The Thermals Get Slutty

Friday, 09 April 2010 14:17

They’re the little engine that could – if that train was an energetic, outrageous indie trio from Portland, Oregon.

By Nicole La Hoz

The Thermals’ ability to overcome any situation is only matched by its infectious, vibrant music and smart, sharp lyrics. Over the course of eight years, the band has gone through a dream discovery, line-up changes and record label switch. It all helped Now We Can See, the band’s fourth and latest album, become such a hit.

First off, how was China? How did the people there react to the music? Did you guys do anything interesting afterward?
It was amazing! We went to Beijing, Shanghai, Zhengzhou and Wuhan. They are all huge cities with so many people - so many people! We ate so much delicious food. We ate mostly street food like meat, bean curd and veggies barbequed on skewers, noodles, soups, fresh pineapple and sugarcane. The roads were chaotic there: cars, trucks, mopeds, bikes, pedestrians all going every which way. People seemed to regard the lane markings as suggestions. The air pollution was out of control there. There was a haze covering the sky almost the whole time we were there. It was really scary. I could feel it in my lungs, and there were times I didn't want to take deep breaths. I felt bad for the people living there. The people were great. Our shows were pretty small, and a couple of the shows were mostly foreigners (aka white people) but the other two were mostly Chinese people. We had a great time playing. People were into it! We didn't have too much time off. In Beijing, we walked to the Forbidden City, which was amazing. Any other extra time was spent walking around and eating.

Now that your back in the states, how has the April tour been treating you?
We've been having a blast already! We've only played one show, in Orlando, which ruled. We're trying to make this our sluttiest tour ever (but you should know, we're all talk and teases).

Are you ready for UF?
The last concert we had here was shut down halfway into it, haha. Yeah you Floridians are crazy!

Last year brought a lot of new things, like Westin and Kill Rock Stars. Those were obviously great changes, but how do you typically deal with those drastic situations?
We always seem to deal well with changes. We take things as they come, make changes when we need to and make it all work. We have great attitudes!

The band’s discovery story is a bit of a musical fairytale (as corny as it sounds) – or at least that’s how it sounds. How do you feel looking back on 2002?
Yeah it was! It was a dream come true to be pursued by Sub Pop, and then sign with them so quickly, and go on tours and play tons of super fun shows. From the start of this band, we've had a blast, and we've been so lucky to have people respond so positively. We loved working with Sub Pop and being associated with such a great label and group of artists. We feel the same about Kill Rock Stars!

Speaking of starting out, how did everyone get involved with music?
Oh the usual - we were all outsider teenagers lucky enough to get involved in cool, DIY music scenes where we grew up (which was San Jose, CA for Hutch and me, Albuquerque, NM for Westin).

Who are some artists that inspired you starting out, or even today?
I've always been the most inspired by the people around me - the music and art my friends and other locals are making. The first time I saw friends playing in a band is when I decided to get a drum set! I grew up listening to the radio and loving all the top 40 stuff in the '80s, but I was never inspired to play music myself until I saw friends playing. And then all of a sudden, it was so accessible. I thought, Hey! I could do that! It totally makes sense that I gravitated toward Portland, where there are SO MANY people around me making music and art. It’s great.

With the new album in the process of being made, what can fans expect?
More hits from the Thermals! haha. This album is even darker than the last. The last album had some dark lyrics, but the music was pretty poppy. On this new one, the music gets darker. I wrote a bunch of the music on the bass, and my melodies tend to be darker I think. Lyrically, it’s about the darker sides of love and how we sometimes hate what we put ourselves through for love. It’s bratty, cynical and bitter at times, but underneath it all, is true emotion.

Do you think you’ll focus more on lyrics or the music’s energy?
We always focus on both equally.

So on your press release it says, “Like most Portlanders, The Thermals are only conservative when it comes to their stash.” What has been the most outrageous, craziest thing you all have done?
Jumped a freight train naked, then mud wrestled on top of the train car while monkeys bet on who would win.

Anything else you might want to add?
Our special Record Store Day single comes out April 17 (National Record Store Day!). It’s a split 7" with The Cribs! Our song is called "Separate."

Explore the band's site, and check out its music here.