Abandoned Pools is the performing name for singer-songwriter and musician Tommy Walter, as well as the name of the band in which he plays. He began playing music at a young age, first with the bass guitar and then the French horn. He attended University of Southern California, followed by the Pacific University. Teaching classical music theory, Walter began working with various Los Angeles-area musicians. Walter soon began working with a singer-songwriter who went by E and drummer Butch Norton as The Eels.