Despite calling the city of Portland, Maine home, there is an easy (almost Southern) charm found in the music of Harpswell Sound. On their latest self-released full-length called Let's Go Anyway is a great blend of quirky indie-rock and twangy alt-country that had me hooked immediately. I can make comparisons to (perhaps) the Old 97's or even Uncle Tupelo, but (however you want to describe it) it's perfect for both evenings on the back porch or Sunday mornings with the paper and a cup of coffee. Ask the band how you can get a copy of Let's Go Anyway on CD or go over to Emusic to get a copy.

In addition to sending me their great new CD, the band was also kind enough to answer a few questions (my questions in bold, answers not):

What are you guys listeningto these days?  What blows your hair back?

Trey: Son Volt, Elliott Smith, The Clientele.

Mike: Pre 1970 Kinks, 20's-30's mountain music, gospel and secular.

Ron: Anne Briggs, Deerhoof, The Concretes, The Walkmen, Herbert, French Kicks, James Gang, Jens Lekman, Neko Case, MF Doom.


I've heard Portland, Maine menioned and romanticized in a few songs.  What's it really like up there?

Trey: Right now it's really wet.  Rained for most of May and so far June is pretty much the same.  Most of the songs refer to the winters here and the cold and occassional snow that accompany them.  I like writing about where I am.  It's right outside the window.  I live in a section of town that's on a hill beside the water.  We've been getting a lot of fog lately.  And it's so thick you can stand outside and watch it literally roll in from the sea down the street and eventually just blanket the neighborhood. 

Mike: The people are mean. It is horrible, ugly, and filthy. Stay away

Ron: Portland is an amazing small city. Seems to be changing quickly as people find out about it, though.

What are your opinions about music blogs such as this one?  Do you think they have any importance or influence?

Trey: I've only just found out about the world of music blogs.  Ron gave me a list I'm slowly working my way through.  It seems to me, though, that they're largely set up and visited by a community of music enthusiasts.  There's a ton of content and information on these sites which stands to benefit both bands and listeners.  And look, we put out the cd ourselves, we don't have a marketing machine behind us and
we're not taking out ads in magazines and going on long national tours.  Not that we wouldn't like to but that shit costs a lot of money and we sunk way more than we had into getting the actual cd made.  So if a site or a blog or whatever it's called puts some of our songs up or gives us a nod then to us it's certainly relevant. 

Ron: The only paper magazines I read at this point are the New Yorker, Seed, and TapeOp. Everything else is online. Blogs like yours remind me of being a kid and reading fanzines like Maximum Rock N Roll, only they're updated more quickly and you can listen to a tune right after reading about someone interesting. Also, as in the political world, blogs such as yours are one of the few remaining sources for truly
honest opinion & criticism. Awesome!

Lastly, what is the significance of the birds on the cover of your new album "Let's Go Anyway"?

Trey: You know, at first, when we decided on the cover image I just liked the picture.  We had a few that we were choosing between and this one won out.  It's warm and loose looking, not blurry but close.  But now it's kind of taken on it's own meaning.  A lot of the songs are about traveling and realizing that the days when we could pick up and move or take a couple of months off and just drive or go to other countries, those days are pretty much behind us.  And those birds may be on
display but not at a zoo, it's a museum - they're not going anywhere. It's a harsh metaphor and certainly not one that went into the decision to go with that shot but there is something there I think.  Even if it's just suggestive of things like motion and stillness.

Ron: I agree with Trey that the album has sort of a melancholy take on traveling, being tied down and unable to get away. They are taxidermy birds, posed to look lifelike, but dusty and faded after years in the LC Bates museum here in Maine.

MP3 | Harpswell Sound - Crockpot Let's Go Anyway
MP3 | Harpswell Sound - Tankful Of Gas Let's Go Anyway