Fred Armisen And Carrie Brownstein Talk 'Portlandia', 'Late Night,' And Sleater-Kinney

Not long after Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen became friends, they knew they wanted to create something together. That collaboration first took form as a series of sketch-comedy videos, which they put online as ThunderAnt. And as those videos took off, it soon served as the backbone for something far more ambitious in scope: Portlandia.

The IFC sketch-comedy show, which won a Peabody in 2012, portrays Armisen (formerly of Saturday Night Live) and Brownstein (former guitarist of Sleater-Kinney and Wild Flag) as very specific types of people found in Portland, Ore. From feminist bookstore owners and overeager local foodies to too-hip cat-themed bands, Battlestar Galactica binge-watchers, and so much more, Portlandia has relentlessly captured, made fun of, and perhaps even inspired many peculiar (mustachioed, pierced) hipster trends, artisanal culture and yuppie behaviors -- not only in Portland, but now, any place with a touch of eccentricity. (Who hasn't heard someone exclaim "Put a bird on it!" or laughed at artinin the last few years?)

And in a hilarious new sketch in the show's upcoming fourth season, Armisen and Brownstein pokes at public radio culture as it intersects with tailgating and Grateful Dead touring as characters outside of A Prairie Home Companion show share stories about Garrison Keillor over hot tea. 

"We got you!" laughs Brownstein. "You should protest," adds Armisen. "I think we're so familiar with it. It's such a part of our lives, it's such a good reference. I feel like everyone knows what we mean."

In a conversation with Soundcheck host John Schaefer, Brownstein and Armisen talk about the show's impressive list of guest stars, and what else we can expect this season. Plus, Armisen discusses his new role as leader and curator of the "8G Band" on Seth Meyers' just-premiered Late Night, Browstein talks about her upcoming memoir, and the chances Sleater-Kinney may reunite any time soon.

Interview Highlights:

On the scheduling limitations and the challenges that help them come up with new ideas each year:

Armisen: "I feel like we love doing it, so we're always eager to get back into the writers room. Once we're there, the challenge we kind of put on ourselves is 'How can we make it different without over thinking it?'"

Brownstein: "The world of Portlandia is insular in so many ways, but having there be an insularity to the timeframe puts a sort of elevated quality and importance on the show. And I think it gives us a sort of renewed sense of eagerness and inspiration for it. We leave and gain perspective and come back very excited and enthusiastic and refreshed."

On how filming Portlandia is a lot like recording an album:

Brownstein: "You go in with most of the songs done, but there's enough room to surprise yourself and to come up with something on the spot. And I think with the nature of the show, which is partly improvised, you want an element that feels dangerous and reckless and a little bit clumsy. And then something happens that you weren't expecting. And that happens every season. Although we're more and more prepared than ever, which I think also helps."

On hipster culture in Portland versus Brooklyn:

Brownstein: "I feel like we're a show that focuses so much on similarities and the way that these mindsets kind of get entrenched and people kind of curate their lives a little bit. Portland is a city where time is less of a commodity. If you live in Brooklyn, which is a much bigger city than Portland, you go through your day aware that you have a certain amount of time to do things. And you don't want to necessarily spend ten minutes talking to the checker at the grocery store or the bank teller.

"And in Portland they really exault leisure there, and you will stand in line while everybody has a personal conversation. And it is jarring. And so I will say, that niceness, it's there. I don't know how functional it is."

Armisen: "As a New Yorker, you feel it."

Brownstein: "You know what Portland has? Curiosity. And you have to have a certain amount of time to be curious that often. It's just like 'You know what? Tone it down!' Put those blinders on and start walking. Save it for when you're home alone and then be curious on the Internet."

On a potential Sleater-Kinney reunion:

Armisen: "I thought about getting the people together, the band members -- um, I don't know about original members, but I don't think it matters at this point. And we're gonna do a lot of Dig Me Out and maybe a bit of All Hands On The Bad One. But yeah, sort of male version. But legally I can do this: Copyright for name of a band, after a certain amount of years, you can use. And also, my Portlandia contract with Carrie, unbeknownst to her, I'm allowed to own some of those, her endeavors, so it just becomes part of the public.

"So yeah, Sleater-Kinney, yay! Because, why not? Who's to say who's in Sleater-Kinney and why does it have to be all female? Why? Answer me. And come to the shows, you tell me to my face… tell me if we're not doing these songs right, 'cus I think we got every chord right.