Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day, and Portugal. the Man is among several artists partnering with the nonpartisan organization HeadCount to raise awareness and provide resources on registering to vote ahead of this November’s U.S. election.

“We’re a band that votes,” guitarist Eric Howk tells ABC Audio. “We like to talk about voting, we like to talk about local, regional and state stuff, too. I think it’s important to have those conversations.”

“We always say that the easiest that you can do is just make your voice heard and vote,” he adds. “So the easiest thing that we can do as someone with a platform is to make it so that that’s as easy to get access [to] for as many people as possible.”

Growing up in Alaska with two journalist parents, Howk’s been having those conversations throughout his life, which have since evolved into “insane arguments” with his band mates on the tour bus. Howk feels that PTM’s fiery political spirit is reflected in their music, very much including their hit single “Feel It Still,” which the guitarist deems “our little call to arms.”

“If anything, I would hope that [‘Feel It Still’] would maybe ignite a flame under young voters,” Howk says.

“We’re not political analysts, we’re not super smart guys,” he continues. “We’re dummies that go out and play guitars and make music and sing our songs. But that song, [the lyric] ‘Rebel just for kicks’ is, like, ‘Go fight your fight, whatever that fight is.'”

Howk believes that the best way to fight that fight is through voting.

“It’s the most effective way to implement that change, to make the world that you want happen, one step at a time,” he says.

For more information on voting and registration, visit HeadCount.org.

By Josh Johnson
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