The yearning voice and sullen temperament behind the languid and lush Scottish outfit Travis, Fran Healy has been laying low of late. The primary task on his to-do list: commune with his diverse surroundings while recording his first solo effort in New York, Vermont and (mostly) Berlin. Whether the new Wreckorder (Ryko) benefits from that far-flung trio of locales—or guest appearances from Neko Case and Paul McCartney—is largely irrelevant to anyone who’s not already smitten by Healy’s majestically restrained brand of mope-rock understatement. The 10-song collection occasionally recalls the quieter moments on the already-pretty-quiet The Invisible Band, Travis’ 2001 LP. Only here, Healy turns even more insular as he’s left to stew in his own introspective juices. Healy will be guest-editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with him.
Healy: I’ve been lucky enough to have met nearly all my musical heroes. The only one I haven’t met is Joni Mitchell. It’s a thrill to be on the same side of the curtain and not feel like a stalker. I recently met Beach House at a festival in Montreal. I got very star struck. I felt all wobbly when I met them. They had soundtracked the best holiday I ever had, and they were right there. For the first time, I felt like I had two tongues in my mouth, all the words all falling out all over the place. That’s how I felt, but maybe I was less geeky than that.
2 replies on “Travis’ Fran Healy Is Happy To Hang Around: Meeting Your Heroes”
I have a similar picture with my heroes…..You and Me and Andy. It certainly is nice to meet your heroes!
I told you and Andy how I was an amateur musician in the Dallas area and you gave me the advice, “Keep at it”. I immediately wrote it down in my cell phone, so as not to forget your words. Kindness abounds. I’ve been listening to the new album on repeat all week. Great Job, friend!