star Travis--Not That Invisible Anymore star

For just over 10 years, Travis has been making small noises. In recent years, however, these small noises have been getting louder, signalling, perhaps, the onslaught of yet another British invasion. This time, the battle lines are drawn very lightly from an everyman pop-rock quartet.

If inspiration and influence are two different things, Travis--comprising lead singer Fran Healey, bassist Douglas Payne, drummer Neil Primrose and guitarist Andrew Dunlop--has certainly made a point of it with "Sing," the singles hit from their new album, The Invisible Band. The unabashed anthem about keeping up one's chin is so full of hurrah optimism that it can be mind numbing to understand why the song keeps ringing in your head.

What's worse is how they operate outside the sphere of controversy. Apart from their weirdly obsessive playful banter and Healy's twisty coil hairdo, these guys come off as ordinary as factory shift workers than aspiring pop stars.

An abiding love for music--and talent--is what keeps them together. You also feel a sense of keen fellowship. But in the rock circus, Travis is probably the squarest bunch of guys you'll ever meet--which suits them just fine.

"Frankly, we'd rather be the invisible band," says Healey, in an attempt to dispel the band's celebrity status as one of Britain's best exports since Oasis. "We enjoy touring and playing to an audience because the music always comes first for us."

Speaking at a press conference before the band's recent concert in Singapore's Indoor Stadium attended by an enthusiastic 6,000-strong audience, Healy waxed lyrical about the importance of having a healthy perspective about one's station in the celebrity pop culture.

"When we're not touring, we enjoy staying at home and doing everyday things. It means a lot to us to stay in touch with things that are normal. After 10 years together, there's no exaggeration when I say we're like a family."

The Scottish lads spent years honing their craft before their sound coalesced together after they moved to London. Today, three albums later, Travis continues raising a collective consciousness for its singular style of folkish, congenial and anthemic rock.

Questions about whether The Invisible Band will extend the critical acclaim the band has achieved steadily over the years doesn't faze them one bit. In fact, their nonchalance provides clues to their old-fashioned ideals.

"Bands come and go--but the songs live on in eternity," observes Primrose.

"We're quite happy where we are now, with a new record, new songs to sing, and a lot more people to sing them to."

Indeed, Travis appears to be shielded by critical assessment. When The Man Who was released a couple of years ago, the album was panned by several leading periodicals. Later in the year, one of those magazines that gave the album a drubbing named The Man Who as one of the year's best albums.

"We don't place any value on criticism," says Dunlop. "We have a loyal cult following, and we tour whenever we can. We get our kicks from those who listen to our songs--and if they enjoy them, that's nice, too."

Granted, there are those who find Travis's cleverness a bit glib or self-conscious, though their songs also deal earnestly with issues ranging from romantic alienation to hopeful desires.

"Some critics have charged us with getting mellower, but it's not a conscious effort," says Healey. "We can go in one way or another. It really depends on how everything fits together. Our next batch of songs will depend on our emotional state."

For all the praise they've received for their clever artistry, Travis resists the notion that they're calculated perfectionists.

"The stereotype about pop musicians is that they are really concerned about producing these perfect-sounding records," says Primrose.

"That's not us. We think of all music as uplifting. It's a celebration.

"Music is based on melody and rhythm, and everything that comes after that--the musical part, the lyrics, the production--is just there to frame the original music of the melody and the rhythm."

It perhaps helps explain why they think boy bands are cool. They also happen to think that a good pop song is just that. In fact, they recorded Britney Spears's "Baby, One More Time" as a B-side to a single from The Man Who.

"Success is hard work," says Payne. "We had no idea what we were in for when we first started. It doesn't get easier although we're learning to cope with everything that comes our way."

With the global success of The Invisible Band and with hundreds of tour dates, Travis may not be as invisible as they once were. "The fact that we've sold millions of records and people still don't what we look like--that's a more direct reference of the album title," says Healy.

All things considered, not bad at all for a bunch of guys who started off studying art in their native Glasgow--and then decided to follow their hearts and become pop stars.

And certified pop stars they were during the hour plus concert in Singapore recently. Although weighted heavily on songs from The Invisible Band, Travis also included generous snapshots of songs from their first two albums, Good Feeling and The Man Who. They also breathed new life into a couple of covers: the Band's "The Weight" and David Bowie's "All The Young Dudes."

Whether it was the buoyant "Sing" or the freewheeling rocker "All I Want To Do Is Rock" or the moody "Pipe Dreams," Travis put on a terrific, spirited show that dismissed any doubt that great rock music doesn't always have to be loud.

Invisible or not, Travis has certainly earned its place in rock history--and is destined to become a very visible presence.

New Straits Times (Malaysia)
September 9, 2001
Words: Christie Leo

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