There’s no such thing as “a break” in Hutch Harris’ world. His creative spirit is what led him to become the lead vocalist and guitarist of The Thermals, the post-pop punk band who formed in Portland in 2003 and have gone on to achieve international fame on the steam of studio albums such as The Body, The Blood, The Machine and Desperate Ground. Although The Thermals have taken some time off in recent months, Hutch’s creative spirit won’t let him rest and he’s gone from belting out tight, gutpunching, lo-fi anthems to slinging jokes on the stand-up comedy stage.

Hutch joined us to talk about the influence of his father’s music and Broadway show tunes on his singing style, how it felt to be signed to the legendary Sub Pop label and what feedback he’s gotten from fans about the religious and political commentary laced in his music.

We also talked with Hutch about why he got into stand-up and the similarities between the current comedy scene in Portland and what the music scene in Portland used to be.

For news on their upcoming record, tour dates and all things Thermals, check out their website.

And if you want laffs, you should definitely check out Down to Funny, the stand-up show at Analog Cafe co-produced by Hutch and hosted by comedian Katie Brien, and follow him on Twitter @thethermals.