Ponder began in 2015 as the solo project of songwriter Gabriel Birkby, under the moniker "Ponder the Giraffe," but quickly morphed into a band after he reached out to Andy hogan (bass) and Aaron Murphy (drums) to create a group in order to play local shows and write more music. Over the college years at SUNY Geneseo, the trio continued to play together and began shaping a sound of their own, fusing elements of jam, jazz, and rock into catchy pop melodies. They became major contributors to the Geneseo music scene, hosting numerous shows in the basement of their shared house and inviting other bands from the area, as well as touring acts, to play with them. While in school, the group recorded From the Porch to the Curb and These Words, an eclectic set of songs written with the intention of finding a sound that the group could start carving out after graduating.

After college graduation the band decided to make Buffalo, NY their home, and changed the band name to simply "ponder". Since then ponder have made a name for themselves playing venues and festivals around western New York and its surrounding areas, as well as opening for such touring artists as New Politics, Litz, Jimkata, After Funk, and Big Something. In 2017 ponder added featured musicians Andy Fisher (trumpet), Sam Shafer (Lead Guitar), and Marcus Peters (drums) to the line-up. With plans to release new music, as well as some other surprises, 2018 has been a formative and exciting year for the group.