We are THE THERMALS! ask us anything

Hey guys! "The Body, The Bood, The Machine" is my favorite album of all time. Ever since I first heard it I haven't gone a single day without listening to at least one song off it.

I was wondering: What inspired you to write such a powerful, controversial album?

the bush/cheney regime, and being raised catholic.

Thanks for doing this guys. I'm a long-time fan of The Thermals. I had a chance to see you at Maxwell's in NJ last month, but I missed out. Heard it was amazing. I'll have to catch you guys when you swing back around sometime.

I was curious how the songwriting process has developed throughout all your albums. Do you set yourself to want to write, or does it come to you naturally? What have been your past writing influences?

it's a mix of both. i like to start with an idea of what the 'theme' of the record should be, then work from there. for 'desperate ground', i knew i wanted the lyrics to be about violence and war, but not any specific war. from there it mutated into the dark, vague tale of a lone rogue soldier...

Thanks guys for the insightful answer!

On the topic of songwriting, I don't remember where online but I know you, Hutch, said that every time you write, you try to match the quality of "Doe" by The Breeders. Do you think you've ever reached that point?

edit: source - http://pitchfork.com/features/guest-lists/6445-the-thermals/

i think when you admire a band as much as i admire the breeders, you accept the fact that you'll never make anything as good as them, in your own opinion.

[deleted]

SHOT DOWN

or

THE SUGGESTIONS

You've worked with a number of drummers both live and in the studio (as well as a few other personnel changes). How would you say that's changed your sound? Is it tough to have to start new with a new member?

Also, No Culture Icons is one of my favorite songs ever written. You guys played it Chicago at that free outdoor show for your encore a couple years ago and it was nuts. Thanks!

i think our sound has stayed pretty intact despite any personnel changes. it is always tough to start with a new member cuz you have to re-learn a ton of old material. happy to say westin has been our drummer for 5 years now! he is PERMANENT!

[deleted]

i have to say DC always BRINGS IT! we usually play the black cat.

First of all, I'm a huge fan. The Body, The Blood, The Machine is my favorite album ever. I saw you at The Church in Philly on your Personal Life tour, you were amazing.

In recent interviews and setlists for your last few shows, it looks like you guys are largely ignoring songs from both Personal Life and Now We Can See. Are they simply victims of having so many albums, or is this a conscious thing to go back to the more lo-fi raw sound of your earlier stuff, or do you really just not like how those albums turned out and think they aren't really representative of the sound/feel you want to have?

in the first quarter of this year we have been playing mostly songs off our new record 'desperate ground' and our first record 'more parts per million' because it celebrated its tenth birthday in march!

playing less PL songs since we just spent the last 2-3 years playing it so much. adding more NWCS songs back in the set this week! we love those records, we just like to keep the sets fresh and different so its not the same show every time we come to town!

thanks everyone for your questions! i'm outs xo hh

Hey the thermals, thanks a lot for doing this. I have a few questions.

In some recent interviews like in "spin", you seem to despise your previous album "personal life". Why?

After a few albums, are you confortable with the position you are in (a well respected band who make awesome show) or would you like to play in stadiums someday.

What kind of gift would you like to have from a fan? (i'm coming to the montreal show)

your videos are always a lot of funs (props to your bass player for her dance moves on the "listen to me" video), what's the mood like when you are shooting a video?

What are your favorite lyrics from your songs / from other lyricists.

Do you have any advice for people who want to start a band?

also, i'm sorry if i make any mistakes. english is my second language.

THANKS FOR MAKING MUSIC;

we love 'personal life'! we are quite comfortable. just coming to our show is a gift enough. we have a ton of fun shooting videos. i like robert smith's lyrics. yeah, just DO IT! yr english is great WHEW xo

First: WOOO!!!

Second: I really enjoyed "The Body, The Blood, The Machine" and one of the things I really liked is the song "Test Pattern" which seems to stand in pretty stark contrast to the ultra-high energy of the rest of the album. How carefully do you choose song placement when it comes to putting together an album?

Also: Were you really doing the "Arrested Development" chicken impersonations in the "Pillar of Salt" video?

Thanks!

song placement (sequence) is VERY important to us! it helps the albums to flow and make sense.

and yes, we were doing AD chicken dances in the POS vid! we LOVE AD!

What is the background behind the band name?

kathy used to wear a purple thermal. the band is named after that thermal. also thermals are gusts of hot air, which describes this band pretty well

sounds like a lot of hot air to me

exactly

[deleted]

we LOVE saddle creek. and 'rubber soul' is my favorite beatles album.

