To stay fresh, Hillstomp threatens last stand

A two-man band that simply features guitar and a drum kit made of buckets, Hillstomp has spent more than a decade maintaining a loyal fan base and a hefty tour schedule.

They sell more records at shows than on the Internet, but the independent Portland punkabilly duo sells enough records and plays enough shows to pay the rent without having to succumb to a day job.

For all intents and purposes, guitarist/singer Hurricane Henry and drummer Lord Johnny Buckets have pulled off the rare feat of making music a self-sustaining career.

By comparison, that was the easy part. The hard part, says Buckets, is to continue to make music that they like enough to play, because they don’t particularly like each other otherwise.

And for that reason, Hillstomp may split up after this current Northwest tour, which stops Wednesday at Mootsy’s, 406 W. Sprague Ave.

“We are going on indefinite hiatus because keeping it fresh with such a focused palette is not easy,” Buckets said during a telephone interview. “If we’re banging out in the basement and we’re proud and excited enough to put it out then we’ll do it, otherwise we won’t do it again if it sounds the same.

“As with any two-piece, it’s a challenge to keep it together. And we like to make people dance and when you do that, if refocuses the rhythm to a certain sound.

“We’re two guys, one with a guitar, and one with a bunch of buckets, a washboard and sometimes a second guitar and we’ve always been steadfastly committed to maintain what Hillstomp is about.”

One of the essential elements of Hillstomp is the volatile chemistry behind the personalities of the pair.

“That volatile relationship has allowed the music to have this intense dynamic. When we talk, we fight. But when we make music, we have fun,” Buckets said.

Buckets said their latest record, 2010’s “Darker the Night,” was the most fun music-making they’ve had yet, largely because it captures the intensity they feel live.

“With the first two records we went in with the idea of capturing what we sound like live. And that didn’t really go as planned,” Buckets said.

“So we went in with the opposite approach. We wanted to make a studio recording where it doesn’t matter if we can play it live.”

Though he had the expectation of using lots of overdubs to make the sound bigger, Buckets said “Darker the Night” has less studio tinkering than anticipated. Instead, the extras come in the form of here-and-there guest musicians on organ, harmonica and female vocals.

“I played a little bass to beef up the low end,” Buckets said. “But what’s most different about this record is that it has a lot more banjo. We’ve got five banjo songs and I think it’s indicative of working more with Appalachian sounds.”

Despite the pair’s purist attitude about their band, Buckets said he hasn’t closed off the option of altering Hillstomp’s chemistry, but it’s a long shot.

“If we could find someone who could play second guitar, bass, fiddle and harmonica and do exactly what I told them to, we might add a third member,” he said.

“I have a feeling that might be discussed. We might not come back until we bring in a full gospel choir.”