Portugal. The Man At Austin City Limits 2017

John Gourley and Erick Howk of Portugal. The Man

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

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Portugal. The Man On "Feel It Still," 'Woodstock,' Music With A Mission

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Members of the Alaska-based psychedelic pop band get deep on their new album and the music that most inspires them
Brian Haack
GRAMMYs
Oct 11, 2017 - 6:01 pm

Portugal. The Man are having a good year.

Portugal. The Man Talk 'Woodstock'

Their eighth studio album, Woodstock, dropped early this past summer, and the album's lead single, "Feel It Still," rocketed to No. 1 at Alternative and AAA radio, becoming the group's first chart-topping single in either programming format.

With production aid from Mike D of Beastie Boys fame, the band has continued their current trend of heading into the studio with top-tier talent at the helm. (Their last LP, Evil Friends, was co-produced by Danger Mouse)

Lead vocalist and guitarist John Gourley and guitarist Erick Howk of Portugal. The Man sat down with the Recording Academy to discuss the intent behind their new album, the influence that Woodstock has on modern music, and how co-producer Asa Taccone helped them coax "Feel It Still" out of the ether.

Let's talk about "Feel It Still." Top 10 hit, No. 1 at Alternative radio. Can you share a little bit of the story, inspiration or the intent behind the song?
Gourley: "Feel It Still" came around pretty much as organically as you can put a song together. I believe we were working on "Live In The Moment" with John Hill. We were working on mixing at the end of the day, and I think I had just stepped out while they were doing that. I'd stepped out and I just picked up this bass, and I started plucking this bassline. Asa Taccone from Electric Guest happened to be in this room, and he heard me playing this bassline. It's a strange thing with other artists, because they're not always the most outgoing and open to collaboration. I'm really glad Asa heard what was happening and he just caught it and it was all just him recognizing that there's something in this groove. It was basically 45 minutes at the end of the day, which is the most frustrating thing to tell anybody, but I really just sat there and started playing that bassline. Asa said, "Hey, do you have a bridge?" I said, "Yeah, it's music, man." And he was like, "Well, write a bridge."

So I used three different chords and he handed me a microphone and just had me riff off the top of my head.  The "rebel just for kicks" lyric, I had actually had that for a little while. I'd tried it a few times and it just never felt right. Sitting down working on that track, there's something about it that reminded me of that '60s era, and I think it was probably the Hofner bass. It was all very natural. The funniest thing is how I got the bridge on the song. That "Is it coming? Is it coming?" That was actually Asa. I couldn't write a bridge at that moment. The first verse and the second verse and all the choruses, that all came from the first 45 minutes.  

It's a modern song — lyrically, it's modern. It's got the right sub [bass], it's got the right feel to it, and there's just something that happens when you hear that, and you connect all these pieces from the '60s and the bass tone and the simplicity of the way we recorded it.

Let's talk about the album title: Woodstock. You guys have commented that the title comes from this idea about the persistent mission of music. Can you expand a bit on that statement and what you feel is the mission of music?
Howk: I think just having an album called Woodstock, it's a bold move; it's a pretty ballsy move. It's not just named after the little town in upstate New York, and we took a huge inspiration from the festival. Woodstock was a reactionary moment that was coming out of an America that was pretty bleak. A Richard Nixon presidency, McCarthyism, xenophobia, fear-based politics, and it was pure reactionary. It was was proof that a large crowd can change history so much more than one president can or one bill being put into place. It was mob rules and it was rad.

Obviously, we weren't alive. I did not go to Woodstock. I think I was probably 12 or 13 years old, learning how to play guitar, like really getting into rock and roll, right when the 25th anniversary of Woodstock came around. So they remastered the film and suddenly it's on public television, basically on a 24-hour loop. Like, I'm trying to figure out a G and a C chord and there's Jimi Hendrix and Santana and CCR just wailing, and specifically that Richie Havens moment — we've all talked about this. We all kinda separately in our own families, and in our own living rooms around the TV, had a very connected experience just watching him do his "Motherless Child" performance. And basically, he's killing time until the next act. He's just filling space, opening the festival, but he's going for it and he's sawing the guitar in half and his technique was so interesting. He's got the thumb hanging over, just these massive hands, sawing the guitar in half. And you can practically see the blood coming out of his throat on to the microphone. It was the first real passionate performance I think I'd ever seen.

