It’s been quite a year for Portland rockers Portugal. The Man.
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Having spent the better part of three years working feverishly on a new album, the bandIt’s been quite a year for Portland rockers Portugal. The Man.
Having spent the better part of three years working feverishly on a new album, the band abruptly decided to change direction and scrap everything after front man John Gourley paid a visit to his father in Alaska. The encounter led to the discovery of an original Woodstock music festival ticket and the realization that a pattern of events from that era was eerily similar to what’s going in the world today.
Led by the hugely successful “Feel It Still,” the band’s latest album—Woodstock—addresses those concerns and more. It’s also opened the door to cross-over appeal and a monster touring schedule, which will see them in places like Europe, the Dominican Republic and beyond.
I recently spoke with guitarist Eric Howk about the success of the Woodstock album, songwriting, gear and more in this new interview.
The band had been working on a new album for quite a while when they decided to scrap everything and start over. Having said that, how has the reaction been to Woodstock?
That happened right around the time I started touring with the band full time. When I came in, it was around the same time all of those other songs the band had written were going out. Ultimately, it was the right call. It's a record with meaning and gravity and the songs are the best of the bunch. It was a good decision.
What prompted the sudden change in direction?
John Gourley's father is a gruff, unsentimental Alaskan dude and one night when they were hanging out, John’s dad showed him an original ticket from Woodstock he thought he’d lost for forty years. That coalesced with the current American political