Writing To Reach You

This past summer I wrote about the return of the Scottish band Travis, who have just released their seventh studio album, Where You Stand. It has been one of my favorite albums of the year so far, lead by such standout tracks as "Moving," "Warning Sign," and the title track... offering continued proof of the band's knack for creating thoughtful lyrics and engaging melodies.

Travis is currently touring the U.S., swinging through my old stomping grounds of Southern California this weekend. They kick things off tomorrow (Friday, October 4, 10:30 a.m. PT) with an interview and live studio session with the great Nic Harcourt ("Morning Becomes Eclectic") on KCSN 88.5 FM.

Speaking of interviews, I thought it was high time I revisited my own profile on the band, conducted during their 2007 American tour; check out the link below for the original half-hour interview, mostly un-edited. Taking a cue from Q, Jian Ghomeshi's CBC radio show, I decided to leave out the fancy post-production in order to offer a better idea of my developing interview skills and the individual personalities of my guests... why be precious about it? Again, special thanks to Sony BMG, CTSB-TV, and the band for helping to make it happen. 

Related Links:

www.travisonline.com

Great Scots

Jeremy with the "invisible band" (left to right: Neil Primrose,
Andy Dunlop, and Fran Healy. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

One of my favorite bands, Travis has a new LP coming out next week. Where You Stand is the seventh studio album for the Scottish quartet, due out here in the States on Tuesday, August 20. Rolling Stone is currently providing an advance streaming of the album on their website, and I gave it a full listen during my extremely rainy ride to work this morning (perhaps appropriate for the band known for their hit, "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?"). As the magazine points out, Travis' talent for creating big melodies remains intact!

I had a chance to interview Travis in Boston back in 2007, and enjoyed talking with them about their songwriting process (yeah, I should post the full interview online... I know). There is a hint of melancholy in their music, which I have always found attractive. On this new album, I also sense a new maturity... the songs breathe a little easier than on their last effort. Solid musicianship rings throughout.

One of the highlights is the song, "Moving," which has been getting some airplay on our local station WEXT. According to a video documenting the recording of the album, lead singer Fran Healy actually dove into the ocean near their studio to get the proper "adrenaline" to hit the high notes for the chorus (there's a funny clip where he runs right back up to lay down his vocals following his "polar bear" outing). Check out the song and it's very cool video (the visual effects were created during actual filming- not post- using film clips projected on to the band members' breath!). 

Return to form? Looking forward to it!



Related Links:

www.travisonline.com

"Travis' Big Melodies Intact on 'Where You Stand' - Album Premiere," Rolling Stone, August 12, 2013

Travis- "Berkshire Soundstage" preview (interview with Jeremy), YouTube