Poi Dog Pondering

Formed in Waikiki, the eclectic worldbeat/folk-rock group Poi Dog Pondering began under vocalist/guitarist Frank Orrall, violinist/vocalist Susan Voelz, and multi-instrumentalist Dave "Max" Crawford, the sole members to remain throughout its existence. The ensemble, which at times expanded beyond ten players amid repeated lineup changes, took its name partly from a Hawaiian term for "mutt." After shifting its base to Austin, TX, the band built an audience via constant road work and issued the EPs Poi Dog Pondering in 1988 and Circle Around the Sun in 1989; their mix of eclectic instrumentation, lighthearted wit, and unconventional blends of global sounds with folk-rock drew Columbia Records' interest. The label merged those two EPs into a 1989 self-titled major-label debut, and the slightly more polished follow-up Wishing Like a Mountain and Thinking Like the Sea, also from 1989, brought the group further praise along with a loyal niche following.

Tensions soon surfaced with Columbia, which turned down most of the band's demo recordings across the subsequent two years and permitted only a handful of EPs to appear. Volo Volo finally surfaced in 1991, yet the label dropped Poi Dog Pondering shortly afterward. In response, frontman Orrall placed the project on hold, relocated its operations to Chicago, and overhauled the roster; during the break he assembled Palm Fabric Orchestra while Voelz pursued solo work. The 1995 return album Pomegranate revealed a modest tilt toward dance-oriented material, a direction reinforced by the 1996 EP Electrique Plummagram. Poi Dog Pondering launched its own Plate.tec.tonic imprint in 1997 with the live collection Liquid White Light, then delivered the electronic-flavored Natural Thing in 1999 and the thematically related In Seed Comes Fruit in 2003. The soul-infused 7 marked the band's 2008 comeback.