Get ready for an interview that will have you in stitches! We had the pleasure of speaking to the talented trio of a pop acoustic rock band called ‘Portraits & Tales’ that is taking the world by storm. They’ll reveal their secrets to success, share their favorite music stories, and maybe even teach us a few chords. So grab a cup of coffee, tune in, and get ready to laugh, because these guys are sure to steal your heart.

Hey there, welcome to SoundVille! You guys started out as a cover band. So, what was the first cover song you guys recorded as a band, and did it turn out more like a masterpiece or a hot mess?

The first cover song we recorded was a Swedish song called “Du kommer ångra det här” by the Swedish artist Uno Svenningson. It’s a beautiful song about a hurtful relationship.

What’s the story behind the name Portraits & Tales? How did you come up with it?

Well, the name Portraits & Tales came to us after we started to discuss the content of our songs. The people who listened to us, always gave us a similar comment to our music, “It always feels that you guys take us on a journey full of pictures and emotions through your songs”. After hearing that similar comment a few times, the name “Portraits & Tales” came to us very naturally.

Your first original song “Only You”! What inspired you to finally start releasing your own material, and how did it feel to see such a positive response from your fans?

What inspired us to start releasing our own material, was the fact that people around us started to ask, “when are you guys gonna start releasing your own originals?” Malin had written this great song when she lived in Barcelona, but never done anything with it. So we took her song, did some adjustments and then, Voila! We released it. We had no expectations regarding how the song would be recieved by our fans. At this time, we where very new as a band with not many followers. But the response was huge! In less then a week we gained over 10 000 streams which of course felt very good:)

You second single called “Struggle” and is a powerful title for a song. Can you give us a sneak peek into what inspired the lyrics and how the song came to be?

The chorus of “Struggle” was first inspired by a quote from a french author named Albert Camus. From that quote Malin took the song to another level by describing a tough relationship that many people can relate to.

You guys are back with a bang with your latest single ‘Suddenly’, and from what we’ve heard, it’s shaping up to be a real crowd-pleaser! Can you tell us a bit more about the style and vibe of the song? Can you give us some insight into how you came up with the music and lyrics for this single, and did you have to use any secret techniques like sacrificing a guitar to the music gods to get it just right?

Well, when Alvaro started to write the song, the first thing he said was that he wanted to put a more rockier vibe into it than we had done with previous songs. So we started to experiment with a more heavier sound on the leadguitars. The main issue was to find a sound that fitted well with Portraits & Tales main sound. But with the help of our friend, Robin Lundberg, who has recoreded all the leadguitars and solos, we manage to find a balance without to have to compromice all that much. The lyrics to the song relates to the feeling Alvaro had the last months before he divorced from his ex wife. We all agreed that the story and the music was a perfect match.

Collaborating with Patrik “Patso” Heikinpieti and filming most of the music video in his studio sounds like a cool experience. Can you give us a sneak peek into what we can expect from the video, and how you guys came up with the concept for it?

Well, to be honest with you, we don´t know that much since the producer is very secretive about it. We know that its gonna contain scenes from Patsos recording studio with us doing some kind of live sessions, and then also, it will come with some stop motion, but more than that, we don´t have a clue:)

Can we expect any upcoming concerts or performances from Portraits & Tales in the near future?

Yes you can. We have our very first concert planned in september when we will play at the pride festival in Kalix. A town near Luleå where we come from.

Who in the band is the most likely to get lost on the way to a gig, and have you ever had to send out a search party to find them?

Haha, that would be Malin, she can´t even find her way around with a GPS!!:)

If your music was a flavor of ice cream, what would it be and why?

Tough question, but something like Chili spiced choclate. We are hot but still sweet as chocolate 😉

And the final question. If you had to create a theme song for a fictional character, who would it be and what kind of vibe would you go for? Would you write a smooth jazz track for James Bond, or maybe a hard rock anthem for Batman?”

Ooh, that was a tricky one. We don´t we have any fictional character that goes with our music. But if Keith Richards would portrait a superhero in the near future, we would more than happy to write a theme song to him! Imagine that movie! What a legend!:)

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Welcome, welcome, welcome to today’s chat with the hip and happening rockers, Indoor Shoes! These cats are taking the indie scene by storm with their far-out sound and killer live shows. And have you heard? Their new EP, ‘Queen Victoria’, is out now and fans are freaking out to know how they made it happen. Stick with us as we kick it with the groovy members of Indoor Shoes to talk about their band’s journey, how they cooked up their latest tunes, and what’s in store for their future. Let’s get wild!

