Kurt Travis (born January 16, 1987) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter from
Sacramento, California
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...
. He is currently part of the
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...
bands
Royal Coda
Royal Coda is an American rock band based in Sacramento, California, founded by lead guitarist Sergio Medina. They are known for their amalgamation of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and post-hardcore. The band currently consists of lead voc ...
and
Push Over and the
math rock
Math rock is a style of progressive and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush as well as 20th-century minimal music composers such as Steve Reich. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (includi ...
duo Gold Necklace, and was formerly a vocalist in the rock bands
Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
and
A Lot Like Birds
A Lot Like Birds was an American post-hardcore band formed in Sacramento, California. The band released four albums and received considerable media attention from music sites. Since the release of 2011's ''Conversation Piece'', A Lot Like Birds ...
.
Travis began his musical career in 2001. He joined post-hardcore band Five Minute Ride, releasing the extended plays (EPs), ''Bathroom Walls... Lipstick Secrets'' in 2003, and ''The World Needs Convincing of All That It's Missing'', on
Rise Records, in 2005 before disbanding later that year. Travis later formed the
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fol ...
group There & Back Again in 2006. Following these two groups, Travis helped form the band No Not Constant in July 2007, later disbanding the same year. In 2008, Travis became the lead vocalist for rock band O! the Joy, releasing one studio album, ''Zen Mode'' (2008). Following his underground success, Travis replaced
Jonny Craig
Jonathan Monroe Craig (born March 26, 1986) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter, best known as the former lead vocalist of bands Dance Gavin Dance, Emarosa, and Rain City Drive, as well as the co-lead vocalist of the short-lived super ...
as clean vocalist in rock band
Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
. With the group, he released two studio albums, ''
Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
'' (2008) and ''
Happiness
Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...
'' (2009). After two years, it was revealed that Travis departed from Dance Gavin Dance, in 2010. The following year, Travis joined as a vocalist in the post-hardcore group
A Lot Like Birds
A Lot Like Birds was an American post-hardcore band formed in Sacramento, California. The band released four albums and received considerable media attention from music sites. Since the release of 2011's ''Conversation Piece'', A Lot Like Birds ...
, releasing the studio albums ''Conversation Piece'' (2011) and ''No Place'' (2013) on
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is an independent record label based in Albany, New York. It was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo, singer for the punk bands Youth of Today, Shelter, and Better Than a Thousand.
The label originally existed solely to ...
, before departing in 2016. He briefly joined the
math rock
Math rock is a style of progressive and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush as well as 20th-century minimal music composers such as Steve Reich. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (includi ...
trio Eternity Forever, in 2016. He also formed the post-hardcore duo Push Over, along with
The Fall of Troy
The Fall of Troy is an American rock band from Mukilteo, Washington. The band is a trio consisting of Thomas Erak (guitars, vocals, keyboards), Andrew Forsman (drums, percussion) and Tim Ward (bass, screamed vocals) who was later replaced by Fra ...
's
Thomas Erak
Thomas Joseph Erak is an American singer, songwriter, and musician from Mukilteo, Washington, best known as a founding member of the Seattle-based progressive mathcore band, The Fall of Troy and as a member of the band Just Like Vinyl; as well ...
, releasing a demo EP in February 2017. In 2018, he joined Royal Coda, having released three studio albums, ''
Royal Coda
Royal Coda is an American rock band based in Sacramento, California, founded by lead guitarist Sergio Medina. They are known for their amalgamation of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and post-hardcore. The band currently consists of lead voc ...
'' (2018), ''
Compassion
Compassion motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is often regarded as being sensitive to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based on n ...
'' (2019), and ''To Only A Few At First'' (2022).
As a solo artist, Travis has released three EPs, one split EP, and two full-length studio albums; ''
Everything Is Beautiful
"Everything Is Beautiful" is a song written, composed, and performed by Ray Stevens. It has appeared on many of Stevens's albums, including one named after the song, and has become a pop standard and common in religious performances. The children ...
'' (2014) and ''
There's a Place I Want to Take You
''There’s A Place I Want To Take You'' is the second studio album by American recording artist Kurt Travis, released on May 17, 2019, through Blue Swan Records and his own label, Esque Records. It also serves as a follow-up to his debut studio a ...
'' (2019). He launched his own record label, Esque Records, in 2016.
