John Gourley is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of Portugal. The Man. He grew up in a cabin in Trapper Creek, Alaska, living close to the land. His parents ran the Iditarod — a 1,000 mile-long sled dog race through some of the most treacherous conditions in the world. It takes skill, endurance and fortitude. For John, it’s a lot like being in a band, but instead of making it to Nome, they’re trying to make it to their next gig. It’s its own endurance race that really only considers the present. It’s a lifestyle that lands somewhere between frugality and stardom. Between spending a dollar a day on food in their leaner times and performing at Red Rocks and Radio City in times of prosperity. It’s been a journey that was never about winning a Grammy or critical acclaim, it was always about the music.
John says that when he writes music, he thinks of snowboarding. Of cliffs, jumps, rollers and powder. Hatcher Pass — the mountains John grew up hiking and riding — is in his rhythm and the lyrics. That association is intuitive for him. Simply put, throwing yourself off a cliff or off a jump is like throwing yourself into music and performing. Sometimes you lose and sometimes you win. But you learn from your failures and you’re buoyed by your wins. And it’s in those winning moments that give you the strength and the reassurance to continue. Like snowboarding or the Iditarod, there are always gonna be struggles, but it’s how you work through those struggles that define you.
This new album, “Chris Black Changed My Life,” was marked by struggle and uncertainty. Three band members went to rehab, John broke his jaw, their good friend Chris Black passed away and John and Zoe’s daughter Frances was diagnosed with DHDDS, a rare neurodegenerative disease. It’s been a lot, and navigating it is ongoing. The three who went to rehab are doing much better now and John’s jaw is on the mend. Chris is missed and thought about often, and after an exhausting amount of research, Frances is in treatment.
Photo by Maclay Heriot
EP 85 Furniture, basketball and family with Buddy Bailey
EP 84 Human trafficking in Alaska and decolonizing data with Josie Heyano
EP 83 Moving home, revitalizing a language and the magic of radio with Shyanne Beatty
EP 82 A chip on my shoulder with Mario Chalmers
EP 81 Life lessons from fish camp with Angela Gonzalez
EP 80 Searching for understanding and forgiveness with Robert Stark
EP 79 There is no excuse with Andrew Kurka
EP 78 Deconstructing the myth of The Last Frontier with Kaitlin Armstrong
EP 77 The history of slime with Christopher Michlig
EP 76 What we’ve been through is not who we are now with Travante Williams
EP 75 From middle school teacher to pro wrestler with Freya the Slaya
EP 74 Embracing the variance of poker with Adam Hendrix
Museums in a Climate of Change: EP 73 Futures thinking, perseverance and climate change with Kristin Alford of the Museum of Discovery at the University of South Australia
Museums in a Climate of Change: EP 72 Creating sustainable exhibitions with Lizzy Bakker of NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam
Museums in a Climate of Change: EP 71 How climate change is affecting the traditional Sámi way of life with Anne May Olii of the Sámi Museum in Norway
Museums in a Climate of Change: EP 70 The myth of climate indifference with Miranda Massie of the Climate Museum
Museums in a Climate of Change: EP 69 Imagining the future with Lath Carlson of the Museum of the Future in Dubai
Ep 67 Culture comes from our environment with Cordelia Qiġñaaq Kellie
EP 66 Inuit soul music with Qacung
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