I'd seen punk. I'd seen, you know, metal dance and stuff. Nothing compares to that. There's nothing harder and heavier.

Another comment you've made in the past is that your intention is to make music that helps people "feel like they're not alone." I'm interested in what music makes you guys feel like you're not alone, that you're not lost in the world? Your influences?
Gourley: I hear The Beatles, and I'm like, "Well, no one's gonna do that." (laughs)

Howk: I used to tour … I'd drive all night by myself, and any time I would get tired, I had this routine down: When I was just at the point where I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore, I'd chug a Red Bull. I'd pull over. I'd set a timer for 35 minutes, and I'd put on Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys. I'd turn the heater up in my car and kick the seat back, and fall asleep for 35 minutes. I'd wake up right at the last moment. And there's something so comforting and beautiful about that record, I just feel like I'm in my living room with my family. It's beautiful. Like, "Wouldn't it be nice if I wasn't alone on the side of a road right now?" (laughs)

Caitlyn Smith at ACL 2017

Caitlyn Smith

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Interview

Caitlyn Smith Talks 'Starfire' EP, Songwriting Heroes

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The successful songwriter-turned-solo artist reveals her favorite track from her 2016 'Starfire' EP, and dishes on her biggest songwriting heroes
Brian Haack
GRAMMYs
Oct 12, 2017 - 6:53 pm

Having fostered a budding career writing hit songs for some of the biggest artists in music – names like Meghan Trainor and John Legend, Kenny Rogers, and Dolly Parton – Caitlyn Smith is ready to take on the world, on her own terms.

Caitlyn Smith On "Starfire": "It's My Anthem"

A year after her top-20 charting Starfire EP (Billboard Americana/Folk Albums) showed enough promise to make Smith one of the first marquee signings to Sony's newly-reformed Monument Records, Smith is making ready to service the title track from her 2016 EP to radio and streaming services, and is making plans to release her debut full-length album in January of next year.

Smith sat down with the Recording Academy to chat about her forthcoming LP, the journey that's brought her to the stage as a solo artist, and the musical heroes who've inspired her to create her best work.

Pick your favorite song off the Starfire EP and tell us a little bit about its story of its writing and its inspiration.
One of my favorite songs on the Starfire EP is the single "Starfire." It really is my theme song. I've been in Nashville for years writing songs for other people and have also, in a way been trying to pave my own way as an artist, trying to figure out what I want to say. Through that journey, there have been a lot of closed doors and a lot of heartache, and "Starfire" is my anthem to never give up continuing to shine my light and just tune out all of the negative voices and keep going. To me, it's just my favorite song.

You said there've been a lot of closed doors and heartache. Can you point to a moment where you knew without a doubt that things were going to move ahead and that you were going to succeed?
I think it comes in waves. Sometimes I'll be having a rough time, and I'll have a song get cut and things will look up or I'll get a gig, and I'll be like, "Okay, here we go. We're going to focus back in and keep trying." I wouldn't say there was one shining moment that's like, "You need to keep going." For an artist, it's up and down, and it's actually like a continual feeling of, "Phew, can I keep running this marathon?" And my husband has been such an incredible lighthouse on my journey to help to keep pushing forward and looking forward.

You have written for some really huge artists, and had great success in that realm. Rolling Stone called you "one of the 10 country artists you need to know." You're one of the first big signings for the reformed Monument Records, and you've got a new full length coming out this year. Two questions, are you ready to share the title and release date? And what's next for Caitlyn Smith?
I'm very excited. The single "Starfire" will be out later this month, and then the full record will be released in January. I can't say the date yet, but I cannot wait. 2018 is shaping up to be quite a fun year!

We'll be watching closely. I've read that you said you knew before graduating high school that music was what you wanted to do for the rest of your life. Was it difficult making that decision at such a young age? What was it like?
I always knew, from when I was a little kid and started singing, that music was what I wanted to do in some capacity. When I was in middle school, I put together a band with some of my friends and was cold-calling venues. It was something that was a passion of mine at a young age, and it continued to grow. I made my first record. Then my parents sat me down with my college fund, and they're like, "Here, we have this for you, but, if you want use it to make a record, pay us back, but here you go."