Early life
Kurt Travis was born in
Scottsdale, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, named_for = Winfield Scott
, image_skyline =
, image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg
, image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg
, nick ...
. Both of his parents were gymnasts and his father was three-time world champion
Kurt Thomas. Travis changed his surname from Thomas to Travis following his mother's remarriage.
Travis grew up in a musical family. His grandparents inspired him to pursue guitar. At a young age, he was inspired by
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist Mil ...
,
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...
, and
Heatmiser
Heatmiser was an American rock band, formed in Portland, Oregon in October 1991. Consisting of Elliott Smith (guitar and vocals), Neil Gust (guitar and vocals), Brandt Peterson (bass; later replaced by Sam Coomes, frontman of Quasi) and Tony Las ...
.
Solo career
2012–14: ''Wha Happen?'' and ''Everything Is Beautiful''
During his time as a vocalist in American
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...
band
A Lot Like Birds
A Lot Like Birds was an American post-hardcore band formed in Sacramento, California. The band released four albums and received considerable media attention from music sites. Since the release of 2011's ''Conversation Piece'', A Lot Like Birds ...
, Kurt Travis began pursuing a solo career, in 2012. On January 24, 2012, he released his debut solo debut extended play (EP), ''Wha Happen?'' on
Doghouse Records
Doghouse Records is an American record label currently based in New York City.Alan O'Connor, ''Punk Record Labels and the Struggle for Autonomy''. Lexington Books, 2008, p. 41Google Books/ref> The company was founded by Dirk Hemsath in late 1987 ...
, a
DIY lo-fi and
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
project consisting of seven tracks. In support of its release, Travis performed a number of various one-off concerts with former
Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
vocalist
Jonny Craig
Jonathan Monroe Craig (born March 26, 1986) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter, best known as the former lead vocalist of bands Dance Gavin Dance, Emarosa, and Rain City Drive, as well as the co-lead vocalist of the short-lived super ...
,
Never Shout Never
Never Shout Never (originally typeset as nevershoutnever! and NeverShoutNever!) is an American rock band formed in Joplin, Missouri in 2007. Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Christofer Drew began the band as a solo project before expanding it t ...
,
Hail the Sun, and The Seeking from May 2012 to April 2013.
On March 12, 2013, he released his self-titled second solo EP on
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is an independent record label based in Albany, New York. It was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo, singer for the punk bands Youth of Today, Shelter, and Better Than a Thousand.
The label originally existed solely to ...
. The following year, he released his debut studio album, ''
Everything Is Beautiful
"Everything Is Beautiful" is a song written, composed, and performed by Ray Stevens. It has appeared on many of Stevens's albums, including one named after the song, and has become a pop standard and common in religious performances. The children ...
'', on May 14, on
Blue Swan Records
William Swan (born December 5, 1985) is an American songwriter and musician born in Sacramento, California. He is best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the American post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance and as the founder and owner ...
. The album was produced by former Dance Gavin Dance guitarist Josh Benton and mastered by
Kris Crummett
Kris Crummett is an American record producer and owner of the Interlace Audio in Portland, Oregon. Crummett started recording in 2002. He has worked with many notable indie music record labels, including Rise Records, Epitaph Records, Fearless Re ...
, while featuring guest appearances from
Strawberry Girls
Strawberry Girls is an American rock band from Salinas, California, formed in 2011. The band is currently composed of guitarist Zac Garren, drummer Ben Rosett, and bassist Ian Jennings. All three members are multi-instrumentalists and record prod ...
lead guitarist Zachary Garren and A Lot Like Birds members Cory Lockwood and Joseph Arrington. Its lead single, "Brain Lord", was released on April 22, 2014, accompanied with its music video. To promote the album, Travis embarked on a headlining US tour with support from
Hotel Books
Hotel Books is an American spoken-word project from Porterville, California
Porterville is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, in Tulare County, California, Tulare County, California, United States. It is part of the Visalia Metropolitan Area, ...
and So Much Light, beginning on May 14 and concluding June 7, 2014. On July 26, 2015, Travis released the single "Switchblade", featuring Strawberry Girls.
2015–19: ''There's A Place I Want to Take You''
In August 2015, he launched his own independent record label, Esque Records, based in
Sacramento, California
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...
