They say that you can walk down any Portland street, on any given day, throw a rock, and hit a musician. Here at SOMA we don’t encourage throwing rocks at the rock stars, but we did send local resident and contributing photographer, Anthony Georgis, to toss a few questions to some of best and brightest musicians in the “The City of Roses.”

1 What was the first album you ever bought?
2 Who would you love to jam with?
3 What do you think about when you are onstage?
4 What is the best thing about touring?
5 Worst thing about touring?
6 What is the theme song of your life?

Heather Treadway (Explode Into Colors)
1 Four by Hughey Lewis and the News
2 Moondog
3 Nothing, my mind goes blank. I sometimes have glimpses of thought if it’s a new song…like remembering my parts
4 Feeling new and inspired every day
5 Waiting at venues before and after the show
6 “Yoda” by Weird Al. I’ve had that song stuck in my head for 15 years

Andrew Rodriguez (PDXTR)
1 The Return of the Space Cowboy by Jamiroquai. The bassline in the title track was reason enough
2 Quincy Jones, Josh Rouse or Thomas Mars
3 Nothing at all
4 Traveling
5 Transience; momentary experiences
6 “Gold Day” by Sparklehorse

Megan Speas (Jared Mees and the Grown Children)
1 Cliche but true: Nirvana’s Nevermind
2 Prince and Sir Paul at the same time? Oh wait, jamming. No that’s gross
3 How I can’t hear myself, or what’s going on?
4 The plethora of salt and sugary options at gas stations, you definitely don’t crave actual food whilst en route
5 Getting pulled over in Illinois.
6 Paperboy’s: “Ditty”

Rocky Tinder (Wampire)
1 Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life” single
2 Dan Deacon
3 One thing I find myself thinking about is whether people are getting down or not
4 I imagine the best thing about touring is being really well received in a place you’ve never been to and you know nothing about
5 Being really sick
6 “Gila” by Beach House

May Ling
1 Salt N Pepa’s Blacks’ Magic
2 Timbaland
3 What Gwyneth Paltrow’s severed head must have looked like in Se7en
4 Winning over crowds
5 New douchebag sound guy every night, oh and fluorescent lighting
6 “America, Fuck Yeah” by Trey Parker

James Mitchell (Nurses)
1 Eternal E by Eazy-E
2 Liars or Silver Apples
3 I usually try to ignore the fact that anyone’s around
4 Being on an adventure and not feeling attached to too many things
5 Sleeping in the van
6 “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” or “Blessed Brambles” by Mum

Automne Zingg (Cat Fancy!)
1 I bought a cassette of Let’s Dance by David Bowie when I was ten years old
2 I would like to write dirty slow jams with Jarvis Cocker
3 Entertaining you with my sick dance moves
4 Doing what you love in a different city every night and drink tickets
5 Hangovers, loading gear, waiting
6 “Keep On Livin’” by Le Tigre

– Photography Anthony Georgis