Travis are back in business

09-10-2008 10:55

Travis have put their walking sticks away and are ready to take on ‘the youth of today’ once again after being the invisible man for almost three years! But with Ode to J. Smith marking their triumphant return to the airwaves, I caught up with drummer Neil Primrose to chat about the new Indie kids, festivals and astrology!

Hey Neil, what have you been getting up to this week?

The band has been fairly busy recording some b sides for the second single off the album and now we have all gone out separate ways back home to our family and then we’re all going to meet up again to rehearsal for the start of our British tour.

How are you feeling about the release of your new album?

It’s quite a nervous time for us as there is a lot of anticipation and you start to get worried about little things such as album reviews which you shouldn’t really be bothered about. There is a great Travis fan base though as a lot of people in the UK love what we do anyway and so we do it for them and the live shows.

How would you describe the new album, is it a lot like the old stuff?

It’s a breath of fresh air for us. It’s the same at heart but there is a lot of great songs and melody to keep everyone singing along and it’s done in a far more lively fashion.

What would you say to any fan who was thinking about going out and buying your new album?

I’d say if you want thirty minutes of great songs without any album fillers and you want to be taken somewhere different from the usual stuff that is played these days then listen to our album. After the second listen you get really into it as it’s very immediate and there is something there for everyone.

This is your sixth album, would you say it’s your best?

Everyone is always going to say their latest stuff is their best but I think overall it’s a very new direction and a fresh start. It’s not really the best thing we’ve done so far, it’s become the best of a new beginning.

Are you at all intimidated by all the new bands coming onto the scene at the moment and bringing fresh, young talent with them?

Is it talent though? It might be fresh but whether it’s ‘talent’ is another story. There is far more fresh then there is talent these days as most bands sound very much like each other and everyone looks the same. There is no music at the moment that inspires me, I’m listening to more and more music from USA such as the American college bands because you can’t beat stuff like that.

Do you have a favourite track off the new album?

I think Long Way Down is the best because it’s really immediate and has a great track and is great fun to play live.

Your last couple of singles that you had out didn’t chart as well as some of your earlier stuff, do you think you can win back your old fans that stopped buying your records?

I don’t think it’s a case of winning fans back as I think we will all move on and change and I think there is a new market now. Our older fans should welcome our new album as it rocks way harder than a lot of the stuff that’s out there now and it sounds a lot better too. You can’t expect to win people back, you have to change and adapt.

What’s the meaning behind the album name Ode to J Smith?

Comically everyone is named J Smith or John Smith so we thought it would sell more copies! But on a serious note; throughout the album there is reference to a character throughout the record and obviously J Smith is the everyman name and could be the man in the street or you or me.

You’ve played V Festival this summer, did you enjoy it and was it worth the wait after being forced to pull out last time following a back injury?

Yeah, that’s all recovered now, I still get the odd pain but we’re all good now. V itself was great, we all had a fab time and the tent was packed out both shows.

What do you think of all the Indie bands that are emerging at the moment?

I think it’s a different world we’re in now as music is available for free so it makes it hard for bands to make a living as we have been doing. I think a bands strength is found in playing live it’s very difficult for a band to get a fan and get them to stay with them for a long time now that the internet has changed the way we hear music. People just cherry-pick the tracks they want so it’s far harder for new bands.

Who is your favourite band around at the moment?

I really like the Fleet Foxes from the USA who are very interesting and make beautiful music which Is very well recorded. They are really talented musicians and they shine a light over the musicians we have in this country. I also like Death Cab For Cutie who are doing something a bit different without being pretentious.

So you’ve been around for around 10 years and achieved so much, but what would you like to be doing 10 years from now?

It would be great to keep playing and having fun but I think aside from that, the most important thing in your life is your family and friends and your health so if I have all those things in ten years it would be brilliant!

Very good answer! Finally, we ask everyone we interview to come up with a question for the next person we interview....and Sarah Bareilles wants to know whether you believe in astrology and what your star sign is?

I think there is definitely something in it. I don’t totally live my life around it but I do think there is something to be said from the way that stars are positioned and what happens in your life there are definitely some parallels and coincidence going on. My star sign is Pisces and water does in fact play a big part in my like as I enjoy swimming and being close to water.