. On the label, he signed American singer-songwriter Paul Travis and released a split EP with the musician on February 1, 2016. On March 2, 2016, he announced his departure from A Lot Like Birds. In March 2016,
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
based post-hardcore band Amarionette released the single "Get It Right", featuring Kurt Travis, with its music video premiering in July and later appearing on the group's studio album ''Repeating History''. Travis toured as a solo artist with
Tilian
Tilian Pearson (born July 12, 1987), also known mononymously as Tilian, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer born in Clearwater, Florida. Since 2012 he has been the third clean vocalist for the post-hardcore band Danc ...
and Jonny Craig in the US from April 22 to May 15, 2016, with support from Myke Terry and Victory Heights. Following this tour, he embarked on his first solo UK tour with headliner
The Appleseed Cast
The Appleseed Cast is an American rock band from Lawrence, Kansas. The band was founded in the early days of emo by singer-guitarist Christopher Crisci and drummer Louie Ruiz. The Appleseed Cast has steadily evolved over the release of eight fu ...
and other support
Listener and Atlas: Empire, in June.
On May 31, 2017, he released the solo track "No Apologies", featuring Strawberry Girls. The track was produced, mixed and mastered by Strawberry Girls drummer Ben Rosett at Spirit Vision Records. On October 8, 2017, musician Kyle Ekstrom released the song "Easy", featuring Travis as a guest vocalist. On December 25, 2017, singer Andrés released the song "Multiverse", which features Travis on vocals. The next month, American
math rock
Math rock is a style of progressive and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush as well as 20th-century minimal music composers such as Steve Reich. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (includi ...
band Find Yourself released the song "Conjured Conjecture", which also features Travis. In November 2018, Boy Becomes Hero released the collaborative single "Delectation", with Travis on vocals. In September 2018, he announced a solo US headlining tour with support from
I the Mighty
I the Mighty is an American rock band based out of San Francisco, California, formed in 2007. As of 2019, the band has released two singles, four EPs, and four studio albums. Their debut wide-release album, Satori, peaked at #10 on the Billboar ...
's Brent Walsh,
Makari and Televangelist, which took place from October 30 to November 18.
On April 11, 2019, Travis announced an album release tour for his second solo studio album, which took place between May 17 and June 23, 2019. The same month, Travis released the single "Easy Peasy", on April 16, along with its music video. On May 17, 2019, he released his second studio album, ''
There's A Place I Want To Take You
''There’s A Place I Want To Take You'' is the second studio album by American recording artist Kurt Travis, released on May 17, 2019, through Blue Swan Records and his own label, Esque Records. It also serves as a follow-up to his debut studio a ...
'', on Blue Swan Records and Esque Records. In support of the album, he embarked on numerous solo tours with Andrés, Makari, Adventurer, and Body Thief. In 2021, he will tour as support on
Hail the Sun's ''New Age Filth'' tour.
2020–present: ''Fun & Games'' EP
A compilation EP of demos and B-sides from past recording sessions with guitarist Zachary Garren, titled ''Fun & Games'', was released for
streaming
Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...
and
digital download on May 28, 2021.
From January 20 to February 3, 2022, Travis embarked on a headlining solo US tour, with support from Amarionette, Sani Bronco, and Catbamboo. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the final four tour dates were cancelled.
History
2001–08: Five Minute Ride, No Not Constant, and O! the Joy
In 2001, while still a senior in high school, Kurt Travis was offered to join the
Cameron Park based
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...
band Five Minute Ride, after the members discovered him at an open mic event in
Placerville, California
Placerville (, ; formerly Old Dry Diggings, Dry Diggings, and Hangtown) is a city in and the county seat of El Dorado County, California. The population was 10,747 as of the 2020 census, up from 10,389 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the Sa ...
. The band's 2003 debut EP, ''Bathroom Walls... Lipstick Secrets'', was released on promoter Eric Rushing's now-defunct 720 Records. Their follow-up EP, ''The World Needs Convincing of All That It's Missing'', was recorded during the summer of 2004 with producer
Kurt Ballou
Kurt Ballou (born February 1, 1974) is an American musician and producer based in Massachusetts, best known as the guitarist for hardcore punk band Converge and for his prolific recording and production work at his own GodCity Studio.
