Mic Check: Tune Yards

Portland always knew Merrill Garbus was special. Even before her Tune-Yards project had fully metamorphosed into the high-definition art funk of 2011's Whokill and this year's Nikki Nack, the Stumptown music scene embraced the 35-year-old native New Englander, who released her debut, the ultra lo-fi Bird-Brains, on local label Marriage Records in 2009. Soon after, indie heavyweight 4AD reissued the album, leading to national TV appearances, festival gigs and Garbus' coronation as one of the most imaginative artists of her generation. As Tune-Yards returns to town for the second time this year—following a wild, Technicolor-bright set at MusicfestNW in August—WW spoke to Garbus about what Portland has meant to her career.

"Portland was where everything changed. I went on this epic solo tour where I kind of covered the country alone in my Chevy. People were picking up on the album [Bird-Brains]. I was giving it away for donations online, so a lot of people had access to it, and people were seeing the show, and it felt like the stirring up of this big pot. When I got to Portland, I did a show at the Artistery, performing in front of the Dirty Projectors, who were a huge inspiration of mine at that point, and they were there with Curtis [Knapp] and Jordan [Dykstra] from Marriage, and playing that show meant that I got my first record deal. I didn't know whether I wanted to say yes to it, I didn't know if I wanted anyone to release the album, but it was the first time that was even an option. Up to that point, I was hoping people would be interested in it enough, but it never got to that point. That relationship with Marriage was short in a lot of ways because 4AD made an offer soon after. It felt like I was jumping two steps ahead from where I thought I had been even a month before that. But for me, Portland is magic. It's always been good for me. It's always been this kind of creative and spiritual paradise."

SEE IT: Tune-Yards play Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., with Cibo Matto, on Friday, Dec. 12. 8 pm. $25. All ages.

WWeek 2015