The Thermals

By • Jul 1st, 2009 • Category: Band Bios

thermalsHutch Harris and Kathy Foster don’t work well with others. Well, that’s not entirely true; they just don’t work consistently with them. The Thermals’ pair of regular members worked passably with ex-bandmates Ben Barnett and Jordan Hudson during the band’s 2002 conception as a foursome. The two musicians didn’t have a problem releasing their 2004 Sub Pop debut as part of a slimmed-down threesome before the Portland-based pair recorded arguably their most-solid, boozy, guitar-rocking LP in 2006 as a duo. Yet The Thermals would later reach their fullest, most impressive live sound on the subsequent tour after bulking up to a quintet. Despite all the shuffling, it’s Harris and Foster who have remained throughout — along with The Thermals’ driving, blues-based riffs and lo-fi, DIY grit. And on this year’s Now We Can See, the two multi-instrumentalists were back by one another’s side filling out the group’s most creative lineup: just the two of them.

Chicago Innerview, July 2009

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