Name: Travis
Personnel: Francis Healey (vocal, guitar), Douglas Payne (bass), Andrew Dunlop (lead guitar), and Neil Primrose (drums).
Origins: Began at art school in Glasgow six years ago as Glass Onion, "Shit name," 25-year old singer Healey says of his former outfit, "shit songs, shit look, shit philosophies, pile of shit, shit on a digestive." Four years and two lineup changes later, the group reemerged in London, released Good Feeling, and were promptly dubbed the new Radiohead.
Although they'd rather be the new Joni Mitchell: "I wanted to get something as good as Blue, that simplicity," says Healey, mindful of the soul-bending power ballads much evident on Travis's debut. "I'm crap at saying things like this, but I think we've done it."
But do they rock?: Most definitely. Riding Britpop's third wave, they get over on cocksure, glitter-stomp teasers. Check out the huge, swaggering single, "All I Wanna Do Is Rock," originally titled "All I Wanna Do Is Fuck."
What it's about: "The lengths you'll go to win someone back and how women are really far more sensible. You try so hard to get into people, get their doors open, and you never get the right doors. I think you always choose the wrong people."
Sensitive-guy disclaimer: "I haven't cried for a year and a half. Weird. Worrying. I need to cry."
Desirable physical attribute, part 1: I've got a really loud voice. It's probably from rehearsing with no monitor and not being able to hear myself over the guys' racket. It's like anything in music that sounds brilliant and true: It's all accidental."
Part 2: "I've alwlays done things with my hands, always been good at drawing and painting [wiggles elegant fingers]. That's probably why everybody thinks I'm dead randy. [Raises an eyebrow] I'm very good with my hands."
Where you'll find them: On MTV, in the film-cool video for "All I Wanna Do Is Rock." In it, Healey doesn't get the girl, even though the clip features an exploding fire hydrant as a climactic sexual metaphor. "With the hydrant, we were all waiting for this enormous explosion, and it was like an elephant having a piss. We thought, 'So that was the great orgasmic climax?!' After that, she fucks off. And then I have a cigarette. Story of my life."
Spin
1998
Interview: Sylvia Patterson
Photographs: SixSixFour
Thanks to Angeli for typing up this article!
Meet Britpop’s new contenders: Travis, four guys who just wanna rock
