issue that everyone
needs to be aware about. In addition, there is a lot of female-on-male,
male-on-male, female-on-female, etc. violence that occurs every day that is
mostly not addressed by society, professionals, etc., and it's taboo to talk
about it. For anyone experiencing any type of domestic abuse, Violent Partners
by Linda Mills is a great resource.
The
tracks are all named after addresses? Do these places all carry a significant
meaning?
G: Yes. These
addresses represent significant locations in my life, in both the events that
have taken place at these locations and the people who reside(ed) there.
The melancholy chord choices that
you guys use are really unique. Who are your inspirations?
G: Alex jokes that I
write songs using only major seventh chords, which is mostly accurate. Nick
listens to a lot of jazz, a lot of improvised music, I know he loves U.S.
Maple. Alex is very influenced by early American musical theater. I am really
into Speak No Evil by Wayne Shorter at the moment. I think we all love the
Chicago band Paper Mice.
What
new music are you guys listening to right now? Any upcoming bands that people
ought to know about?
G: I just bought the
new Deerhoof album, The Magic, and wow, it's incredible. I also purchased
Malibu by Anderson Paak and I really enjoy that as well. ANTI - Rihanna has
been on heavy rotation, too. Oh, and I know Ryan Power has a new record coming
out at some point and I'm anticipating that very much.
Funniest gig
story?
G: Nick and Alex kicked me out of the band after a show and uploaded a
picture of the two of them on our Facebook page saying to never talk to them
about Gordon again because he got so drunk. To this day, I'm still not sure if
it was a joke or not.
Would you guys ever consider
playing live in a swamp?
G: Of course, swamp water is my natural habitat.
What does the future hold for Creature from
Dell Pond?
G: A lot of musty meats and assorted fruits.
Follow Creature from Dell Pond at @thedellcreature