The home of counter-culture in America, cult TV show 'Portlandia', lush vegetation and the NBA's Trail Blazers aka Rip City, Portland has been a destination for progressive minds since the 1960s.
It also happens to be the title of Denver-based five piece, Mainland Break's lead single that's lifted from their debut album 'One Way Ticket to Midnight' released today.Jangle alt-pop melded to country-tinged indie rock, 'One Way Ticket To Midnight' is a collection of songs that charts a nocturnal journey of self-reflection, thematically expressing ideas related to 'fading memories'.
From fleeting love, the enduring nature of relationships, the uncertainty of the future, and the unchangeability of the past, Mainland Break have highlighted the 'Portland' track with a grainy Super 8-inspired video clip that hearts the simplicity of the past.
"'One Way Ticket To Midnight' takes the listener through a lonely, reflective night that recalls distant friendships, lost love, and missed opportunity," Mainland Break says.
"It begins at sundown, with the golden nostalgia of 'Calling After' and builds to the revelry of 'One Way Ticket To Midnight' – set at the height of the night.
"The album works towards sunrise, but never realises the dawn, and leaves the listener alone and grasping at fading memories."
Here, the band share five things about Portland that inspired their own 'Portland'.
City Lights
The first night that we spent in Portland, we got some prime views of downtown and the lights reflecting off the Willamette River. The view made a lasting impression that made it into the lyrics of 'Portland'.
Image © Bill Cobb
Quirky Bars
There are plenty of quirky watering holes in Portland. We took specific inspiration from one bar (Hungry Tiger) that had a vending machine with some CDs in it, which also made it into the lyrics of 'Portland'.
Biking
We enjoyed seeing the people of Portland biking everywhere. Portland is a city on the move, and we wanted the song to keep up with its pace.
My Vinyl Underground
This is one of the coolest record stores we've been to because it is home to the Jigsaw Records label and has an extensive collection of jangle-pop records. Digging through its endless stacks gave us some quality inspiration for the guitar work in 'Portland'.
Oregon Beaches
The beaches are located a bit outside of the city, but we did take inspiration from being alone and isolated on a foggy beach for the emotional energy of the song.
