Based between two of the UK’s most prominent music scenes, Manchester and Liverpool, the four piece are James Millington (vocals), Joe Anderson (guitar), Lawrence Aspin (guitar) and Adam Ghidouche (keys/formerly drums).

Working with powerhouse promoters This Feeling and Scruff of the Neck, the band were forging a growing reputation as one of the North West’s strongest upcoming live bands.

After being forced to step aside from the live scene, this year has seen Pondarosa look to focus on the disco and psychedelia side of their songwriting, swapping drums for keys and introducing funky and infectious basslines.

Teaming up with Matt Heap of Suff Studio for a third time, 2020 sees the band look to influences like New Order, ABBA and Dua Lipa to focus on a groovier, synth heavy sound. This saw them release their latest single As You Think on Friday 13 November.

Speaking about re-writing and recording As You Think, the band’s Adam Ghidouche explained: 

We worked with Matt Heap for the third time, which made things very relaxed and easy from the start. Matt is comfortable with electronic music as well as guitar based stuff, so he was able to help us capture a great blend of guitars and synths to create a more disco infused sound.

As You Think opens up with a floaty synth, when the punchy drums and some catchy guitar riff kicks in it gives the track a very melodic dance beat.

This is a bold new step by Pondarosa and will help them stand out from the increasing numbers of indie guitar bands, it allows them to experiment with the synths and gives them a much more psychedelic sound, giving As You Think a real disco infused energy which will captivate crowds in future times.

As a novice to the band I did have to get up to speed with their back catalogue to do the review and they have some cracking tunes but with the new found emphasis on a more electronic sound it will see them a channel and a new energy to help them establish an ever growing fan base.

As You Think is a great introduction to Pondarosa’s new sound and I look forward to hearing much more from them in the future.

Give As You Think a stream now:

https://open.spotify.com/album/2yHKq02epMBUWpZrMei8CB?si=moPxmRpaTvO3snKXfnXe2w

Pondarosa can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Spotify:

https://www.facebook.com/pondarosamusic

https://instagram.com/pondarosamusic?igshid=3c17inj29ydj

https://twitter.com/pondarosamusic?s=21

https://open.spotify.com/artist/58p29SSa2CyKETJROyaCl8?si=DOxdANnITgOvyRzD8pEk6g