INTERVIEW: Portugal. The Man

METRO caught up with the Portland-based band, who will perform at First Avenue Oct. 13., at the 2011 Lollapalooza Festival.

Image credit: portugaltheman.com

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It was my honor to sit down and chat with Portugal. The Man’s John Gourley (vocals/guitar) and Jason Sechrist (drums) at the 20^th Anniversary Lollapalooza festival in Chicago the weekend of Aug. 6.  I was already a fan of their music, but couldn’t have been more impressed with these two down-to-earth, genuine musicians.

Originally a side project for Gourley, this band was formed in Wasilla, Alaska in 2004. Gourley and Zachary Carothers (bass) are the remaining original members in the band, which is now based out of Portland.  Gourley says that when you grow up in Alaska, everything you know about the rest of the United States is what you see on TV: “You think you can handle moving down here, but then you get here and find out it’s different.” Gourley says Sechrist had a lot to do with the move to Portland, which is where Ryan Neighbors (keyboards) also joined.  Gourley says he didn’t really know how to go about making a psych rock-influenced band like PTM successful in Alaska—where bluegrass, metal and authentic tribal music make up the musical landscape.

Portugal. The Man performed locally for a number of years before gaining recognition nationally and overseas. According to Gourley, “Germany basically made this band.” After finding themselves at the top of the charts, the up-and-coming band got the opportunity to perform in Germany and—to their surprise—were playing sold-out venues.

Another significant accomplishment was signing on with Atlantic Records in April 2010.  Gourley cites Atlantic as being “the best label out there” because “they really care about their artists.” Despite their status as major-label signees, Gourley says he didn’t even have a drum set until he was about 18, crediting his mom’s musical taste with sparking his interest. He says he never intended to be a singer in a band, and the thought of it was actually “terrifying.” That risk seems to be paying off: Gourley was the recipient of Alternative Press magazine’s Best Vocalist of the Year award in 2008.

So, is the band was content with the success they’ve found, or do they aspire to achieve more? Gourley says he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want as many people as possible to hear their music. “Other bands have been able to come along and fill a void out there, like Nirvana did,” he says, noting that effect is the type of thing the band sees as a possibility for Portugal. The Man. For now, the band’s In the Mountain in the Cloud was just released in July. (The album’s first video, for “Sleep Forever,” was filmed in Gourley’s backyard back in Alaska.) 

The band says they love playing Minneapolis and are excited about their upcoming First Avenue show with Alberta Cross October 13.  Find more information here.