And so I went and made a record at 15, and that really was a turning point of putting my sights on what I really, really wanted to do. And so I made a couple records in high school, and I just knew before graduating. I was like, "Hey, you know, I'm not going to college for this. I'm just going to gig, and see what happens." So, it was a little bit of a leap of faith, but I think it's working out. Yay! (laughs)

Clearly, it was the right move. So when it comes to songwriting, who would you point to as your greatest hero?
I consider myself a student of songs and listen to all kinds of genres, but some of my top favorites are Patty Griffin, Carole King, Ray LaMontagne, and Paul Simon. I mean I could just keep listing on and on and on. I love songs. (laughs)

Solange at ACL 2017

Solange

Photo: Greg Noire/C3

Photo Gallery

Solange, Gorillaz, RHCP: Relive ACL 2017 Weekend One (Photo Gallery)

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With amazing sets by The XX, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Grace VanderWaal, and Zhu, look back on the first weekend of Austin City Limits 2017 in full color
Brian Haack
GRAMMYs
Oct 9, 2017 - 6:07 pm

The first weekend of Austin City Limits 2017 is officially in the books, wrapping up three days of amazing music.

Grace VanderWaal On Singing With Her Hero

Each day saw epic performances from the likes of Grace VanderWaal, Solange, Run The Jewels, the Gorillaz, Jay Z, and many, many more.

Take a look back at some of the best sets of the weekend with our exclusive Austin City Limits 2017 photo gallery.

James Vincent McMorrow At ACL 2017
Solange, Gorillaz, RHCP: Relive ACL 2017 Weekend One (Photo Gallery)

See All Of Our Coverage Of Austin City Limits 2017

Vance Joy at Austin City Limits Festival 2017

Vance Joy

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Interview

Vance Joy Talks “Lay It On Me,” Jimmy Kimmel, “Riptide”

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The “Riptide” singer opens up about his new single, his favorite crowd experiences, and what he really does on his few days off
Brian Haack
GRAMMYs
Oct 8, 2017 - 6:26 pm

Australian-born singer/songwriter Vance Joy (real name James Keogh) exploded onto the scene in 2014 with his smash-hit debut single “Riptide,” which bested Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” record for most weeks atop the ARIA Singles Top 100 chart, with 120 weeks at No. 1. The song also won Keogh the grand prize at the 2014 International Songwriting Awards. “Riptide” was soon followed up by another successful single, “Mess Is Mine,” both of which are featured on his debut full-length album Dream Your Life Away.

Vance Joy: Writing “Lay It On Me”

Keogh is now wrapping up a very successful 2017, with his latest single “Lay It On Me” having climbed the charts to No.1 on U.S. AA radio and No. 5 on Alternative.

He sat down with the Recording Academy backstage at Austin City Limits 2017 to share the story behind his newest single, how he spends his days off on tour, and how life has been treating him since we were first introduced to “Riptide.”

How many ukeleles do you think you’ve signed since “Riptide” first came out?

It’d be over a hundred. The more the better — I know there are a lot of ukeleles out in the world, but the more instruments out there the better, because they're an easy, fun instrument to play. I heard they George Harrison had a car with a boot [trunk] full of ukeleles and he’d just give them out to people - I want to be able to do that.

You’re going to premiere your new single “Lay It On Me” on Jimmy Kimmel this week. Tell us a bit about the song — can you share a bit about the writing or inspiration? Should we expect any other surprises from your Kimmel appearance?

It was great to be able to play it on television, I’m a fan of Jimmy Kimmel’s show. It’s a fun song to play, it’s got a horn section, it’s kind of upbeat. I wrote it in Malibu. I worked with a guy called Dave Basset, who’s a really great songwriter and a really great guy. I went into the songwriting session with a bunch of notes. There was a lyric that I really wanted to use, “everything starts at your skin.” I found a place for it in this song, and I feel like that lyric is the lyric I’m most proud of in that song. Then the guitar riff, which is the basis of the song, is a riff I’d had since 2012, and I like the riff, but I could just never write a song with it. I remember being here in Austin in 2013 and trying repeatedly to write a song with this riff, and I just couldn’t find a home for it, which is frustrating. So I gave up on the riff. But when I went into this songwriting session with Dave Basset, he sang a melody over this riff, and I had this other idea for a chorus and we glued it all together. I feel like I never could have gotten to a place where I could use that riff had I not done a collaboration with Dave. We just had a really good two days — we wrote two songs in two days. It doesn’t always work like that, you do a bunch of songwriting sessions and you might get a song, but these two songs I felt really great about. It’s fun to play a new song that’s upbeat, especially when you’re playing festivals. The crowds have been recognizing the song, and I’m enjoying playing it. I’ll play it today.

