User:Ponderingjudd

Originally named Grover, Pondering Judd formed in March 1993, with singer/songwriter Martin England joining forces with bassist Steve Abbott. The pair recruited drummer Shawn Roussin, and eventually added mandolin/harmonica player Blaise Masse and guitarist Eric Nelson. Grover release Birdhouse in fall 1993, which featured the anthemic Indian Summer. The original lineup appeared on several compilations, including Digital Mystery Tour - Side Two (Big Noise Records) and Live at the Stone Church Vol. 1.

In 1994, Grover officially changed its name to Pondering Judd after threats of litigation from a Boston-based band with the same name. England took the name from a letter salutation written from his friend Judd about how the true passionate thinkers of the world were those who took their childhood with them into adulthood. The letter was signed Pondering Judd.

Pondering Judd eventually lost guitarist Nelson to local legends Heavens to Murgatroid in summer 1996, but forged onward as a four piece. Abbott and Roussin departed from the band in July 1997, but not before the band recorded its last show at the Stone Church in Newmarket, NH.

In August 1998, England and old friend Brian Gosselin decided to ressurrect the band under the same name, with Masse rejoining soon afterwards. Local drummer Danny Carroll was added soon afterwards.

In January 1999, without any funds to back a studio project, Pondering Judd released the aforementioned 1997 live recording, entitled (simply) Pondering Judd Live.

Curve of Her Soul was recorded during the summer of 2000 and released in November of that year. During the session, pianist Joe Jalbert was recruited to record keyboards, and eventually joined the band shortly thereafter, a stint that lasted until fall 2002.

Guitarist Mark Edgerly was recruited to play guitar on the 2002 release of October at Our Heels. He also joined the band, pushing the PJudd membership to six.

Jalbert left Pondering Judd in November 2002, followed by the departure of Masse in winter 2003. Local songwriter Hank Decken joined the band shortly after, bringing an assortment of instruments to the mix (pedal steel, lap steel, baritone guitar).

Drummer Carroll was dispatched in fall 2004, and Steve Jacques was hired in his place. The lineup of Decken/Edgerly/England/Gosselin and Jacques went on to produce two records in 2005, Succumb to Hell (February) and Lonesome Heart Strangers (October).

In spring 2006, Pondering Judd completed its first-ever US Tour with Ireland’s Sawdoctors, including performances in Boston (The Roxy), Chicago (The Vic Theatre), Baltimore (Rams Head Live), New Haven (Toad’s Place), Cleveland (Agora Theatre), and Alexandria, VA (The Birchmere). The tour was secured solely through patience, hard work and perseverance, without the benefit of a major label deal, a true testament to PJudd’s DIY nature.

Pondering Judd parted ways with Decken shortly thereafter, citing artistic differences and the desire to pursue different musical avenues.

Pondering Judd’s latest, Coalesce, is their sixth release in seven years, continuing a prolific run of songwriting dating back to the band’s creation in 1993. Coalesce is laden with visually-poetic lyrics and emotionally-charged melodies which swarm the senses and rouse the imagination. Sequentially, the ten tracks on Coalesce represent a musical arc, the day’s first beams of sunlight eventually giving way to the dark edges of night. It also represents PJudd’s finest work to date, at once documenting and showcasing the band’s collaborative framework.

Pondering Judd frontman/songwriter Martin England left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career, and released Martin England Razed and Reconstructed in October 2010. His website is available here.