Clash Music interview Travis drummer & racing car driver Neil Primrose;
"Returning Scots indie heroes Travis have dropped by ClashMusic.com to talk about their new album and newfound independence. Although nine years have passed since the release of their international breakthrough second album, 'The Man Who', Travis retain a fond place in the hearts of music fans where other Britpop luminaries have found themselves in the bargain bin of musical resentment.
After their deal with longtime home Independiente expired recently, the band uncovered their DIY roots and released their latest album - 'Ode To J. Smith' - on their own Red Telephone Box imprint.
The result was one of their strongest albums in years, a collection of songs with no other agenda than to say something worth hearing. New single 'Song To Self' is out this week (REVIEW), and we caught up with drummer Neil Primrose to find out more…
So, you’re independent again. How does that feel?
It’s a bit daunting, really. It comes with pros and cons, but then there’s always been pros and cons in this business. There are a lot of things that have to be done by a certain deadline, but when you’re in a band all that costs you money. Going on your own facilitates doing it a little bit cheaper, and getting it done on time, without having the networking capability that a record company has. You have to work a lot harder at it, but in a way I would say it’s a lot more rewarding.
How has that affected decision-making within the band?
That’s the thing with Travis – we’re four guys, four individuals with different personalities. But then you’ve got Travis, an indie band. I think the thing with bands is that they become ‘brands’, so people always delegate to keep things fresh, to keep the band working. We pretty much always work together anyway, so there’s not much delegating needed. It’s more about continuing writing rather than touring. We just wanted to make records quickly.
Read the full interview here!
