If you've followed us from when we started playing live in October 2010, you will notice that there has been numerous changes over the years.
Portugal. The Man, to me, doesn't have any real ties. We try to change things up with every album, really progress, and let things happen.
I feel more confident about what we're doing as a band and what we're trying to do as a band and the way we're looking at it as a band.
We're not trying to change the world; just music.
Some people just don't want to see change, but thankfully there are a lot of people more optimistic for something new in music, even with the bigger picture like with Obama getting elected.
If you're not changing what you're doing and exploring different parts of your musical output, I think you're slowly dying.
Music has to change. I don't want to stay the same forever.
In the beginning, I found it hard to give my songs away, but now I've realised it's exciting, and it's only making me better.
If you look back, you get stuck in a year. I've seen rappers and singers get stuck in 2002 or 2005, and they can't get out.
Music is always gonna change; it's just a matter of keeping up with the times.
Art music is an evolving matter, and so are a lot of cities.
I'm going to keep evolving and evolving and showing people that progression is key when it comes to music.
The songwriting has never really stepped forward from the '50's.
I'm very much a traditionalist, but I think it's important to know about tradition so that you can evolve the music you are deciding to make.
All genres of music have to evolve, grow, and expand in order to maintain. I don't think there's anything wrong with the growth of R&B. I welcome it.
In any situation that we find in our lives, when there is something that we feel should be better, we must exert effort to try and make it better. So it's the same socially, musically, politically in any department of our lives.
Music in general is looking for something new overall.
With every album, I write above my ability, and my job as a guitarist is to catch up and be able to play it live. The thing about practicing is that once you master something, you don't have to remaster it. You just keep moving forward.
I think everybody knows my sound because I'm me, you know? But, on your fourth album, I think you've definitely gotta show growth because I definitely don't plan on being one of those cats that fade off. It's always about growing with me; I grew up over the years.
Music is so transient. You've just got to move with it.
I'm just a consequence of the great musical momentum and the great changes we are going through in the world.
You have to grow with the music.
I listen to other guitar players, yeah. It gives me new concepts and shows me where the instrument is going for the future and it is going some places. There are some musicians who are really putting out a good vibe with new theories. I try and keep up.
Music is changing. I'm just doing what I'm doing, and hopefully in the next 20, 30 years, some kids can take what I'm doing and change it again. If the music doesn't move, then it's dead.
A lot of producers always say "what direction are you going in?" and I don't know. I'm just doing music. Right now it's going well. It's a little slow, but it's expected because I haven't been in the studio for a minute.
