The Thermals: Interview At The Ritz

Three-piece alternative/indie/punk band, The Thermals, from Portland, Oregon, have been cranking out three-minute, no-fi sonic gems with a neo-grunge attitude since the summer of fear and hate (2002). 

2009 sees them back with their new album ‘Now We Can See’ on the legendary Kill Rockstars label, and with new drummer Westin Glass, formerly of Seattle's Say Hi, joining Kathy Foster and Hutch Harris to complete the third (or so) live line-up of The Thermals, they toured the UK with The Cribs in this month to rave reviews.

Oliver Jones spent some time with the band before their highly publicized support show at The Ritz, Manchester to find out more about their forthcoming album, The Cribs and the change in line up.

4or The Record: Hi guys, how are you all?
HH: We are super, how are you?

4TR: Err, not bad yeah ta, how long are you over for?
KF: We’re here for eight shows five with the cribs, headlining three, in Sheffield and London, which’ll be pretty cool.
HH: Can you record on that?
4TR: Yeah, yeah.
HH: Like a Dictaphone or something?
4TR: That’s exactly what it’s called
HH: Ha, niiice

4TR: What’s the plan for the upcoming year? When’s the album release?
KF: The albums coming out in April on Kill Rock Stars.

4TR: How are you settling in there after the swap from Sub Pop?
KF: Real good, it’s like a real independent label and it's run like an independent label. A smaller group of people run it so its more hands on. In April ours is the only album they’re releasing, so that’s cool. They moved over from Olympia to Portland so its pretty cool having them right in town, it’s been really easy!

4TR: How was recording the album? Are you sticking with the same themes like consumption? Religion?
KF: Different themes, recorded in the same studio but with a different engineer John Congleton. No religion on this one, we enjoyed doing the religion, but we don’t want to dwell.
HH: I don’t think it was on purpose we didn’t, but it was kind of natural. If you listen to the others albums they aren’t full of those things. Its kind of just what we’re thinking about or what he wants to write about.  Like we don’t want people to start thinking of us as a political band, or a band that only does songs about politics or religion, we don’t want to be known for that.

4TR: What do you want to be known for?
HH: Just for being great!

4TR: What sort of thing can we expect on the new album?
HH: They’re pretty human themes, like lots of love, lots of death, earthly things, elements, lots of earth and wind and airs...

4TR: Elements?
HH: Yeah it’s pretty elemental.

4TR: See what you did there. Where are we fi-wise? Medium Fi? Low Fi?
KF: John is the first producer we’ve worked with who has like a defined sort of sound. He’s worked with Explosions In The Sky and Modest Mouse to people like R Kelly, he’s really focused on the rhythm section so he makes the bass and drums sound really big. Its the highest-fi album; he gets good sounds we’ve done in that it’s quite bombastic sounding but it still sounds raw and big.
HH: We did some overdubs in his studio, which is like a big concrete room, so it sounds pretty roomy and contained.  I read a review this week that said it sounded like it was recorded in a basement, I hope he doesn’t see it; it’ll probably offend him. I certainly don’t think it’s too hifi, just large.
KF: And in charge.

4TR: How do you find playing here where you don’t know what to expect?
HH: We enjoy playing to people who know us, just because you see them singing along and that’s cool, the response is better when they know you. I mean even if someone is seeing you for the first time and really enjoying it, thats still cool even if they’re not jumping up and singing along. But you know it’s worth it whatever happens.

4TR: What are The Cribs like to tour with?
HH: Awesome!
KF: We love them, they’re just lovely guys, we’ve toured with them before, they’re really cool, so we really appreciate the chance they’ve given us here, plus like Gary lives in Portland now, so we see a lot of him now.

4TR: Do you mind touring here? What’s the appeal of the UK, when you’re known so much more stateside?
HH: It is not easy for a lot of bands to break here. You’ve got so many great bands that come from the UK so it’s like who are you? Why would we need you, we already have plenty of bands? People know music here. But it’s worth it; if you’re appreciated, its worth it just for that same reason, that so many good bands broke here. To be respected like that, like those bands, that’s important to me.
KF: To see the response that The Cribs get, is incredible.  It's just really cool to watch the crowd going mad for them jumping up and down the whole time.

4TR: Do you mind playing the songs off the old album?
KF: Overgrown, overblown and everystitch, easily!

4TR: How much of the current set list is from the older albums?
KF: About half, I think it’s important to sort of try out the new material gauge, the audience, so we hope they like it.

4TR: Sorry I feel like i'm leaving you out? (Turning to the, as yet, mute new drummer Weston)
HH: Sorry my fault, this is Weston.

4TR: Hi Weston. How are you settling in?
WG: Yeah man it’s really cool, I already feel really at home. It just seemed really natural as soon as I started playing with the guys. It’s been awesome.

4TR: Worried they were going to chew you up and spit you out?
KF: I don’t think we could.
HH: Drummers tend to chew themselves up. I mean our last two drummers left of their own accord, but it was sweet, they left on good terms.

4TR: Festival-wise what are your plans for the summer?
HH: [laughing] To headline Reading and Leeds and Glastonbury. We’ve never played them, so that would be cool. We’ve played Pitchford in German; so far we’re playing a few in August in Germany and Poland. We’re big in Poland.

4TR: I think I’m quite big in Poland
HH: [laughing] Yeah they love you.

Interview: Oliver Jones

HH: Yeah they love you.

Interview: Oliver Jones

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