A Chat with P.J.M. Bond (19.03.26)
Combining his love for American literature with contemporary songwriting, Americana artist P.J.M. Bond fills his music with poetry, modest literary victories, and richly textured songwriting. We speak with the Netherlands-based Bond about his album, Coyote (King of the Island), what drew him to music, what music means to him, and much more.
OSR: Alright, so off the bat, what drew you to music? Why did you choose to follow a career in the music industry?
P.J.M. Bond: When I was seven or eight, my parents put me in a children’s choir singing Gregorian music and Christian songs, as well as Dutch traditional songs. The choir was called “The Zangertjes van Volendam”, and we would do big performances, often dressed up in the traditional Volendam costume. I went to the rehearsals almost every day between my eighth and my eighteenth. During that time, I also picked up the piano.
OSR: You mention that you combine your love for American literature with contemporary songwriting, and in 2023, you released an album inspired by Ernest Hemingway. Does your new album, Coyote (King of the Island), have any literary inspirations to it? If so, what are they?
P.J.M Bond: Absolutely! This song is a kind of Kerouac-esque, stream-of-consciousness and Dylan-inspired autobiographical maelstrom that takes the listeners across the plains and over the Rocky Mountains. The coyote is a spirit animal that stands for creativity and transgression, but he is also a scavenger. Crowning him king and putting him on an island is intended to be a metaphor for how I sometimes feel as a folk musician trying to make it in the Netherlands. Also, after finishing In Our Time, I was very inspired to strive for lyrical prowess, to extend my boundaries, and to force myself to no longer write any filler lines. Every sentence had to ring true from now on, in some way or another. In addition, Coyote (King of the Island) is a concept album of sorts, dealing with the struggles of a young artist in a world that sometimes appears bleak and artless.
OSR: You’ve already released two of the songs on your upcoming album – ‘Coyote (King of the Island)’ and ‘Ponderosa Pine’. What can you tell us about each single and how they fit into the overall album musically and thematically?
P.J.M. Bond: ‘Ponderosa Pine’ is perhaps one of my finest songs yet, if I say so myself. Melodically and lyrically, it is something I will stand behind until I draw my last breath. I believe it is quite elegant yet energetic, and the fiddle (played by Tijmen Veelenturf) introduces a new element to my music, which I have never used before. It is not really bluegrass, but is certainly inspired by it. Honestly, I always try to strive for what Iron & Wine is doing each time with his albums and catalogue, to introduce something new or unexpected into a warm and familiar sound. Thematically, both songs are about finding peace and quiet in a chaotic world, about travelling and about establishing higher truths for yourself that are non-negotiable.
OSR: Which do you find more challenging: melody or lyrics?
P.J.M. Bond: Melody always comes first for me, so lyrics are more challenging.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
P.J.M. Bond: It shifts and changes, sometimes I feel like music is all-encompassing and everything, and it swallows me whole and means the beginning and end to me. Music is art, and it is one thing that feels and comes so naturally to me, like a very familiar friend or a mother figure. However, sometimes I am in a more pessimistic mood, and I feel like I am a sea lion that’s great at balancing balls. There’s simply nothing to it; it’s just the same trick, over and over. And everyone’s better than I am, or more gifted, or more artistic, and they all see through me, and I am quite horrible. Perhaps the positive attitude reflects the artistic self and is less critical and more hopeful, whereas the negative attitude is one focused on craft and improvement of one’s craft. In one mode, I listen, practice and read more; in the other mode, I write and create more. Both have their merits, I guess. Yin and yang!
OSR: You have toured Europe, visiting Spain, England and Belgium – to name a few countries. What is your most memorable performance to date, and why that show?
P.J.M. Bond: Playing In Our Time in front of the people of the International Hemingway Conference in Bilbao, Spain, was definitely a highlight. I did not have to explain any obscure literary references to them, as they are all extremely well-versed in all things Hemingway. The location was incredible: the Hotel Carlton, where Hemingway stayed back in the day, with chandeliers, marble floors and lush red curtains in the high windows. Bilbao is also a great city, and I had the most wonderful time. Funnily enough, my visit to the Guggenheim (and in particular the works of Martha Jungwirth) inspired the spontaneity of Coyote (King of the Island).
OSR: Do you have any advice for emerging artists?
P.J.M. Bond: Lately, I’ve been thinking: it’s better to be obscure for who you are than famous for who you are not.
OSR: What can we expect from you in the future?
P.J.M. Bond: Lots more music, shows all over the world, and I will never stop writing songs that will hopefully resonate with many people. And it may sound boastful, but I believe that I have that one song in me. The one that will pull people to all my other material, and will justify my staying very close to myself.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
P.J.M. Bond: Thank you for reading this interview here on The Other Side Reviews, much obliged! Give my music a spin for instant karma points. I hope you enjoy it, and don’t be a stranger.
Many thanks to P.J.M. Bond for speaking with us. Find out more about P.J.M. Bond on his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