How has the tour been? Have a blast at SXSW?

SXSW was hectic and crazy but still a BLAST! we killed it and we knew it.

I heard "Here's Your Future" at the end of Weeds and was like "FUCK YEAH!!!!". Bought "The Body, The Blood, The Machine" based on that one song, and was soooo not disappointed.

What a phenomenal album. How much more popularity and exposure do you think that Weeds appearance got you?

I would really love to see one of your songs close an epi "The Walking Dead"! Perfect!

Thanks! (come to Denver)

i think it actually got us a ton of exposure! i asked people on FB once how they heard of us and a lot of people said 'weeds' and 'chuck'. thank you TV!!!

So is Portlandia an accurate portrayal of Portland? Also I feel like Portland has a close knit music scene is that fair to say?

um sadly it is quite accurate! our city is really fun and really annoying. i'm not sure the scene here is close knit. i feel like our band is an island...

Came here to say how ridiculously awesome you guys are and thanks for sticking true to your music! Looking forward to Saturday's show and perhaps hoping to hear "I Don't Believe You" on the set list winkwink*

Also, any pointers for someone looking to getting into the business side of music?

Cheers :)

and hear it you shall!

i would worry about craft and art and let the business come to you once you've made something good.

Thanks a lot for doing this! I just wanted to say thank you for making me really happy when I was younger (I'm now about to graduate college). In junior high I loved playing along to your albums, and you were actually one of the first bands that I ever ordered a t-shirt for. I remember the shirt (with gears and wheels on it) came in an envelope with personalized drawings on it, I believe from Kathy. I thought that those little drawings were so awesome and made me so happy as young fan! Looking forward to the new album.

yeah that's all kathy, she's the best! xoxoxoxox!

Huge fan. I interviewed Hutch and Westin about two years ago on Terraneo festival in Croatia and you guys were awesome. My question is... the current European tour dates aren't final, right? Hope to see you guys in Zagreb again.

hi! the current tour dates are final, but we definitely hope to play zagreb again soon!

What's your favorite appetizer when you go out to eat?

awesome blossom of course!

oh wait...jalapeno poppers

AWESOME BLOSSOM!!!

As someone who hasn't listened to you guys that likes the indie scene. What are some of the major influences that you guys have?

so many! the breeders, green day, weezer, subhumans, misfits, adicts, agent orange, guided by voices, mudhoney, sebadoh, just to name a few!

Hey Thermals!

Coming to see you guys in Leeds, cannot wait. Really glad you have signed onto Saddle Creek too, which is an ace label.

Anyway, I want to ask each of you what your favourite favourite film is, just to see if they line up with your musical aesthetic. This kinda thing really interests me. Would you claim that any particular film or directors have had an impact on your work?

Thanks!

yes! the coen brothers and sam raimi are huge influences. sometimes i feel film influences our band even more than music

Hey hey! Been a fan for about 7 years now. You're one of my faaaavorite bands to see live. Saw you play Built to Spill's "Big Dipper" a couple of years ago at Neumo's, and Weezer's "My Name is Jonas" at Bumbershoot. What are your favorite covers to play, and ones other bands have done?

Going to see you guys next week at Neumo's, I can't wait to see the new album stuff live! Y'all are wonderful.

we've also covered "sappy" by nirvana, "saints" by the breeders, "astro zombies" by the misfits and "100%" by sonic youth. i'm hoping we'll do a cover of POTUSA's "lump" soon...

You have recently started touring with Screaming Females.

What made you decide you wanted to tour with them?

What other modern groups do you guys like?

we have just played one show with SF, a few more coming up. we love them, personally and professionally. we love the portland bands wampire, guantanamo baywatch and the woolen men.

Fuck yeah Furbys!

doo

Lame, but necessary question: Is there ANY chance that 'Never Listen to Me' will find its way in Friday night's setlist? I am dragging my wife to the show and she would very much love to hear that one live.

sorry the setlist is top secret ;)

1. Do you guys stick around to talk to fans much after gigs?
2. Hutch, what's your favourite key to sing in?
3. Kathy--no question, but I just want to say it makes me really happy anytime I see someone playing left-handed.

edit: Also, thank you for the song "Canada."

1. yes, before and after. more now than ever
2. i like B and A

thanks!

