On The Verge

Portugal. The Man

Portland, Ore.
Rural Psychedelia
www.portugaltheman.com

The members of Portugal. The Man have come a long way since forming in Wasilla, Alaska in 2005. “Up until a few years ago, we were getting by on $2 and $3 a meal,” says singer/guitarist John Gourley. “We had a rice cooker and a five pound bag of rice.” But those days of hardship have likely passed since the band moved to Portland, Ore., landed a deal with Atlantic Records and garnered spots at festivals such as Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. Gourley, who pens most of the group’s songs, draws inspiration for the group’s progressive psych-pop sound from growing up in a cabin in rural Alaska. “Being out there so isolated and [feeling] so small—and looking up and seeing the stars and the moon—I think it created these really weird thoughts and scenarios,” he says. “I absolutely love visuals and picturing the sounds that would go with each visual.” On their sixth album and Atlantic debut, In The Mountain In The Cloud, Portugal continues to evolve into one of the most promising acts on the indie rock scene, successfully translating the raw energy of their live performance into the studio setting.