Before Portugal. the Man became the band it is today, lead singer John Gourley and bassist Zack Carothers would sit in their basements, listening to records and writing songs together. Neither thought their band, originally a side project for Gourley, would lead them to careers as rock stars.
“It took a long time and a lot of hard work,” Carothers said. “The band started in Alaska. The whole band originally was (from Alaska) but a couple of people quit throughout the first couple of years because of really hard touring.”
Five albums and a major label contract later, Portugal has gained acclaim from critics for its brand of retro ’70s psychedelic rock that has been favorably compared to Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie.
“They aren’t tethered to any pre-conceived ideas of what is cool,” band manager Rich Holtzman said. “They simply do what they want. It is focused and has a vision but it is what they want. They also have a real work ethic, which is rare in rock bands.”
The band will play Oct. 11 at The Blue Note as part of its worldwide tour in support of its latest album, _In the Mountain in the Cloud_. This will mark the band’s first time playing the Blue Note after previously performing twice at Mojo’s.
“It’s always kind of a party there,” Carothers said. “We have a lot of fun. We’re excited about that show.”
Although the band has garnered its share of critical acclaim throughout the years from publications like Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly, it has also gained publicity for its association with former Alaska governor Sarah Palin. Portugal was founded in town of Wasilla, Alaska, the same town where Sarah Palin served as mayor. Once the band started gaining publicity and touring, Portland, Ore., became its new home.
“We moved down to Portland, where we had already kind of set up camp,” Carothers said. “It’s a good place, it’s close enough to home, it reminds us of home and we have a lot of friends there.”
_In the Mountain in the Cloud_ recently hit No. 1 on the college rock radio charts, a first for the band.
“We love to play music live,” Carothers said. “It’s all we do. None of us really have any other serious hobbies. It’s our job. It’s our passion. It’s our career and it’s what we do. When we get on stage, I think it really shows on our faces that we’re having a great time up there.”
The band’s current tour is its first bus tour. In past years, band members had to drive themselves from show to show.
“When I first saw them play they were pretty raw,” Holtzman said. “To me, it was pretty darn obvious the potential they had. We all knew it would take a while to get here but we knew we could do it and we all believed in each other.”
Carothers said the band talked to Atlantic Records for eight months before making the move from the indie rock scene to a major label.
“We figured it was just that time to take the next step,” Carothers said. “We knew that we wanted to do it on our own or with an indie label for as long as we could and it just got to the point where we needed help. We were working so hard and we were the only people pushing our records.”
After its concert at The Blue Note, the band will finish up the North America leg of its tour and then travel through Europe and play in Paris and Amsterdam. The final concert of the tour will be a homecoming of sorts in Anchorage, Alaska, where the band will play a special concert for family and friends.
“It’s a pretty big stretch from where I grew up to what I do now,” Carothers said. “I never thought I would actually be doing this.”