PORTOBELLO EXPRESS ARE A 'LOUD' PSYCHOTRONICALLY INDUCED FUSION OF 60's PSYCHEDELIA, BLUES AND CONTEMPORARY MODERN ROCK. THEY FLIRT WITH CLASSICAL THEMES, GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE AND STRANGE STORIES ABOUT SYPHILIS....INTRIGUED?

Portobello Express are an eclectically infused rhythmic beat machine based in Vienna.Their fusion of blues, 60’s psychedelia and 70’s classic rock cuts a unique figure in the modern rock pantheon. Theror songs reflect their environment, with nods to famous composers, gothic architecture and hedonistic living. Let’s meet them, shall we?

So, how are you guys?

Hi Paul, hello everyone, all fine and dandy over here! Betty and Patrick answering. Thanks so much for having us on board

Where do you all home?

We all live in Vienna. Vienna in Austria 

Can you explain the origins of the band name?

Patrick: We were looking for a name with a strong late sixties vibe to match our musical ideas. Swinging London’s Portobello Road was a hip place in those psychedelic days and I thought that went well with “Express”, which stands for a certain power.

Betty: ..and which stands for coffee. We love coffee!

Is there a significant person or event that prompted any of you to become musicians?

Betty: I’ve been into music since I was very young: at home we had everything on the record player, from French chansonnier to Chilean music, from feminist songs to the Beatles, and I sang them all, no matter what language they were in!  The 2 bands that played a very important role in my musical development as a bassist were Free and Nirvana. But I’m a huge soul lover,too, so no doubt that Tina Turner has been my vocal mentor.

Patrick: I grew up with a lot of music from the 60s and 70s that my dad played, so I was used to the sound of that era. But I was also always in love with the blues, which made me learn to play the guitar.

There’s a definite 70’s blues rock feel to your sound with shades of everything from Led Zeppelin to west coast American psychedelia, which influences would you say have helped to shaped your sound?

Betty: oh waw, tons of thanks, it is amazing to find a soul mate who can recognise our sound! You definitely hit the spot, as for me I’m a colossal Jefferson Airplane fan!

Patrick: The British blues boom, as well as hard and psychedelic rock, definitely influence my playing.

Our compositions reflect all these influences.

Who would you say are your modern contemporaries?

Betty: The independent scene is almost all the contemporary artists I listen to.  The big names in the mainstream scene don’t really impress me, but there are unsigned artists that have influenced and inspired my songwriting instead.

Patrick: I always loved Black Crowes as a “revival” band, but I am not really into modern bands.

Ever taken mushrooms?

Betty: nope, not yet!

Patrick: oh yesss!

How would you say your sound/style has progressed from ‘Take A Trip’ through to ‘Sorrow and Pain’?

Betty: A million light years away.  We started out as a Mod band, but the scene has become quite inflexible in recent years, allowing a lonely early 60s sound.  Since we’re more into late 60s/early 70s instead, I started to feel trapped. So I said to myself: “Write songs that come to mind and lyrics that are inspired by real people”. And that’s what I did. Because that is my musical background, my songs still have a very vintage sound to them. And I’m lucky that Patrick feels the same way. Thanks to his great talent on the guitar, he can always find the perfect riff, no matter how strange the song might be. He is definitely my best mate!

Patrick: I think one could hear the blues and a strong Who and Stones influence in those early recordings, influences which are still present. But our productions are not just bound to these roots.

We are trying to expand and to experiment and we are just recording the things that come into our heads.

‘Sorrow and Pain’ was inspired by Schubert’s ‘Sonata No.20 in A Major D959’, what do you find fascinating about this particular composer?

Betty: Schubert is still very much underestimated and lives in the shadow of other great Austrian composers such as Mozart or Liszt, despite his great talent and wonderful piano pieces. Schubert had a dispotic father and an unhappy childhood – which is why I feel close to him. He always had no money and died very young, ill and alone. He was a misfit and I can feel his pain in every note. Sorrow & Pain is my very modest and small homage to a great artist. And a tribute to all those who have lost a loved one and who are suffering in silence.

What do you hope the listener takes away from your songs?

Betty: I have never claimed to write like Shakespeare, not least because, as a non-native speaker of English, it would be impossible for me to compete with lyricists who are already doing it professionally. Maybe there is a highly sensitive person out there, a sado maso, a paranoid, a climate change activist, who can relate to the message in my songs. My hope is to evoke feelings, whether positive or negative, and to make those who listen to our music ask questions about themselves and their relationship with the outside world.

Can you describe your song writing process?

It is very simple: I dream the songs. I get up in the morning (sometimes in the middle of the night), I have a bassline in my head, often the structure of the song, the rhythm it should have and the lyrics, too. Then it is Patrick who adds beauty, the nuances, the colour, the flavour to the songs. He is a bit like a conductor. I am just the composer.

Vienna is stepped in the legacy of its classical music, what part does your location have on the development of your songs? Are you channelling the ghosts of Austria’s past?

Patrick: Vienna has always had a very strong classical music scene, and it also has a very strong jazz and blues scene as well. We, by contrast, are a retro underground rock band, which is not really typical for Central Europe. Sometimes it’s difficult, but it can also be a chance to offer a different kind of music to the audience.

What does success as a musician look like to you?

Betty: Success has acquired a negative connotation, too often rhyming with ‘money’. To be a “successful musician”, one who makes money, is no longer a guarantee of quality, it’s the result of a marketing campaign. To me a successful musician is one who composes and plays music that enhances his or her personality and feels satisfied with what has been achieved.

Do you think musical aptitude is something you learn or something you’re born with?

Patrick: In the music business you need a certain amount of extroversion to get on stage and perform. So basically you already got this mindset in you.

Betty: An attitude that I’ve never had when it comes to talking on stage! Let me sing, but don’t ask me to be an entertainer, it’s a pain in the neck for me!

Betty, what’s it like being surrounded by three ‘geezers’. Have they got your back?

I will never thank you enough for asking! In the current line-up I feel very comfortable, the guys are professionals with years of stage experience and I know that with them by my side nothing is impossible. But it hasn’t always been like this.  We have had some mentally unstable band members in the past who have been a real ordeal to deal with. Generally, it’s still very much the case that women aren’t taken seriously in music and to be heard you have to be aggressive and overbearing – which I don’t want anymore. So to all the music guys out there, relax and enjoy!

How do you stay motivated and inspired to keep making music?

Patrick: I think having dreams and plans for your upcoming productions is important as an artist.

Basically, ideas come by themselves and if they turn out to be good, you just feel the need to do something with them. It’s too bad to leave them in your desk.

If I asked you to write a song right now, what would you write about?

Betty: About love! Perhaps one of you readers can be of some help to me…