User:Sarahdelica

Portland (formally known as Shoa) started back in 2004 when the band began as a duo with Paul Meadows (Bass) & Rory Thompson (Guitar & Vocals). A year or so later Sarah Thompson (Vocals) joined the band and the trio were complete. After a year or two of gigging in and around the Midlands, they decided to make a short recording of their best tracks at the Raindance Music Studios. Various session musicians were drafted in for the recording. After a few months of studio work Shoa (as they were then known) released a 7 track EP called Pretend to be Stronger. This recording bought the band some important attention & paved the way for a future record deal.

2008 bought the first glimpses of success for Portland, when in February they signed a 3 album deal with The Stereo Tree, an independant UK label. They quickly got to work on their debut album, recording over the summer & autumn of 2008 on the south coast of England at various studios.

The new album, These Broken Hands, is diverse & carves its way through a varied spectrum of musical tastes, whilst maintaining the originality & integrity of Portland's sound. Portland also had their first taste of national exposure on Radio 2 this year on the Bob Harris show. Their debut album has been produced & mixed by Dan Wheeler and also Kipper, who has produced other artists such as Sting, Gary Numan, Mary J Blige & American Idol winner Clay Aitkin. The bands instrumentation & style draws inspiration from many musical genres such as Folk, Indie, Pop & Rock etc. This broad range of musical tastes have given Portland a sense of diversity when writing music.

Official Portland Website

Portland Myspace