THE WAY THAT IT WAS is the debut solo release from PIERRE DE REEDER, founding member of the venerable Los Angeles indie-pop quartet RILO KILEY. Likened to singer-songwriters such as Harry Nilsson, de Reeder evokes an intimate relationship with the listener... seemingly the result of the vocal-centric nature of his wide, heartfelt subject matter, and his penchant for strong melodic structure. And while the record itself features notable guest performances, many songs see much or all of the instrumentation being played by de Reeder. Recorded in no particular hurry over a period of about two years, the record took shape in various locations including Pierre's home and the Kingsize studios in Eagle Rock, where he found collaboration with producer Dave Trumfio (Built to Spill, Wilco, Grandaddy). With a genre lying somewhere between classic pop, rock, and folk, these songs fall into a wonderfully indefinable category of both familiar and nothing you've heard before.