Travis (band)
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Travis are an indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy, Dougie Payne, Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose. One of Britain's most respected and popular modern rock bands, Travis have twice been awarded British album of the year at the annual Brit awards, and are often credited as having paved the way for British bands such as Coldplay and Keane. With the release of four studio albums, beginning with Good Feeling in 1997, they continue to enjoy critical and commercial success, while also being especially noted for their live performances. In addition to their music, much has been made of the likeable, down to earth and close nature of the band. A highly anticipated fifth studio album, their first since 2003's 12 Memories, and produced by long-time Radiohead, Travis and Beck producer, Nigel Godrich, is due for release in early 2007.
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[edit] Line-Up
- Fran Healy - lead vocals, guitar, piano
- Dougie Payne - bass, backing vocals, occasional lead vocals
- Andy Dunlop - lead guitar, banjo, keyboards, backing vocals
- Neil Primrose - drums, percussion
[edit] History
[edit] Formation and first years (1990-1995)
The band that would become Travis (initially called "Running Red", and later, "Glass Onion") was intially formed by brothers Chris and Jeff Martyn. Andy Dunlop, a school friend at Lenzie Academy, was drafted in on guitar, followed soon after by Neil Primrose on drums. The line-up was completed by a female vocalist, and the band's name then changed to "Glass Onion" ("Glass Onion" is the name of a Beatles song written and sung by John Lennon). After parting company with their singer in the spring of 1991, they auditioned for a new vocalist. Having met each other through Primrose pouring him a pint, a musically untrained art student, Fran Healy, then joined after being invited to audition by Primrose. Healy joined the band on the day he enrolled at The Glasgow School Of Art, in the autumn of 1991. Two years later, with the option of music of holding more appeal, Healy dropped out of art school, and inspired by song writers such as Joni Mitchell, shortly after, assumed songwriting responsibilities. With brothers Chris and David Martyn on keyboards and bass, in 1993, the fivesome released a privately made CD, "The Glass Onion EP," featuring the tracks "Dream On", "The Day Before," "Free Soul" and "Whenever She Comes Round." 500 copies of the EP were made and were recently valued at £1000 each. Eventually, the band was renamed once more, becoming "Travis" – after the character played by Harry Dean Stanton in the movie "Paris, Texas" directed by Wim Wenders.
The band won a talent contest organized by the “Music In Scotland Trust”, who promised £2,000 so Travis could deal-hunt at a new music seminar in New York. Two weeks before they were due to leave, however, the prize was instead given to the "Music In Scotland Trust Directory.” When sent a copy of the directory, the band noticed that it seemed to feature every single band in Scotland – except for them. While on a visit to Scotland, American engineer and producer, Niko Bolas, a long-time Neil Young and Rolling Stones associate, became band's mentor by Haley's words: “He told us we were shit, took us in the studio for four days, and taught us how to play properly, like a band. He was bolshy, rude, and New York pushy. He didn't believe my lyrics and told me to write what I believed in and not tell lies. He was Mary Poppins, he sorted us out."
With the sudden death of his grandfather, a grief-stricken Healy shut himself away, refusing to talk to anyone. Emerging a week later, and with a clear vision of where he now wanted Travis and their music to go, Healy dispensed of the band's management, their publicity agent, the keyboard player, Jeff Martyn, and replaced the bassist, Jeff's brother, Chris, with best friend Dougie Payne – another art student and Levi’s shop assistant. Remarkably, Payne had not picked up a bass guitar before this. Two weeks later, with Payne having completed a crash course on bass in his bedroom, the band played together for the first time in a free space above the Horse Shoe Bar. The line-up was thus completed and has remained intact to this day.
[edit] Good Feeling (1996-1998)
With Travis having spent the previous year rehearsing above the Horse Shoe Bar and playing gigs around Glasgow and Scotland, Healy and Payne then went to London to locate a place to live, a rehearsal space, and a manager – achieving all three within a day. The band played their first London show at the famous Dublin Castle in Camden. A demo the band had then found its way to Andy MacDonald, owner of Go! Discs Records and founder of Independiente Records. Sensing greatness, he signed Travis for a reputed £100,000 of his own money.[citation needed] The band is signed to MacDonland personally, not to the label — if MacDonald ever leaves the Sony-financed label Independiente Records, the band goes with him.
Produced by Steve Lillywhite of U2 fame, Travis’ first studio album, 1997’s Good Feeling, is a rockier, more upbeat record than the band’s others to date. Recorded at the legendary Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York, the place where Travis favourite The Band recorded, the album contained singles such as "All I Want to Do Is Rock", "U16 Girls", the Beatle'esque "Tied to the 90's", "Happy" and "More Than Us". The album reached No. 9 on the British charts, but with little radio play, it slipped from the charts relatively quickly. Although it heralded Travis’ arrival on the British music scene, received extremely positive reviews ("Good Feeling is clearly the most accomplished, heart-stoppingly exciting British debut album since Definitely Maybe by Oasis" - Select: "Travis are one of the few bands around who should be allowed to dally with Lennon and Chuck Berry comparisons", and "If Lennon and Dylan had got it together that night when Bob got The Beatles stoned for the very first time, Frannie might well have been the product." - NME), and substantially broadened Travis’ fan base, it sold just 40,000 copies. Following the release, Travis toured extensively, their live performances - something Travis have become renowned for - further enhancing their reputation. This included support slots in the UK for Oasis, after Noel Gallagher became an outspoken fan.
