Alt-rock band Puddled debuts new song "Try" before Baltimore show
By Olivia Mezzullo
Cut from the suburban Philly music scene that formed indie greats like Alex G, Naomi Davidoff has returned to her roots, fostering both old and new creative partnerships through her band Puddled. Puddled is a Baltimore and Philly-based alternative rock band inspired by The Pixies, The Breeders, and Pavement. Their self-titled debut EP, released in September 2024 by Crafted Sounds, is filled with fuzzy guitar chords and vocal melodies reminiscent of 90s alternative rock. This project marks the beginning of a new creative era for the band’s frontwoman and songwriter Naomi Davidoff (vocals and guitar), who also acts as the primary songwriter of the band.
Davidoff grew up in the Philadelphia area, and in high school, she became active in the local music scene. She moved to Baltimore in 2009, becoming immersed in the music scene there. This included joining the indie/garage rock band Spooled Up in 2017. Through this project, Davidoff was connected to the independent label Crafted Sounds, which has worked with artists such as A Country Western and feeble little horse, among others. Puddled began after Davidoff moved back to Philadelphia in 2023, and was formed in collaboration with Baltimore-based musician Kyle Balkin (guitar). They quickly added Jesse Hutchinson (drums) to the lineup, and Laura Banner (bass) a few months later.
Davidoff described the Puddled EP as a “personal journal” reflecting on her past, identity, and experiences moving forward following a long-term breakup. The process of recording the songs became deeply collaborative, both with her fellow band members as well as with producer Sam Acchione and engineer Mark Watter, fellow Philly scene alumni best known for their work with Alex G.
Puddled’s new song "Try" discusses Davidoff’s experiences of having long Covid, caring for a sick family member, and grappling with the general uncertainty of the pandemic.
“It's about personal struggles and not being able to see ahead very clearly,” Davidoff said. The state of the world in politics, which is all over the place, and there's climate change that's causing natural disasters all the time. And so it's “about feeling numb and not really knowing what's happening, what's going to happen next.”
Despite being written in 2021 in response to the pandemic, “Try” has not been recorded yet, and she is excited to see how it evolves and changes – especially with the addition of a new guitarist, Ben Grapsy following Balkin’s departure in October 2024.
Davidoff expressed excitement about the upcoming tour and the future of Puddled in general. After being in the music scene for so long, this is the project where she feels she has found her voice as a songwriter.
“Each music project that I work on, I try to do something to grow. Spooled Up was the first project that I was really learning how to play lead guitar. In Puddled I just finally feel like I'm grown up,” she said. “I finally got my sound right, because I can listen to all my old music and hear it, but this is the first project where it's finally blossomed and come to fruition.”
Currently, Puddled primarily plays shows in Baltimore and Philadelphia. You can catch them at The Undercroft in Baltimore this Monday (1/27) with FRIEND (noise rock), Violet Evergreen (punk), and World Record (alt-rock) (tickets $10, at the door only). They will also be joining Baltimore-based band Lean Tee (dream-pop) for a three-day East Coast tour kicking off at the Ottobar on 3/12 (tickets here).