MarsBands.com’s Interview with Hutch Harris

The Rundown: The Thermals are based in Portland, Oregon. They started in 2002 and have released 5 studio albums: “More Parts Per Million” (2003), “Fuckin A” (2004), “The Body, The Blood, The Machine” (2006), “Now We Can See” (2009), and “Personal Life” (2010). Comprised of Hutch Harris (guitar/vocals), Kathy Foster (bass), and Westin Glass (drums). The Thermals are Indie Punk, with a little Rock mixed in. When I first found this band, I could have swore I heard them somewhere before, because Hutch’s voice left an memorable impression on my mind. It took me a while, but I eventually figured it out. Their song, “I Hold the Sound“, was featured in NHL 2K7. I played that game for quite a while and every time that song was on I would just stop and listen to it because it was good. Shame on me for never looking into who the band was earlier. Shame shame.

Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster had been in a band prior to The Thermals called, “Hutch and Kathy”. They decided to stick a fork in that band, which was rather Folky, and started up The Thermals, a complete turnaround from Folk. This band is fun to listen to, and their videos are fun to watch. Their songs are mostly upbeat and fast paced. The Thermals’ sound is kind of that of the 90s, which is probably why I like them so much.

Besides “I Hold the Sound“, which will forever be etched into my brain, they have other great songs like “A Pillar of Salt“, “How We Know” and “Returning to the Fold“. My favorite is “A Pillar of Salt“. It is a fast temp song where Hutch Harris’ singing is almost yelling/talking mixed with bits of “normal” singing. The drum line is fast paced to match the quick rhythm of the guitar and bass. I highly recommend it. As well as any of the other songs I just mentioned, as they are all quite good.

MarsBands.com really likes The Thermals, and thinks that you should too. If you’ve never heard of them before, you definitely need to check them out. They are a great listen.