Abandoned Pools is the performing name for singer-songwriter and musician Tommy Walter. He began playing music at a young age, first with the bass guitar and then the French horn. He attended South Cal University, followed by the University of Pacific. 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. After a promising debut, Walter left and recorded a solo album, Humanistic, in 2001.