Pitchfork

Photos by James Cadden

After returning to the realm of popular music with last year's Third, Portishead are now free agents after fulfilling their contract with Island Records. According to a MySpace post from the band's Geoff Barrow, "we spent the day discussing the future of the P as we are free...well free of a deal and free of commitment...for now!" Publicists for the band confirmed that this does indeed mean that the band are no longer on Island, or any label.

So yeah, Portishead not only have to decide all sorts of musical things now, but also have to figure out how to put out their music. Could take a while. (If you haven't heard, this band isn't going to beat Jay Reatard in the productivity department anytime soon.)

Barrow stated, "with the world being the way it is there are lots of options open...but if you lot have any bright ideas of how we should sell our music in the future lets us know , why not!" He continued: "i dont think that were into giving out music away for free to be honest...it fukin takes ages to write and we have to heat our swimming pools...!!!"

This does bring up a good point-- in this age of album-as-tour-promotion, how does an infamously show-averse band like Portishead survive? Perhaps they should try to strike some sort of licensing deal with every too-chic nightclub/coffee bar/boutique on earth. Or, you know, play shows. I hear they're pretty good live.