Tip the Artist

Artist Bio

Tommy Walter, a.k.a Abandoned Pools, is an award-winning composer who began his career as a founding member of the critically acclaimed band Eels. As the first group to sign to Dreamworks Records, the band toured the world in support of their release Beautiful Freak and the alternative rock hit “Novocaine For The Soul.” At last count, the album has sold well over a million copies worldwide, winning the group a BRIT Award for Best International Breakthrough Act. Tommy then went on to start his own project, releasing four albums under the moniker Abandoned Pools, selling over 100,000 copies thanks to the Modern Rock hit, "The Remedy" and touring with Remy Zero, Garbage, Lenny Kravitz, Pink and A Perfect Circle.

Growing up on the edge of LA County, Tommy spent his teenage summers first at the Idyllwild Arts Academy in Southern California and then at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan where he studied French horn and sat first chair as the bassist in the jazz ensemble and combo. In college, he continued his studies in French horn at the University of Southern California, performing in the USC Symphony, but soon realized his real love was composition. He finished with a Bachelor of Music in Theory & Composition and a certificate in Film Scoring.

For the past ten years, Tommy has been working as a composer and songwriter for Television and film. In 2010, he won an Advertising Federation Gold Award for Original Television Music for Target “Art Unfolds.” As a composer for commercials, he has scored spots for Target, Sprint, Macy’s, Sesame Street and the Portland Trailblazers among others. But most proudly, Tommy wrote the theme song for the fan-favorite MTV animated series “Clone High.” He contributed many songs to the series, and was featured in an animated speaking role in the finale as the band that played the Clone High School prom. Tommy is currently a full-time staff composer for Rumble Music, based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Working remotely out of his own studio, Tommy lives in LA with his wife, two cats and two rabbits.