Matt Pryor has been shaping the sound of alternative music for nearly three decades. As the frontman of The Get Up Kids — one of the most influential bands to emerge from the second and third waves of emo — Pryor helped define a generation before transcending the genre entirely, moving toward an introspective indie sound that continues to evolve today.

Now, with his latest solo release, The Salton Sea, Pryor presents his most personal and hard-won work to date. Written during one of the darkest chapters of his life, the album chronicles his descent into addiction and his decision to choose sobriety — to “stay on the right side of the dirt.” The title itself is a reflection of rebirth: a once vibrant oasis transformed and reclaimed.

Musically, The Salton Sea recalls the emotional depth of Paul Westerberg and Red House Painters, layered with Pryor’s signature melodic grit. His songs carry a timeless honesty, unfolding like stories of strangers that somehow feel like your own.

With thirty years of music behind him and a renewed sense of purpose ahead, Matt Pryor stands as a songwriter still reaching deeper — proof that healing can sound this good.