What are your opinions on Spotify??

i like it but would prefer people actually buy our record as opposed to only listening to it on spotify

Come to philly again soon. You were awesome at The Church. ...please?

tickets here! http://www.songkick.com/concerts/16093069-thermals-at-union-transfer

I love your music so much. Probably my favorite moment in all of your songs is on "Brace and Break" round abouts "we can turn a sad string into a long dream". Hutch's voice is so good. Also "A Stare Like Yours" chorus, but what I was wondering is what is your favorite song of The Thermals (your own band) and if possible any particular moment? Thanks!

aw that's so sweet. i especially like that lyric myself. personally i think the lyrics to "when i died" are the best i've ever written.

Hutch, you sing about water a lot... Why?

I mean...fire is pretty cool too, right?

fire... BAD

bread... GOOD

Can you guys please come back to South Florida/Miami? I missed you last time due to my girlfriend forgetting to buy the tickets she promised me for my bday. We've broken up now, not because of that... well maybe because of that.

yes we will! never count on anyone anywhere to buy the tickets, you gotta buy the tickets yrself cuz they won't buy the tickets and then you'll be assed out

good afternoon! well, just wanted to say good afternoon

heyyyyy cinnamon

I know Hutch has done Forbidden Friends and Kathy has the Daydream Factory and my questions are: Do you guys have any other projects that you're passionate about? Do you think it helps the band for you to pursue creative interests outside the band?

we all do a lot of visual art. drawing, painting, collage... it does help the band for us to pursue other interests, although we are totally obsessed with our band so it doesn't leave us with a ton of free time for other stuff...

Why did you decide to have a more processed vocal on Desperate Ground? Sort of fuzzed-out? It's an interesting choice.

it's the same vocal sound i used on our first record, 'more parts per million'. it's a RODE NT-1 mic through an ART pre through a 4 track cassette! we love the distorted sound

Ill start with the obvious: I'm a huge fan since I got a copy of body,blood, the machine about four years ago. With that album and a large portion of your other work there hAs been a large emphasis on religious themes. Where does that stem from? Also, what prompted the move from sub pop to kill rock stars to saddle creek? All great labels. Come to Atlanta or Athens soon, pretty please. Also Kathy, lets get married if you don't mind.

TBTBTM was definitely heavy on religion but since then we have tried to leave religion out of our lyrics for the most part. kathy and i were both raised catholic...

playing ATL soon! at the drunken unicorn june 1st!

Carrie brownstein was in your video for I don't believe you which was amazing but the question why haven't you been in portlandia? it's a great show! also you guys should do a song with Carrie it'd be amazing!!

yeah we should do a song with carrie!

she actually asked me twice to be on portlandia but i was too busy! and too cool :)

Do you have as much fun in real life as your facebook has led me to believe?

No other band I've liked on facebook seems to have as much fun as you do.

ha, AWESOME! yes, we do. we shot the 'sunset' vid the last two days and had a ton of fun. fun FB pix coming soon!

Hutchers: How big of an influence were 'Loom Jams' on your sound?

thank you for your question kind sir. i would say without a doubt that loom jams were the single biggest influence on my songwriting and my entire artistic career.

Hey, big fan here. I'm starting a band and was wondering what your song writing process is?

pick up the guitar and strum a chord, then a few more. yr almost done at that point!

if you happen to remember it specifically, you guys played at mayday in cincinnati a few years ago. it was one of the best shows i've been to and a lot of my friends still talk about how phenomenal it was (wishing you'd come back)! so my question is, did you have as much as we did? do you feel like you usually have as much fun as the crowd?

we had as much! fun, right? :) that show was especially drunk and disorderly. that's how we like it

[deleted]

thanks! where is pullman?

Long time fan. Are there any songs that you guys get tired of playing live? Also, I'm going to see you in Chicago and would love to buy you guys 9999 beers.

i get tired of all the songs! i like to go through periods of hating certain songs until one day when i love them again. much to the chagrin of my bandmates! make it 1000 beers and you got a deal.

Your songwriting is max power per lyric. What was the creative process for TBTBTM? How'd the concept come about?

kathy and i wrote that record just the two of us. we worked on the music together for months. for the lyrics, i just let my most paranoid fantasies run wild...

what kind of pedals do you play with?

i use 2 ibanez tube screamers and a boss digital delay.

I love the thermals! My daughters are rocking your new album now... thanks aunty and uncle! Hawaii...? Come on! Public forum ;).

oh oh bo that be so weak a hell. rock over to HI fewies n peep zero okie-o-pies

Who are y'all listening to now? Any interesting bands? Upcoming artists you want to tell us about?

i just listened to agent orange and now i'm listening to the adicts. i only listen to old punk bands that start with A. next up, adolescents!

