“One true sentence”. That’s what Ernest Hemingway was aiming to write during his stay in Paris in the Roaring Twenties of the previous century. The music of singer/songwriter Paul Bond is greatly inspired by Hemingway’s philosophy and artistic vision: his music reminds listeners of white crests on the waves, the smell of burnt leather, and the crushing of shoes on a mountain path. Bond’s piano style transports you to a crowded bar in New Orleans, or a Parisian café after closing time, where a lonely pianist churns out a final tune for the night. As a session musician, Bond has played piano and organ for the Dutch bands VanWyck, AlascA, Yorick van Norden, Her Majesty, and Judy Blank.

In 2014, Bond started his band Dandelion, for which he wrote all the songs and lyrics. They went on to release the EP The All Year Round (2014), and an acclaimed debut album: Everest (2016). Their second album, titled Laika, Belka, Strelka (2019), received warm and confident reviews from the Netherlands and beyond. It was praised for its unique style — which Dandelion termed country funk — and its conceptual approach and theme: the Russian space dogs of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Bond's travels to America and Canada, and an English Literary MA degree resulted in an obsession with text and literature, but besides this, any listener will acknowledge Bond's preoccupation with writing solid pop songs, melodies that are compact and memorable. Musically, Bond has been compared to James Taylor, Randy Newman and Iron & Wine. Literary influences are, among others, Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, and William Carlos Williams.

The seven songs on Bond’s debut (mini-)album 'Sunset Blues' deal with the subject of becoming a father, or rather, the moment one finds out one is about to become a father. Happiness, confusion and existential despair are all thrown into the cocktail that is the human mind. The opening line sets the tone for the rest of the record: “It was near the snow-peaked mountains, only yesterday, when you told me that our lives would change”. For this album Bond collaborated with mastering engineer Ed Brooks, based in Seattle, WA, who is known for his previous work with Fleet Foxes (as well as Pearl Jam and Death Cab for Cutie). 'Sunset Blues’ is released on 18 November on the Concerto Records label, the legendary Amsterdam record store, on both 10” vinyl and CD.