Jeff Buckley, Elliot Smith, Death Cab For Cutie, Josh Ritter, Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, John Frusciante, Nick Drake, Onelinedrawing, Minus The Bear, The Velvet Teen, The Album Leaf, Ryan Adams, Sonic Youth, The Arcade Fire, My Morning Jacket, Ane Brun, Teitur, Damien Rice, Nina Simmone, Joni Mitchell...Etc.
I had been trying to find people to play with whilst going to school at the Musician's Institute in Los Angeles and I kept on audtioning for projects that sounded great on paper. Eventually, after about 5 auditions in random bands (in some of the bands the groups wanted me to play bass or keyobards, which I am not very good at. I'm a guitar player), I just became so frustrated that I just said, "I'm going to do something by myself." This idea, at first, was kind of ill-conceived and with little conviction. I guess I never realized how much freedom it acutally gives you. Now that I'm working on a completely independent schedule, I can take time to work on school and record a project when ever I please. I don't have to call anyone to schedule rehersals or recording sessions. I can commit whatever I want to a recording without anyone, except for myself, disagreeing with a musical phrase, production choice or general musical direction. This actually spawned about when I purchased a computer tha can handle recording and I spent a few days off during the Winter break to really disect a recording program and completely exploit it. I had no intention of letting anyone know about this music; I just got tired of not having anything to share with anyone. These songs may not ever be put onto an album, but I did put time into them and you can listen if you please. I plan on doing something with them and hopefully you will too.
Hey Travis! I am listening to your music and I can not believe you did this all yourself. You sound so professional! I want a copy! I like receive me and photographer the best. Have you ever written with Greg? Hope you are well. Take care!
Hey Travis, just stopping by to say hello and listen to your music. I love the song Photographer so much. Your vocal tracks are beautiful. And I think I have told you several times about how I feel about "Receive me." But let me reiterate. I LOVE that song.
So Finn Riggins played at the Prichard in Moscow last weekend. It was such an epic show, you would have really dug it. Have you heard their new LP?
How have you been? Still in LA I presume? Any plans of heading back to the Northwest? We need you up here.
things are great! i'm living in boise and doing really well. i just hung out with arthur scully the other night, it reminded me of good times in moscow. how are you doing?
dude I'm not on your top friends waddup with that.... I'm really hurt, deeply, it's a deep burn, ahhh so deep... i'm gonna write a song "of all your friends i thought i was at the top, now i know that i'm not, the pain it just won't stop" grammy here i come!
Well, I'm not sure what you're doing this Sunday.
But I do know that we would like you to hang out with us at the Knitting Factory :)
October, 21 2007 at The Knitting Factory w/Briertone
7021 Hollywood Blvd Ste 209
Hollywood, California
Cost 8adv/10@door
We would very much love it if you could come out and hang with us this Sunday :)
Bret/LO
The Nick Drake thing was prtety dang cool! In addition to the documentary and other footage, his sister (Melisssa??? Melinda?) spoke, as did his BAD ARSE producer, Joe Boyd. And a songwriting pal of his broke down some of his songs and stuff. They all took questions too. I couldn't believe it only cost ten bucks!!!
Thanks so much for the info Travis. How much would one of the kits from Weber cost? Could you build one for me if I paid you labor?
A borrowed the Electro Harmonix holy grail pedal from a friend for 2 months earlier this spring. It freaked me out how they can manipulate reverb so effectively digitally. You can just soak the guitar in it and it shimmers.
The pedal would be cool to have, but I am thinking I may as well just have the reverb tank installed into my amp, that way its real spring reverb, there's no hassle of an extra pedal, and its probably about the same price.
How much longer will you be in LA for by the way? Seen any good shows lately?
A Deluxe up in smoke, now that is a tragedy. I'm sorry to hear about it. Well I got an Orange AD30 twin channel combo. Its really cool, the only thing is it sounds really dry (the celestion vintage 30s are amazing) and doesn't have a reverb switch or anything. Right now I am pre-amping my guitar through a Fender Deluxe 90 and into the Orange, and the reverb is transferred from the Fender. It sounds killer and the stereo effect of having two amplifiers in different areas of the room is pretty awesome.
I was thinking about getting a reverb tank for the Orange just so it has that option. I know fender makes reverb tanks that can sound pretty amazing, but I don't know much about them. Any recommendations?
just thinkin about you man! what's new. how's life goin? ryan asker and I are actually right next to eachother right now registering people for mission trips. he says hi!
Hey I just listened to 20 questions, I really dig your vocal melody, it was really catchy. And I hadn't listened to Pirates before and I loved that song. You are getting really good with backing vocals, and I know from my own experience that its really easy to make layered tracks of backing vocals sound like shit, so I was really impressed, yours were really well done and they added a lot more texture to the track. I also liked the electric guitar in Pirates as well, sounded really good. Keep up the good work man, I'm so impressed.
three bands??? fuck, what happened to "ehhh i dont really think im gonna get involved with any bands..." haha. oh, i've got two. im supposed to be meeting with this guy about a band kind of like between the buried and me but this is the third day in a row he's stood me up.
i cant believe all that shit happened in such close proximity. thatts crazy man. i hope your mom's okay, and hope you're better. i thinkn i might be coming down in june. im gonna try. while im down there im gonna finish my sleeve (tattoo) maybe you can come with me and get one too.
dude!!!! bro!!!!!!! i dig yo shit!!!
hows it going?
im goign to try and go down there pretty soon! we should chill and jam and hooka and other things of that sort!!!
Hey travis, thanks for listening, I'm glad you liked the songs. So John Frusciante's second Ataxia album is coming out May 29th, there's something to look forward to.
Are you coming back to Moscow this summer? Are you still building amps? I want to get a lower wattage tube amp that would work well for recording and smaller gigs...
Hey Travis, my band just put music up on our page today. If you have the time, give it a listen and let me know what you think, it would mean a lot. Our page is www.myspace.com/themagicmirrors
How is LA, and are you coming back for the summer?
PLUS... holy crap travis! I'm listening to your stuff right now and it just makes me want to go through Chemisty again at the gayest time in the morning with you; cause it was soooo "fun"!...htis is good stuff man, so good that i can't even spell! well i miss hangin with you in school and wish we could've hung out outside of school! oh well. let me know what's going on with you.
oh ya, give me a copy (for some dough from me)of the EP when you're done with it!!!
fuck man, you're doing what you set out to do. im proud of you. in fact, it's quite inspiring, as it always has been knowing you, man. cant wait to see you when you get back. the music is fucking amazing... kind of deathcab/elliot smith like. i like it... a lot.
the tunes sound fab, i hear the elliot in them! if and when you come up to the NW again I wouldn't mind tracking drums for you if would like!
keep it real in LA LA land
Cheers
Ted
