Unveiling Notes: The Thermals Interview
It’s been a long grueling two-plus years for any fan of the Portland, Oregon post punk act The Thermals. After arguably releasing one of years best albums back in 2006 with The Body, The Blood, The Machine on Sub Pop records, we’ve heard little new from the tour-weary band save a story or two about a new drummer here and there. That’s all about to change thanks in part to a spring in seclusion and a spark of insane inspiration. We talk to lead Hutch Harris about The Thermals fourth impending album, the sound of death, and his real feelings about Sub Pop.
Pensatos.com: How’s the new record going?
Hutch Harris: We’re still in the studio plugging away.
The first song [on the new album]is ‘When We Were Alive’ if that gives you any sense. It describes the record perfectly.
But you’ve been without a drummer. Who’s pulling double duty on that one?
Kathy [Foster] is playing all the drums and all the base on this record.
You guys burn through drummers like booze at an open bar.
Yeah, if you count Lorin [Coleman] I think we’ve gone through five drummers? It definitely is funny but it’s not as bad as it sounds.
We’ve heard the album is moving much more to a ‘Returning to the Fold’ sound which is one of the lighter offerings from the 2006 The Body, The Blood, The Machine. Is that true?
We are arranging songs in that same way. We are playing songs with that feel for sure: a heavier back beat. It definitely sounds different than the other stuff so don’t worry but I’d say its heavy - for sure [laughs]. I feel it will be much different than the last record.
If you count Lorin [Coleman] I think we’ve gone through five drummers? It definitely is funny but it’s not as bad as it sounds.
Politics and religion don’t sell records. Are you sticking with the same themes as you did with the last album: oil, god, wrath and all that stuff?
No politics on this one. And there is very little or I should say minimal religion as well [on the new album]. There aren’t very many happy lyrics either though. I’m exploring a lot about death on this one. Be it nostalgic about life, or fear death - or even relief of death [laughs]. It’s almost like a follow up record to the last one. We pictured ourselves as dead at the end [of The Body, The Blood, The Macine]. And that’s where this new one picks up. The first song is ‘When We Were Alive’ if that gives you any sense. It describes the record perfectly.
What’s changed for you guys in the past couple years.
The [Body, The Blood, The Machine] was much more successful than our previous album so we toured seemingly nonstop for 2 plus years. So the band started supporting itself and now we have a lot more time to write and record now that we are at home. Already the details of this record are being worked out way earlier than before. Whereas before I wrote solos in the studio, added lyrics later, and so on. So already I’ve written just a ton.
I’m exploring a lot about death on this one. Be it nostalgic about life, or fear death – or even relief of death.
How many songs are you at now then on paper versus what you want to lay down?
On paper, I have forty plus songs. What we’ve recorded - as in what we’ll keep? We are at seven songs. A lot of them just get written or re-written into something else or just sit there [laughs].
The Body ,The Blood, The Machine was such a commanding album and garnered some fantastic reviews [read here], you toured like mad, yet you don’t share the mainstream lime-light as a lot of your label mates on Sub Pop. Why do you think that is?
I blame Sub Pop of course. It’s their job in a way. We don’t sit around complaining that we wish we were bigger.
Right, because you turned down a Hummer thirty second spot because of Big Oil.
We’ve turned down a bunch of opportunities like commercials because we didn’t believe in it and we don’t want to become famous that way necessarily.
I blame Sub Pop of course. It’s their job in a way.
You and Kathy have played together for some time. How did it all start?
We met at a show right out of high school in ‘93. We were bored and decided to play together in a basement and be like those suburban EMO kids at the time.
When can we expect the new album?
Since we didn’t sign with Sub Pop we are looking to shop around. Or put it out ourselves. Our main goal is to write and then put it out when we feel it’s ready. We are recording this summer. It will defiantly take more time than we may like but we are doing it on our schedule. I have written or tried to write some of these songs for years now but it’s only now just starting to click and work out the way I wanted it to. It’s exciting.
+ aLive: The Themals Live @ Wicker Park Festival - Chicago IL
