Matt Pryor in Orlando

Kansas City-born Matt Pryor has long been a defining voice in second- and third-wave emo. His band The Get UpKids helped shape an entire musical era, though they later moved beyond genre constraints to embrace a more indie direction. On his latest album, simply titled The Salton Sea, Pryor continues a lifelong devotion to songwriting that spans decades. Fans familiar with his extensive catalog will recognize influences from Paul Westerberg and Red House Painters, all filtered through his own signature voicedeeply rooted in the work of Elvis Costello and The Afghan Whigs. The albums title was chosen deliberately; while not a concept record, it reflects some of the darkest periods in Pryors life when he wrote these songs. After six months spiraling into what he calls the final stages of his drinking career, he hit rock bottom. In the blurred transition between 2022 and 2023, he faced a stark choice: continue down this path toward inevitable tragedy or clean up, stay sober, and remain on solid ground. He chose the latter. The resulting album, The Salton Sea, is a testament to that decision. For those unfamiliar, a salton sea is a terminal lake where no fresh water enters; its salt concentration rises over time due to evaporation and pollution. Once a glamorous California desert oasis in the 1950s and 60s, it now stands as a barren wasteland. In his addiction, Pryor saw himself as this once vibrant body of wateronce called a California desert oasis but now a dead shadow of itself. His newest songs carry an immediate nostalgic quality that triggers memories for listeners who have no personal connection to them. As you listen, you find yourself wondering what these stories are about and how they will unfold. This stems from the fact that alongside sobriety, Pryor has embraced writing simply as a daily practiceoften before dawn. There is clear relief in discovering new creative outlets when an inner turmoil takes hold, especially when that person has been crafting soundtracks for countless lives over thirty years.