Hey there, you cool cats! Thanks for gracing us with your presence and sharing your journey in the wild world of music. You guys are like a breath of fresh air – not only do you have your own distinct sound, but your style is seriously snazzy. Now, spill the beans, how did you all come to meet and jam together?

Over the first lockdown, I think we were all feeling a bit cooped up and wanted to start something creative the first chance we got! Tommy and Kieran (our dear friend and previous drummer) met on Bumble, and then Evan and Tommy met over Facebook. When us three got into the room, Kieran introduced us to the man behind the bass Ben, and then a year down the line, after Kieran had moved along to the greener pastures of another city, we were introduced to Sean!

Your band releases an EP almost every year, which gives me the impression that you all are hard at work consistently. How in the world do you manage to juggle the creative process, producing tunes and putting on killer shows? Are you secretly superheroes or something?

We’ve always been a gigging band first, and especially at the start of the Shoes we were just playing everything we were offered and writing new material between venues. We’re very lucky that our home rehearsal venue Vulcan Studios in Liverpool has a cracking set up and an even crackinger technician (shout out Gary!) who helped us record allowing us to put our tunes out!

Which live performance would you say was the most exhilarating, and what audience or scene do you aspire to captivate?

Any chance we get to play to the Jacaranda is a pleasure, it feels intimate whilst we’re still able to get the audience moving around. Evan loves a stroll into the crowd, and the audience like being a part of a show in our experience. Honourable mentions to Outpost and the Arts Club, both Liverpool venues that we’ve had amazing shows with some energetic crowds! Anyone who likes a sing along and a dance is welcome at our shows!

Your band just dropped a fresh EP called “Queen Victoria” – congrats! Can you give us the inside scoop on what inspired this release and dish on any juicy or noteworthy moments from the recording process?

Tommy had the verse for Queen Victoria a couple of years earlier. He sent a few drafts of different songs across to Evan and this one caught his ear. From there we finished the tune off together in Ev’s house with an acoustic guitar. That’s why it has such a singer-songwriter feel to it. It’s also a good example of a mix and match of both our lyrics and vocal ideas.

Which track would you say is your all-time favourite or which EP do you think really stands out as a masterpiece?

We like to think that we grow with every track we put out, and that makes it hard to pick one as a favourite. Having said that, anyone who’s seen us live knows we’ve got an unreleased track called ‘Don’t tell me’, which is one we all look forward to playing. Maybe we’ll get it recorded day, but until then you better come and see it live!

Who is the mastermind behind the distinctive style of your artwork, and who is responsible for designing your eye-catching album covers?

That’s our good friend Sophie Heldt, a fellow northerner who Tyres met in Greece. We find it quite exciting to mix different arts together – Vision and Audio. That being said, we do have some plans for a music video in the pipeline, stay tuned!

As far as my understanding goes, each member of the band has their own unique tastes in music and interests. So, when it comes to creating new music, what is the process like for developing a full song for Indoor Shoes?

The way we tend to write is Tommy pens the music on a mini 8 track, recording with a little sample of drums and bass – this gets sent to Evan and he writes the lyrics for it. If it’s ‘Got legs’ we pass it over to the other guys, where Ben puts his signature bass to the track and the drums get banged over to finish the track! Or we’ll sit with the acoustic guitar and introduce it to the other guys for a full band sound.

What would you say has been the most significant obstacle your band has encountered thus far, and how did you manage to navigate through it?

Well very recently our friend Kieran made the heart-breaking decision to take a step back from the Indoor Shoes, due to the distance between us as he lives in Manchester and we’re all Liverpool. It was very sad to see him go, but we wish him all the best and we’re looking forward to the next chapter with our new pan smasher Sean!

Alright, – what’s the secret code you’re sending out to the masses with your music? What kind of vibes are you hoping to invoke in folks when they tune in to your tunes?

Play our songs on a hot summer’s day, or in the car, or in the shower, or wherever you can! Our songs are relatable to a lot of people – and we hope you’ll feel the same! We were called stoner rock once. That’s all I’ll say about that.

And the final question. So, what’s the plan? What does the future hold for Indoor Shoes gang? Let’s hear the juicy deets!

We’re going to be gigging and recording all through summer and are talking to a company we’ve worked with a lot about the possibility of our first tour! So with a bit of luck, we’ll be coming to a city near you very soon!

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