Recently, two songs from Portugal. The Man. caught my ear but I was soon to learn that the online radio play was due to the availability of select advance copies. With “So American” and “Got It All” already new favorites, it was great to experience the entire release, In the Mountain In the Cloud, as part of the Album Preview series on KCRW. The day the album dropped (July 19th), the band showed up for a live session on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic. It’s always interesting to witness a band playing live, and Portugal. The Man’s collective energy surges from the radio station’s studio. In the interview, singer John Gourley talks about his upbringing in Alaska and how he still writes best in his bedroom back there, surrounded by family and a way of life found nowhere else. A video for “Sleep Forever” was created in Gourley’s back yard with family dogs ready for their close up and scenes of untouched beauty. The band is based in Portland now but this take on psych rock sounds completely homegrown for their sixth collection of songs.
Pick up a copy of In the Mountain in the Cloud at Amazon or stream it below.