Don't really have much to ask. Just here stating that i have been a fan for quite a few years now. Can't say i was ever a big enough fan to know when you had new records coming out, but it was always a great surprise to be flipping through records at a shop and find that you had a new one. Nice to know that today I learned you have yet again another record out. Thanks for making great music. Keep it up

thanks!!!

Hey, I've been a fan for a few year now (since around the debut of Body, Blood, the Machine, though many of my favorite songs are from More Parts Per Million). I'm sort of curious about your song writing process and how you've developed your style over time.

A) How do you write/compose your songs? Does Hutch do most of the lyrical work or is that more of a mixed bag? And does anyone take the lead when it comes to developing instrumentals, or is it more of a "here's some lyrics, let's jam and see how we develop" kind of process?

B) How would you characterize the development of your style? Is this driven by anything in particular?

a - music always comes first, then lyrics. i write the lyrics.

b - we try to make slight changes to our formula while making sure we retain our own, original sound. we always wanna sound like us, ya know?

Hey guys! I've caught you maybe three or four times in Atlanta and you absolutely bring the house down. (June 1st at Drunken Unicorn, can't wait!) I went to see you guys open for Matt and Kim as well (at the shithole that is the Masquerade).

Bigger crowd, but less die-hard Thermals fans.

Do you prefer playing for smaller crowds of people who know your songs word-for-word or bigger shows where people might be hearing you for the first time? Or is it nice to change it up?

Both types of show are great! It's really fun to play to a rowdy, packed smaller room where everyone's sweaty and singing along. We LOVE that. But it's also great to play to a large crowd who don't know us all that well, and win them over. It's so satisfying to see people get more and more into it during the course of our set, and have a bunch of them come up afterwards to say they'd never heard us before but now they're fans.

yeah both are so fun! but really you can't beat a sweaty packed show in a tiny room. that's what this band was made for!

Any plans to do any more side project type stuff?

kathy and westin have a band with maggie vail called hurry up! https://www.facebook.com/getweirder?fref=ts

Hey guys! I was wondering which are your favorite instruments to use in a studio compared to a live gig. Is it based on a personal preference or is it more practical?

i always play telecasters. i like fender stuff in general but really i'm not that picky about amps. whatever's around! for the new record i used fender and vox amps

You guys rule. I've been a huge fan for the last six or seven years. The new album is great - "Our Love Survives" is probably my favorite on it.

My question: I know you guys have recorded both in studios and at home on cassettes. What do you prefer? Why? How do you decide what method you want to record?

Also, for Hutch: I believe you have the perfect guitar tone. How do you get it?

thank you! it's fun to record on a cassette machine, we still do our demos on one. we haven't done a record on cassette since the first one, cuz really one is enough.

i get my tone my using a tele and a tubescreamer and by not giving a shit what amp i play through.

OH MY GOD HI.

Okay, seriously, The Body, The Blood, The Machine is a HUGE inspiration to me; I like to think you guys actually influence my own music quite a lot. I'm SO excited to see you guys in Buffalo, you have NO IDEA. Honestly you're in my top 5 favorite bands. I LUH YOU. (I'm the guy who wrote to come to buffalo just about everyday on your Facebook and offered you candy if you let my band open for you haha)

The instant I heard your live album (first one I bought) I ran out to my local record shop and bought every album you had (in the store at least)

My question is what was opening for weezer like? They're possibly my all time favorite band and I literally worship the ground they spit on. (No joke Rivers spat on me once in a crowd.)

loved opening for weezer, since i have loved them since they started, and the fact that they were playing their first two records (my faves from them) made it that much sweeter. wish we could've done the whole tour with them!

First of I want to say that I love your music. My question is: If you could go back and change time would you have still recorded more parts per million the same lo-fi way?

(Also I don't know if it's bad etiquette to ask two questions but do you know a UK seller of the vinyl re-issues of your first three albums or is there a US seller who does international postage?)

if i could go back and change the way i recorded MPPM i would make it sound even shittier.

Saddle Creek's online store will ship internationally! http://saddle-creek.com/store/569 And you can get the reissues of the first 3 records there.

you can also order directly from us!

http://www.thethermals.com/shop/

SO MANY OPTIONS!

My favorite song of your's is "Everything I Want." Anything you can tell me about it woud make my day! I Love you guys so much.

i can tell you that yr probably the only thermals fan whose favorite thermals song is "everything i want". thank you!

