1. No, it’s not just one person. Despite “man” being a part of their name, Portugal. The Man is a band. At the moment, the group is comprised of John Gourley, Zach Carothers, Kyle O’Quin, Jason Sechrist and Eric Howk. The band just released their eighth studio album, Woodstock, in June 2017. Woodstock was their first album since 2014! Their touring members include Zoe Manville, Kirk Ohnsted, Dewey Halpaus, Matthew Moore, and Nick Reinhart.
2. They just earned their first Grammy nomination! The band was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their single “Feel It Still.” If you have listened to it, you should. It’s a total jam. They’re nominated alongside The Chainsmokers and Coldplay, Alessia Cara and Zedd, Imagine Dragons, and Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber. The 60th Annual Grammy Awards will air Jan. 28 on CBS.
3. Two of the bandmates started playing music together in high school! John and Zach met while attending Wasilla High School in Wasilla, Alaska. These two have known each other a long time!
4. The band has had many members over the years. Former members of the band include Ryan “The Niz” Neighbors, Kane Ritchotte, Wesley Hubbard, Noah Gersh, Nick Klein, Harvey Tumbleson, Garrett Lunceford, and Matt Price.
5. There’s a cool reason behind the band’s name. “Portugal. The Man is an alter ego … kind of like David Bowie created Ziggy Stardust,” the band said during their On Air With Ryan Seacrest interview in Sept. 2017. “We always knew we weren’t going to be one person, we were always going to be a band, and we figured a country is one name for one group of people with one voice in the world … so we just thought Portugal would be a good name.”
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HollywoodLifers, are you a fan of Portugal. The Man? Let us know!