Matt Pond called me in a whisper aboard his tour bus Saturday afternoon.
He had just woken up after a late night of partying with his bandmates and was now staring out the window in between towns heading toward Williams College.
This doesn't really deviate from a typical day for Pond, who has been on tour with Matt Pond PA for almost two years. He's used to not having his own place and having staying with friends and fans.
His most recent tour, which began April 14, passed through Gainesville last night and will continue until May 9, will bring his stripped-down, chamber-pop outfit to small, intimate venues that trickle down the East coast.
The band just played the Langerado Music Festival to crowds that surpassed ten thousand, but Pond doesn't mind playing small venues.
"We've played on a few unattended tours - and I really don't want to sound like a hippie - but it's all about how much the people connect with the music," he said.
With eight records under his belt and a slew of ex-band members, it's hard to know who or what to expect of a Matt Pond PA live performance.
He isn't bringing his cellist or violinist on this tour because he doesn't want it to come off as gimmicky, but sound will still sound full, he said.
It's hard to describe the band as gimmicky or niche-fitting when they've toured with acts as diverse as Liz Phair, Youth Group, Ted Leo, Straylight Run and Guster.
The only staple of the band is Pond himself, although he wants people to realize that the band doesn't only consist of him.
"The ones who stay around the longest, their personalities and them helping you write parts, they all become your friends and then not your friends," he said.
In the past, he has talked about changing the name of his band from its current moniker to "The Dark Leaves" before releasing the follow-up to "Last Light," which is already in the works.
"Whether we do something our not is delirious conjecture," Pond said. "I like to make jokes, and sometimes I'm serious, and sometimes I retract my jokes."
He suddenly became much more verbose if not more comprehendible when the conversation turned away from himself and onto other acts.
"I absolutely love Be Your Own Pet," Pond said.
He also chatted about Neutral Milk Hotel, whose "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea", he received death threats for covering.
"We didn't do it to make it better, because we can't, but to honor it," he said
He said is was a strange reaction to get threatening letters though.
"Kids send me covers of our songs and it makes me very uncomfortable because I can't listen to or talk about myself," he said, "but I recognize it as an honor."
