Ep. 11: Kyle O’Quin

Kyle O’Quin is a Grammy-Award winning musician, most known for his longtime role as a songwriter and keyboard player for the rock band Portugal. The Man. A wildly talented multi-instrumentalist, Kyle toured extensively with the band for years, playing thousands of shows in countries all over the world, and collaborating with some of the biggest names in music, including Mike D, Paul Williams, Danger Mouse, Jeff Bhasker, Mac Miller, and more.

Having taken a big step back from touring with the band this year, Kyle has been diving head first into composing film scores for the past few months, and in this conversation we get into what that experience has been like and what has attracted him to the new challenge. We also dive into Kyle’s deep value for craft and excellence and how that played out for him growing up around the budding Seattle specialty coffee scene of the mid 2000s. He shares some perspective of life on the road in the early days with Gatsby’s American Dream and Portugal. The Man, why he eventually made the decision to get sober, his deep love for classical piano music, how he stays motivated to practice new skills, and everything in between.

Recorded in Kyle’s backyard in Portland, Oregon.

Listen to Portugal. The Man:
https://portugaltheman.com