[edit] The Man Who (1999-2000)
Despite containing such songs as "Driftwood", "Turn", "Writing To Reach You", and "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?", shortly after release, Travis’ second album, 1999’s The Man Who, produced by Nigel Godrich and recorded at (among other studios) Abbey Road Studios in London, looked as though it would mirror the release of Good Feeling. Although it entered the charts at No. 7, with little radio play of the album’s singles, it quickly slipped down. Worse, many critics who had raved about the rocky Good Feeling rubbished the album for the band’s move into more melodic, melancholic material (for example, "Travis will be best when they stop trying to make sad, classic records" - NME). However, when the album slipped as far as No. 19, it stopped. Word of mouth and increasing radio play of the single "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?", increased awareness of the band and the album began to rise back up the charts. Then, when Travis took the stage to perform this song at the 1999 Glastonbury Festival, after being dry for several hours, it began to rain as soon as the first line was sung. The following day the story was all over the papers and television, the song became an anthem (it is consistently rated as one of the decade's best songs, as is the album itself[citation needed]), and with word of mouth and increased radio play of this and the album’s other singles, The Man Who rose to No. 1 on the British Charts. The album eventually took best album at the 2000 Brit awards, with Travis being named best band. Music industry magazine Music Week awarded them the same honours, while at the Ivor Novellos, Travis took the Best Songwriter and Best Contemporary Song Awards. By 2001, one in eight U.K households contained a copy of The Man Who. Travis followed the release of The Man Who with an extensive 237 gig world tour, including headlining the 2000 Glastonbury, T in the Park and V Festival's, and a US tour leg with Oasis. In Los Angeles, an appearance of the band at an instore signing forced police to close Sunset Strip. The gentle, melodic approach of The Man Who became a hallmark of the latter-day Britpop sound, and inspired a new wave of UK-based rock bands, with acts such as Coldplay and Starsailor soon joining Travis in challenging the chart dominance of urban and dance acts. The title "The Man Who" comes from the book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by American neurologist Oliver Sacks.
[edit] The Invisible Band (2001-2002)
The title of Travis’ following album, 2001's The Invisible Band, again produced by Nigel Godrich, reflects the band's genuine belief that their music - the song - is more important than the band behind it. Featuring such songs as "Sing" (the most played song on British radio that summer), "Side", the McCartney'esque "Flowers in the Window", "Indefinitely", "Pipe Dreams" and "The Cage", and recorded at Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles, the album again made No. 1 on the British charts, generally received widespread critical acclaim, while again taking best album at the annual Brit awards. It also took Top of the Pops album of the year. The album also had an impact across the Atlantic, the popularity in the US of the single "Coming Around", a non-album track with Byrds'esque harmonies and 12 string guitar, enhancing this. Travis again followed the release of The Invisible Band with an extensive world tour. NME commented, "The phrase "the people's band" may have nauseating connotations post-Princess Di, but it's a statement that's hard to disagree with. There's something universal about Travis. Whether they're headlining Glastonbury or playing live at Top of the Pops, they connect with people. And if they don't with you, you can bet that's a result of your prejudice, not theirs...As anyone who's interviewed Travis will tell you, there's something unnerving about their self-effacement and lack of cynicism. We wish we could tell you it's all an act and that they really torture small animals in their spare time—but we can't."
In 2002, however, things came to a screeching halt for Travis, with the band almost calling it quits after drummer Neil Primrose jumped headfirst into a shallow swimming pool while on tour in France. Breaking his neck, he almost died due to spinal damage. If not for his bandmates, he also would have drowned. Despite the severity of the accident, Primrose has since made a full recovery. Healy said later of this time, "Little cracks had started appearing in 2001, around the time of The Invisible Band. We hadn't anticipated The Man Who doing so well. It was an emotional roller coaster for us. Being Scottish, we're very reticent about being famous pop stars; it's encoded into our DNA that we can't be brassy or show off. But suddenly, we weren't this little band in Glasgow any more. We desperately needed to take a step back and re-evaluate. After Neil's accident it came close to the end of Travis - this band would no longer exist without one of the four members - but we were given another chance."
[edit] 12 Memories and Singles (2003-2005)
With Primrose having recovered, Travis regrouped and re-evaluated. Moving into a cottage in Crear, West Scotland, they set up a small studio, and over two weeks, came up with nine new songs that would form the basis of their fourth studio album, 2003’s 12 Memories. Produced by Travis themselves, Tchad Blake, and Steve Orchard, the album marked a move into more organic, moody and political territory for the band. Although this seems to have alienated some fans, the album generally received very positive reviews (for example, "Then, of course, there's Travis and their album 12 Memories [Epic]. You just have to sit there and listen to it all the way through, and it will take you on a real journey. It's like an old album. It's like the Beatles' Revolver [1966]. Fran Healy's voice and lyrics are mesmerizing and beautiful" - Elton John), singles such as "Re-Offender" did very well on the British charts, and the album itself reached No. 3. Yet it also saw them lose ground in the U.S., where Coldplay had usurped Travis during their 2002 absence. Of particular note on the album were the songs, "The Beautiful Occupation" – a track about terrorist bombings in Spain, not the war in Iraq; "Re-Offender", a song about domestic violence; and "Some Sad Song" – a hidden 12th track, and a song Healy wrote and performed solely on piano. The radio popular "Love Will Come Through" was released as a download single, in aid of The Spinal Injuries Trust.