“Riptide” was the song that introduced you to the world, and obviously it has that instantly recognizable ukelele sound. I thought “Mess Is Mine” was a great follow-up single to that; one because it’s a great song, but also because it made it clear that you had a wide breadth of writing talent. The way alt radio was going at the time made it easy for people to write off what they thought were on-hit wonders, and you clearly were not that. Do you feel at all as though you’ve had to compete with the success of that first single, and did that play any conscious role in your writing process as you set out to prepare some new music?

Thank you. I think you don’t have too much control when it comes naturally, in terms of what ideas just come to you. With “Mess Is Mine,” it just came along, this riff, and it felt like “oh, this is something — this feels like it could be something.”  And I just recorded it in my phone. I think, with a lot of the songs that I’m most proud of, it just kind of comes along naturally in its own way, and you follow it. You get like a little thread, and you pull it until you get a whole song. You follow your intuition as a songwriter.

I saw you a few years back at the Fonda in LA, and you got a really awesome welcome from the crowd there — was that level of popularity unexpected or difficult to take in? Can you name a place where you’ve seen the most surprising crowd reaction so far in your career?

I remember that show. I played there again recently, and it was just really great energy. I think there’s just all different types of audiences, even if it’s like a quiet theater show. Sometimes you can just have a really great connection. I was surpassed the first time I played festivals over here — Bonnaroo festival, then Lollapalooza in 2014, and also [Austin City Limits] in 2015 — the crowds have been enthusiastic and they know more songs than I’m expecting them to. They sing deep songs, songs that don’t expect people to know. When they do that you know, it’s like, “alright, this is good.”

What’s your favorite thing to do when you have a day-off on tour?

I’ve got a skateboard in my suitcase, so I like to go for a skate every now and again, but I’m pretty average. I saw people on the river today, kayaking. I like to see people doing activities, then imagine myself doing those activities, and then I think about doing those activities and then I think, “I’m too tired to actually — I’m not actually going to go kayaking tomorrow, I’m just imagining doing it. I think I’ll just go and get a massage.”

So a lot of vicarious enjoyment, it sounds like?

A lot of vicarious enjoyment, a lot of hotel rooms, watching movies. Yeah, my life is just a ball of fire. (laughing)

See All Of Our Coverage Of Austin City Limits 2017

Devin Dawson photographed at the 2017 ACL Music Festival

Devin Dawson

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

News

Devin Dawson Talks Debut Album, John Fogerty, Johnny Cash & John Mayer

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The Nashville-based singer songwriter give the inside scoop on his new album, 'Dark Horse,' and his biggest musical influences
Brian Haack
GRAMMYs
Oct 8, 2017 - 5:10 pm

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Devin Dawson popped onto the music scene earlier this year with his debut single, "All On Me." Soon after, he hit the road with GRAMMY winner Maren Morris, earning enough acclaim to be selected as the opening act for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's joint summer tour.

Devin Dawson Talks "Dark Horse" Origins

Dawson sat down with the Recording Academy at Austin City Limits 2017 to talk about his biggest musical influences, his debut single, and the title track from his forthcoming 2018 debut album, Dark Horse — a song which almost didn't get written.

I noticed this morning that "All On Me" currently has something like 26 million plays on Spotify. Let's rewind to sitting down to write or jumping in the studio to record that song. Where was your head at, what went into the song, and did you have any idea that this is where you'd be by October of 2017?
I wrote "All On Me" with my guitar player and one of my good friends Austin. Taylor Smith. We had this every Sunday [songwriting] ritual going, which was kinda crazy because I used to write every day, all day during the week. My publishers liked me to take a break on the weekends, but I write everyday — it's like my obsession, it's my addiction. There's something different about Sundays. You just wake up whenever you want and get your coffee, and there's no rush or pressure to get anything done or write anything. 

So, because the pressure was off, we always wrote really good songs on Sundays. I went to my local coffee shop, and I have a bunch of titles in my phone that I’m kind of inspired by. I kinda just did a little Russian roulette through my phone, and I landed on "All On Me," and I was like, "Man, that feels good today." I brought it to Austin, and we [worked on] it, and wrote a little poem for the chorus before we had a melody. The melody just kinda made itself known, and the rest of it wrote itself. It was one of those songs where I don't remember who did what, it just kinda fell out. I think I knew when we wrote it that it was something that I wanted to sing, rather than giving it to somebody else as a songwriter. 

