Northeast Northwest have been sharing their energetic incarnation of the folk rock genre with Portland for the past two years, and now with a new LP, Where We Come Apart, under their belts their momentum can only grow. The release is a well arranged representation of the group’s soulful style, full of dynamic vocals harmonies, driving rhythms, heartfelt guitar leads, and the strength that can only come from the warm tones of an upright bass. I had the chance to ask Northeast Northwest a few questions about themselves, their new album, and when you can get your hands on a physical copy.

How did the four of you find each other?

We (Phoebe and Zach) met in early 2009 here in Portland. Coincidentally enough, we both moved here from the sameplace - Bloomington, IN - but evidently the stars weren't yet aligned for our collaboration. The magic moment happened in a basement jam session through friends of friends, and we've been going full-bore since. Nick was a friend of another friend, and was Johnny On The Spot when we needed a drummer in short order - he continues to be J.O.T.S. to this day. Jack is our newest member on his beautiful upright bass - he was a lucky find through the ol' sea of fortune that is Craigslist, and has been a real pleasure to have on board.

Collectively, who are some of the musicians that you most look up to?

Fleetwood Mac, Avett Brothers, Tennis, Lyle Lovett, Built To Spill, Ages and Ages, Mumford and Sons (as much for theirpersistence and philosophy as their catchiness), Elliott Smith, Townes Van Zandt...the list goes on.

How long have you been playing shows in Portland for? What are some of your favorite places to play?

 On and off for about two years. Tends to go in fits and starts, but we're hoping to ramp up our gigging now that we have a full LP to hang our hat on. That said, we've had great experiences all over town - some particularly memorable nights were had at The Funky Church, Slims, Alberta Street Pub, Ella Street Social Club.... Can't think of ever having a "bad time" playing out in Portland, now that we're thinking about it!

Where We Come Apart is such a soulful release, sounding uplifting and heartbreaking simultaneously.  What was the process of writing the album like? Are there certain events or themes that influenced the album as whole?

Individually, we've both gone through some trying experiences as far as past musical ventures have been concerned, and have both dealt with a lifetime's worth of change over the last 3 years. The spirit of optimism in the face of what sometimes seems like insurmountable odds definitely has plays a huge part in our songwriting, and our innate need to expressourselves musically at all, for that matter. "Onward!" is our rallying cry.

On the technical (and no doubt lighter) end, we tend to come up with ideas for songs, then workshop our way through songs as a duo before "debuting" them to the band. Keeps practice more efficient, and gives us a chance to really hone down what it is we're trying to get across.

It also must be said that we continue to be amazed by how much our sound was enriched by the recording process, and for that we must tip our hat to our fantastic engineer / co-producer Lee Howard. He really raised us up a level or three, and for that we are very grateful.

Do you have plans for a physical release, if so, when and where?

Absolutely - we have a great local artist hard at work developing artwork for the CD, and will absolutely be throwing an album release party once we've got it in hand. Can't wait.