The Accidental Pop Stars

Portland stalwarts Portugal. The Man march into their first year as Grammy-winning, chart-topping stars. Listen in on one of the most unusual success stories in pop.

- Aaron Carnes

Two bearded guys in jeans and old T-shirts come down the backstage stairs at the McDonald Theatre in Eugene, Oregon, USA, carrying a hot-dog roller — one of those gleaming, grease-lined contraptions that spin ad infinitum in convenience stores. As they set it up I watch them from the nearby couch I’m sharing with two of the founding members of Portugal. The Man, a band whose eccentric psych-pop has allowed it to float just underneath the mainstream for more than a decade. Last year the group surprised everyone, including themselves, with the massive success of “Feel It Still,” an infectious Motown-inspired jam that has garnered praise from the likes of former president Barack Obama, who included it on his “favourite songs of 2017” playlist.

Just a few days earlier, the song had landed the Portland-based group a Grammy for best pop duo/group performance. Now, at the kickoff of their first tour of 2018, they giddily look on as roadies set up their brand new appliance. If all goes according to plan, it will traverse the globe with them, heating dogs for the band, the crew, the opening acts and whoever else happens to be hanging around.

“Treat yourself,” bassist Zach Carothers says. Singer-guitarist John Gourley, seated on the couch with Carothers and me, has been quiet; he strikes me as shy. But once he gets started, he has a lot to say.