In 2004, Travis completed a highly successful tour of the US and Europe (supported by Keane in the UK), while in 2005, the band released a successful compilation of their singles, Singles, as well as the new track, "Walking in the Sun". This was followed by a series of small, intimate gigs at UK venues such as Liverpool's Cavern Club, London's Mean Fiddler, and Glasgow's Barrowlands. While on tour, the band also made a series of impromptu acoustic "busks", raising money for the charity The Big Issue. In addition to other performances, they also headlined the 2005 Isle of Wight Festival and T in the Park.
On July 2, 2005, Travis performed at Live 8's London concert, and four days later, at the Edinburgh 50,000 - The Final Push concert. Travis also participated in Band Aid 20's re-recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" – Healy and friend Nigel Godrich playing leading roles in its organization. Healy is a part of the Make Poverty History movement, having recently made two trips to Sudan with the Save the Children Organization. On July 13, 2006, the members of Travis stuck a giant post-it sticker on the front door of the Downing Street home of British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. It read: “Tony Blair - Some steps forward, much to do at the G8, make poverty history.”
[edit] Next studio album (2006-present)
Travis are currently working with producers Nigel Godrich, Mike Hedges and Brian Eno on a highly anticipated new album, due for release early in 2007. KT Tunstall has been reported as providing backing vocals on a song, while on a visit to the studio to watch the band recording, actor Ben Stiller, a fan, is said to have contributed a cowbell. Andy MacDonald, the founder of Travis’ record label, Independiente Records, said of the album, one to be backed to the tune of 4 million pounds by a joint venture between Independiente and Patrick McKenna's Ingenious Group:
"Travis are very much a cornerstone artist for Independiente - having created some brilliant music since we first signed them, and having had hit records in pretty much every corner of the world. Their new album is close to completion and is shaping up to match, and arguably better, their very best work.”
[edit] Music
Regarded as one of Britain's best present day songwriters and melodists[citation needed], Healy’s song writing has been publicly praised by numerous artists, including Paul McCartney and Elton John. In 2005, Coldplay front-man, Chris Martin, called himself “a poor man’s Fran Healy”. This is augmented by Healy’s voice – a tenor with a very wide range. Hearing Healy sing the song "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" for the first time brought Oasis's Noel Gallagher to tears.[citation needed]
In addition to strong melodies, Healy's voice, and the band’s musicianship (especially that of lead guitarist, Andy Dunlop), another feature common to many Travis songs is the use of vocal harmony. The band are able to sing off each other in different keys – something Travis regularly does.
[edit] Discography
For a full discography of Travis songs written by Fran Healy, see Healy Songs.
[edit] B-Sides, Covers and other Artists
Travis are notable in that their B-sides outnumber their album tracks. The same single is sometimes even released with a different B-side. Travis have also done a number of covers, whether recorded as B-sides for singles, or performed live. Songs that Travis have covered include Joni Mitchell’s "River" and "The Urge For Going", The Band’s "The Weight," Mott the Hoople’s "All the Young Dudes," Queen’s "Killer Queen," Elton John’s "Rocket Man," John Lennon’s "Gimme Some Truth," The Beatles’ "Here Comes The Sun," AC/DC’s "Back in Black" Elvis Presley’s "Suspicious Minds," David Bowie’s "Heroes", Britney Spears', "...Baby One More Time", Jimmy Webb’s "Wichita Lineman", Graham Nash’s "Another Sleep Song," and Bob Dylan's "You're a Big Girl Now."The band have also played with a number of other artists, including Paul McCartney, Graham Nash (of Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young fame) and Oasis' Noel Gallagher.
[edit] Television
A food-fight between the band during a performance of "Sing” on television music show Top of the Pops, has gone down as one of the show’s most humorous performances. Another particularly memorable and humorous television appearance involved Travis guesting on the Ali G show. Among other television shows, Travis have also appeared on Parkinson, Later with Jools Holland, The Frank Skinner Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Late Show with David Letterman.
Songs by Travis have also featured in a large number of television series and movies.
For example, a few Travis songs have been used in the background of episodes of the American version of The Office on character Jim Halpert's iPod and on his stereo at home, implying a fanship.
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Travis.ography (with sound clips)
- Travis Bandnews
- Collection of Travis articles
- Fran In Sudan
- TravisPage
- Unofficial Russian Travis Site
- Unofficial Turkish Travis Site
- Unofficial Greek Travis Site
- Lyrics & Videos at diesel ipodca:Travis
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