Hutch Harris / Kathy Foster / Westin Glass
the thermals? heard of em’? well they’re rockin’ ass worldwide…, so now you know! portland, oregon based indie-rock (punk to be sure) band the thermals took a minute to talk stuff with peterbryanjenkins. potty mouths! i’m telling mom on you! be sure to check out their site for videos & other goodies. oh…, and the latest release “Personal Life”; conquering topics like LtotheOtotheVtotheE.
Let’s Talk ish with the thermals!
Q: There is much made about the music scene in Portland, Oregon. You’ve traveled and performed in and outside of the US, is there a note worthy scene in PDX? What makes Portland different?
portland is cheap and the weather sucks so people stay inside and write songs. the scene here is amazing, so many great bands. porltand just has that je ne sais quois, you have to come here to experience it!
Q: “If I only knew then what I know now.” What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about your industry?
nothing has surprised me! everything they tell you about the music industry is true! it’s a dark, evil world. and just when you think it couldn’t get any shallower they manage to drain the pool a little more.
Q: What are the greatest challenges and rewards of being a performing artist?
the challenge is staying good and staying relevant. the rewards are fame and money, obviously.
Q: Mt. Hood or Canon Beach (Oregon coastal icon)?
canon beach. beaches over mountains, always! fuck a mountain.
Q: What is the most interesting intimate experience you’ve ever had?
can’t tell you. you’ll have to wait for our next LP Personal Sex Life.
Q: Did you really invent the term ‘no-fi’? It’s googelable and wikified?
i invented the term and the genre itself. the first no-fi record is The Thermals’ More Parts Per Million (Sub Pop, 2003).
Q: What advice would you give Charlie Brown?
i would advise him to stay away from me. he fuckin bums me out.
Q: Hardly art, hardly starving. Taking a look to-and-fro, where do the thermals stand today as musical performers and what do you hope for the future?
we stand on stages, in crowded dressing rooms and in dimly-lit bars. we hope the future doesn’t suck any more than it already does.
Q: What’s your favorite food?
thai.
Q: What’s been your favorite concert to date? What made it so memorable?
kathy and i saw fugazi, shellac and blonde redhead play in chicago in 1998 for five bucks. top that!
Q: Do you create art in genres other than music?
we (myself, kathy foster and westin glass) are all visual artists as well – paintings, sculpture, collage, etc.
Q: What was the happiest day of your life?
each one is better and sexier than the one before.
Q: What are a music library must-haves?
led zeppelin, nwa, caruso.
Q: If you could spend a day with anyone throughout history, who would it be and why?
prince! i just wanna hang out with prince and have some totally normal day, like go grocery shopping and then later just sit around and watch tv and make fun of stuff.
grocery shopping with Prince? OoooKaaay! thanks The Thermals dudes!
images courtesy: thomas oliver & westin glass