I didn't know that it know that it would have 26 million plays to this day and we'd be playing it at ACL Fest, but I definitely did know that I wanted it to be a contender for my first offering as an artist, you know? And now it's on the radio, and it has a life of its own, and that's what you dream about for a song. It's cool to look back and remember. I still feel every time I go into that song live, I remember that same feeling of the day I wrote it. It doesn't get old. Hopefully I can keep feeling it for 50 years. 

I've read that you credit "three Johns" as some of your biggest musical influences: Mayer, Cash and Fogerty. Can you share a bit about how each has inspired you, and what's your favorite song by each?
First, John Fogerty — I'm from Northern California and CCR [Creedence Clearwater Revival] has this kinda Northern California rootsy rock-country-soul thing going on. My favorite song by them is this album cut called "Long As I Can See The Light." I remember the first time my mom showed me that song and I just fell in love with it. 

Next, Johnny Cash — I actually grew up 3 minutes from Folsom Prison. Orangevale [California] is my hometown, and it's right next door. I'm kind of subconsciously inspired by him and his artistry. Nobody was like him before and nobody has been like him since. I love wearing all black, and maybe that's where it came from. I mean, I love "A Boy Named Sue," but a song that actually he didn't write is one of my favorites — "Hurt," which is a Nine Inch Nails/Trent Reznor song. It just has so much raw emotion to it, which is what I try to feed off of. 

And lastly, John Mayer is huge influence of mine. I think I was maybe 16 or 17, and my mom showed me "Neon" for the first time. She's kind of dictated my love for music and influence from country, rock ,soul, and R&B. It's really hard to choose a favorite of his, but I think "Slow Dancing In A Burning Room" is one of my favorites because of the images and the emotion. It just all fits together really well, and it sounds good when you sing it.

You did a huge radio tour last spring and you hit the road with Maren Morris. Next up, you opened for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill — so basically you've had a pretty boring summer, am I right? What's been your favorite or most memorable moment of the past 6 months?
(laughs) Right, yeah, we haven’t done anything. We started a radio tour in February. Usually, you do about 15 weeks, but ours ended up being like 20-plus weeks, because I was on the road with Maren Morris for a month. I'm a huge fan of her artistry, and her trajectory in the last year has been really inspiring for me. Her fans are are the people who I want to sing to, so that was really cool for her to take us under her wing before we even had any music out. That was an amazing experience, a lot of learning. Then I got to go on tour with Tim and Faith this summer, and I got to play my hometown. I think playing to a sold-out arena in your hometown — that is by far one of the biggest bucket-list checks that I've had. It's been a year full of a lot of firsts, and they all mean a lot, but that one is definitely up at the top of the list for sure.

Coming off a big summer, you just opened day three of ACL 2017. What's next for Devin Dawson?
I'm literally about to board a flight to London. I'm about to play some showcases over there, and spread the Devin Dawson word, plant some seeds and shake some hands. I want to be able to have a base over there, and spread my music across the world. After that, we're on tour with Michael Ray, on the Get To You tour, which is his new single. He's one of my good buddies, we're both on the same label and we all live in Nashville. We're one week into that and it's just been a brotherhood. That's the kind of tour I love to be on. So we'll be doing that until mid-December, then a new record coming out at the beginning of the year and we'll be hitting it hard next year too. So we're non-stop — hopefully for the rest of my life.

What's your favorite song that you’ve written — released or unreleased — and can you tell us a bit about the story or inspiration behind it?
It's hard to pick. Certain ones are favorites to perform, certain ones are a favorite to record, certain ones a are favorite just because of the lyrics. They're all my babies, and how do you choose your favorite child? But, in the next few days we're going to release a song called "Dark Horse," which is also the title track to my record coming out early next year. 

The story of that song is interesting because it actually came about after the record was done. It's really this song that, as a new artist, tells people who I am, what I believe in, and what I'm about. When you're trying to write that song — I feel like I'd tried to force it for so long that I just kinda had to give up and let it come to me. And it came to me after the record was done. Luckily, I have an awesome team around me that believes in me enough to let me slip that on at the last minute, and it became the title track. It's one of my favorite songs form this record, and I can't wait for the world to hear it.

Austin City Limits 2017: Full Coverage