Early and ...
at Godcity Studios in Salem, MA, and released in 2005 through
Rise Records. The group later disbanded in October 2005 after many of the original members, who formed the band during high school, had left for college.
No Not Constant, another post-hardcore project based in Sacramento, California, consisting of Kurt Travis, Julian Loy, Tony Marks, Josh Benton, Alex Fleshman and Dale Arseneau, formed in 2007. The band was described as a "nu-jazz" and "indie pop" group and were heavily praised throughout the Northern California music scene. The band was short-lived and disbanded the same year.
After numerous trial and errors with Five Minute Ride and No Not Constant, as well as his
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
project There & Back Again, he joined the post-hardcore band O! the Joy.
With the band, he released one full-length studio album, titled ''Zen Mode'' (2008), which was recorded at Tiny Telephone Recording Studios in
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
.
Despite local success, the group disbanded the same year.
2008–10: Dance Gavin Dance
Briefly following
Jonny Craig
Jonathan Monroe Craig (born March 26, 1986) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter, best known as the former lead vocalist of bands Dance Gavin Dance, Emarosa, and Rain City Drive, as well as the co-lead vocalist of the short-lived super ...
's departure from American
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...
band
Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
in November 2007, Kurt Travis replaced Craig as clean vocalist. Travis' first tour with the group took place from January 16 to February 22, 2008, co-headlined with
metalcore
Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...
band
Poison the Well Poisoning the well (or to poison the well) is a logical fallacy.
Poisoning the well may also refer to:
*Well poisoning, the literal meaning of the phrase
*"Poisoning the Well", a ''Stargate Atlantis'' episode
*Poison the Well (band), a hardcore pu ...
. The band released their second studio album, ''
Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
'', on August 19, 2008 on
Rise Records. In support of its release, the group co-headlined a summer tour with post-hardcore band
A Static Lullaby
A Static Lullaby was an American post-hardcore band that formed in Chino Hills, California, in 2001.
History
Early years and formation (2001–2002)
A Static Lullaby came together after a high school jam session led to the members to quit the ...
from July to August 2008. The band toured as support on
Senses Fail
Senses Fail is an American rock band formed in Ridgewood, New Jersey, in 2001. Founded by vocalist James "Buddy" Nielsen, drummer Dan Trapp, guitarists Garrett Zablocki and Dave Miller, and bassist James Gill (replaced by Mike Glita shortly afte ...
's US tour in October and November 2008.
On March 20, 2009, the band performed at
South by South West
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in m ...
in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
. They performed on the first half of the 2009
Vans Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
. On June 9, 2009, Dance Gavin Dance released their third studio album, also the second and final studio album with Travis, ''
Happiness
Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...
'', just ten months after the release of their self-titled second album. They toured with
Emarosa
Emarosa ( ) is an American rock band formed in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2006. The band currently consists of lead guitarist and founding member ER White and lead vocalist Bradley Walden, who joined the band in 2013. The group has undergone severa ...
,
Of Mice & Men,
Tides of Man
Tides of Man is an American progressive rock band formed in Tampa, Florida in 2008. The now-instrumental band currently consists of members Spencer Gill (lead guitar), Josh Gould (drums), Alan Jaye (bass guitar), and Daniel Miller (guitar). The ba ...
and
Of Machines
Of Machines was an American post-hardcore band from Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Formed in 2006, the band was originally known as We Are Kings. The band released their debut and only album ''As If Everything Was Held in Place'' on March 3, 20 ...
from September to October 2009. In February 2010, the band performed at
Soundwave in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and at Bamboozle Festival in March 2010. In August 2010, the band announced Kurt Travis' departure from the band, who was later replaced by original vocalist Jonny Craig.
A few weeks later, it was revealed Travis was kicked out of the group, however the split resulted in "no bad blood" between members.
On October 18, 2010, the band released its debut live album, ''
Live at Bamboozle 2010''. It was the final release to feature Kurt Travis as lead vocalist.
After Craig's second departure from Dance Gavin Dance, Kurt Travis and
Lower Definition
Lower Definition is an American post-hardcore band from San Diego, California, United States, formed in 2002. The band released two studio albums and six EPs before disbanding in 2009. After that they released an EP in 2011 called 'The Infinite ...
vocalist Matt Geise temporarily filled in as clean vocalists on their US headlining tour with
A Lot Like Birds
A Lot Like Birds was an American post-hardcore band formed in Sacramento, California. The band released four albums and received considerable media attention from music sites. Since the release of 2011's ''Conversation Piece'', A Lot Like Birds ...
and Just Like Vinyl in February and March 2012.