What did you guys think of 285 Kent last month? I've seen you guys about 8 times(and interviewed you once! Best moment of my college radio career!) and that was a ton of fun! Is it weird selling out a warehouse space like 285 and then playing 2 nights in a "legit" venue like Bowery?

we liked it a lot! super fun and hot as hell. not weird! we like everything from 'legit clubs' to warehouse spaces.

Sorry I don't have a question but I hope to see you guys in Denver!

see you there!!!

I'd like to thank you guys for doing this. The Body, the Blood, the Machine is one of my favorite albums of all time. The writing is fantastic.

I have a couple of questions: What is your favorite place to write, and what is your favorite place in general?

Thanks again!

i prefer to write at home, alone, in total silence. not coincidentally, this is also my favorite place in general.

Hey, Ive been a big fan for about 2 years now, and am wondering who your biggest influence is in music and if you have one, your favorite ska band?

skabba the hutt

Who is your biggest influences and if you have one a favorite ska band, of any generation.

dude do you know skankin' pickle? kathy and i are from south bay CA. LOVE OP IVY

So when am I going to see you guys in Omaha?

may 13! tickets here http://www.songkick.com/concerts/16093034-thermals-at-slowdown

1. You guys are fucking rad.
2. What are your guys' opinion on the internet? This is a purposely open ended question.

1.thank you. 2.i am completely addicted to the internet. i think this means i like it?

From what I've heard of your new album, it seems like you guys are revisiting a lot of the themes and sonic elements from The Body, The Blood, The Machine. Was this a deliberate change in your songwriting after the more slowed-down pace of Personal Life?

yeah we wanted to get back to the crazy scary loud shit we used ta do.

Hi from Seattle! Along with a couple other people in this AMA, I'd call you guys my favorite current band, so thank you for doing this!

I've always wondered about the thematic break in your music from Fuckin A to everything since. That is, MPPM and FA seem to be just straight up bitchin' post-pop-punk (I loved seeing you guys use that descriptor once, it fits so well!) albums without any grand theme, while everything from TBTBTM on seems to fit together as a kind of parable about the dangers of religious fundamentalism and in-group/out-grouping. I've found it really interesting as it's built over the last 4 albums, and I've wondered how conscious the process of building up the "plot line" (for lack of a better term) is, if it's something you see continuing in the future, and if you ever feel limited by it?

Again, I love you guys and gal, and can't wait to see you next week and then again up in Bellingham next saturday. Any chance you know when you'll take the stage this Saturday? I'll be in PDX for a bike event at the Clinton Street Theater and I've been debating booking it out of there early to ride over and see you a third time in a week, but I don't know if it's feasible...

to me, limitations/parameters only help. they keep things focused. i love that each record since TBTBTM has had a theme, and i intend to keep it up!

i think we'll play at 10 or 11 on sat.

[deleted]

my favorites are "an endless supply", "i let it go" and "the sword by my side"

Thanks for doing this! I saw you guys in Detriot two years back, and absolutely loved it (you had mic issues that day, but it still rocked).

The first time I was introduced to your music was on Chuck. Do you ever watch the episodes that feature you're music? Also, if you could hang out with one fictional character, who would it be?

haven't seen all the shows our music has been in, but i did really like 'chuck' and really enjoyed hearing our songs in it. if i could make out with one fictional character it would be amy wong from futurama

Why dont you guys play Boise more? WE ARE SO GOD DAMN CLOSE. Also, you guy destroyed it at Treefort. It was like my high school dreams of seeing you finally came true.

we LOVE boise. announcing another show SOON

Big fan here, especially of "The Body, The Blood, The Machine." What events in particular, if any, inspired that album and its story? What kind of research or reading went into the songwriting, or was it mostly based on observing the scary state of things in the US culture wars? Thanks!

'1984', 'brave new world', 'johnny got his gun' and 'it can't happen here' are all books that influenced TBTBTM. being raised catholic and living through 9/11 and the bush/cheney regime were also huge influences.

Remember that time Hutch cut his finger real bad and couldn't play guitar for awhile? There was a picture of it in this article I read, and it looked like the photo was a selfie with Hutch naked in front of the mirror (but out of focus) in the background. What was up with that?

we were just talking about that last night. i slashed my finger with a razor blade, almost cutting it off! really it was just an excuse to take nude selfies and put them on the internet.

I'm a broken record...but any Vermont touring love on the radar? Higher Ground is a great venue: http://www.highergroundmusic.com/

one day i hope! haven't been to VT in years... xo