Dance Gavin Dance announced its ten-year anniversary tour, taking place from November 14 to December 18, 2015, with support from
A Lot Like Birds
A Lot Like Birds was an American post-hardcore band formed in Sacramento, California. The band released four albums and received considerable media attention from music sites. Since the release of 2011's ''Conversation Piece'', A Lot Like Birds ...
,
Slaves
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
, Dayshell and
Strawberry Girls
Strawberry Girls is an American rock band from Salinas, California, formed in 2011. The band is currently composed of guitarist Zac Garren, drummer Ben Rosett, and bassist Ian Jennings. All three members are multi-instrumentalists and record prod ...
. On the tour, both Travis and Craig traded off as clean vocalist performing with the band during their set. The group embarked on a European leg of the ten year anniversary tour with Travis and Craig as support in November 2016.
On June 8, 2018, the band released their eighth studio album, ''
Artificial Selection
Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant m ...
'', which features the song "Shelf Life", featuring Travis as a guest vocalist. This makes it the singer's first time appearing on a Dance Gavin Dance track since October 2010.
2011–16: A Lot Like Birds
After his departure from
Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
in August 2010, post-hardcore band
A Lot Like Birds
A Lot Like Birds was an American post-hardcore band formed in Sacramento, California. The band released four albums and received considerable media attention from music sites. Since the release of 2011's ''Conversation Piece'', A Lot Like Birds ...
announced that Kurt Travis had joined the band as second vocalist on January 9, 2011. With the band, they signed to
Doghouse Records
Doghouse Records is an American record label currently based in New York City.Alan O'Connor, ''Punk Record Labels and the Struggle for Autonomy''. Lexington Books, 2008, p. 41Google Books/ref> The company was founded by Dirk Hemsath in late 1987 ...
and released their second studio album, ''Conversation Piece'', on October 11, 2011. In January and February 2012, the band headlined a tour with
Decoder
Decoder may refer to:
Technology
* Audio decoder converts digital audio to analog form
* Binary decoder, digital circuits such as 1-of-N and seven-segment decoders
* Decompress (compression decoder), converts compressed data (e.g., audio/video/im ...
and Just Like Vinyl in the US. From November 2 to December 9, 2012, the group toured as support on the Rock Yourself to Sleep Tour with
Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
and
I the Mighty
I the Mighty is an American rock band based out of San Francisco, California, formed in 2007. As of 2019, the band has released two singles, four EPs, and four studio albums. Their debut wide-release album, Satori, peaked at #10 on the Billboar ...
in the US.
A Lot Like Birds signed with
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is an independent record label based in Albany, New York. It was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo, singer for the punk bands Youth of Today, Shelter, and Better Than a Thousand.
The label originally existed solely to ...
and announced their third studio album. The band released ''
No Place
No Place is a small village near the town of Stanley in County Durham, England, east of Stanley and west of Beamish. Situated to the south of the A693, it is home to an award-winning real ale pub, the Beamish Mary Inn (dating from 1897 and or ...
'', their second and final studio album with Kurt Travis in the band, on October 29, 2013. In support of the album, the group embarked on a tour with
Sianvar and
Stolas, which took place from January 8 to February 2, 2014. They toured on the 2014
Vans Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
from June to August. The group toured as support on
Enter Shikari
Enter Shikari (stylised as enter: shikari and occasionally as ΣΠΤΣ℞ SΗΦΚ∆℞Φ) are a British rock band formed in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England in 1999 by bassist Chris Batten, lead vocalist and keyboardist Rou Reynolds, and drum ...
's US Mindsweep Tour from March 23 to April 28, 2015. A Lot Like Birds toured on Dance Gavin Dance's ten year anniversary tour in November and December 2015, in the United States, along with
Slaves
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
, Dayshell, and
Strawberry Girls
Strawberry Girls is an American rock band from Salinas, California, formed in 2011. The band is currently composed of guitarist Zac Garren, drummer Ben Rosett, and bassist Ian Jennings. All three members are multi-instrumentalists and record prod ...
. This was the final tour to feature Kurt Travis before his departure.
On February 20, 2016, Travis departed from A Lot Like Birds.
On May 6, 2018, Travis reunited with the group to perform at their final concert before permanently disbanding.
2016–17: Eternity Forever
Eternity Forever was an American
math rock
Math rock is a style of progressive and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush as well as 20th-century minimal music composers such as Steve Reich. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (includi ...
supergroup composed of
Strawberry Girls
Strawberry Girls is an American rock band from Salinas, California, formed in 2011. The band is currently composed of guitarist Zac Garren, drummer Ben Rosett, and bassist Ian Jennings. All three members are multi-instrumentalists and record prod ...
drummer Ben Rosett, former
CHON
CHON is a mnemonic acronym for the four most common elements in living organisms: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
The acronym CHNOPS, which stands for ''c''arbon, ''h''ydrogen, ''n''itrogen, ''o''xygen, ''p''hosphorus, ''s''ulfur, r ...
bassist Brandon Ewing, and Kurt Travis. The trio formed in
Carmel, California
Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and municipal corporation, incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its n ...
in December 2016. The group reportedly recorded their debut studio album in the first week of December at Spirit Vision Studios in Carmel. On January 25, 2017, the group released the single "Fantasy", announcing their debut EP, ''Fantasy'', which was released on Spirit Vision Records on April 20, 2017. Another single, "Letting Go", was released on February 28, 2017.
The project was discontinued after their first and only performance at Concert in the Park in Sacramento due to conflicts within the group.
2017–present: Push Over
A
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...
musical group, consisting of Kurt Travis and
The Fall of Troy
The Fall of Troy is an American rock band from Mukilteo, Washington. The band is a trio consisting of Thomas Erak (guitars, vocals, keyboards), Andrew Forsman (drums, percussion) and Tim Ward (bass, screamed vocals) who was later replaced by Fra ...
vocalist and guitarist
Thomas Erak
Thomas Joseph Erak is an American singer, songwriter, and musician from Mukilteo, Washington, best known as a founding member of the Seattle-based progressive mathcore band, The Fall of Troy and as a member of the band Just Like Vinyl; as well ...
, named
Push Over, was revealed on January 29, 2017. Travis announced that the duo were composing new material for an upcoming release in 2017. A demo EP was released on February 5, 2017.
Erak joined Travis' post-hardcore band
Royal Coda
Royal Coda is an American rock band based in Sacramento, California, founded by lead guitarist Sergio Medina. They are known for their amalgamation of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and post-hardcore. The band currently consists of lead voc ...
as a touring guitarist and backing vocalist in August 2018, however dropped off halfway through the tour. It was speculated the duo was on hiatus as Erak was focusing on his solo career and Travis was focusing on his respective musical endeavors, but it was confirmed in February 2019 that the group will release new material. In January 2020, the group released the single "1NE", from their upcoming debut studio album.
2018–present: Royal Coda
On January 28, 2018,
Blue Swan Records
William Swan (born December 5, 1985) is an American songwriter and musician born in Sacramento, California. He is best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the American post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance and as the founder and owner ...
confirmed that American music trio
Royal Coda
Royal Coda is an American rock band based in Sacramento, California, founded by lead guitarist Sergio Medina. They are known for their amalgamation of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and post-hardcore. The band currently consists of lead voc ...
signed to its label. The band consists of A Lot Like Birds drummer Joe Arrington and
Stolas and
Sianvar guitarist Sergio Medina, along with Kurt Travis as vocalist. The group revealed that they finished recording their debut studio album on January 29, with a tentative release date in the spring 2018.
Royal Coda released their debut song, "Anything to Save", as the lead single off their upcoming debut studio album, on February 16, 2018. They released their
self-titled debut studio album on April 27, 2018.
The band toured as support on
Tilian
Tilian Pearson (born July 12, 1987), also known mononymously as Tilian, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer born in Clearwater, Florida. Since 2012 he has been the third clean vocalist for the post-hardcore band Danc ...
's headlining solo U.S. tour in August and September 2018. The band's first headlining tour is set to take place from March 14 to March 30, 2019 in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, with support from Body Thief. The band released their second studio album, ''
Compassion
Compassion motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is often regarded as being sensitive to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based on n ...
'', in November 2019.
A third LP, ''To Only A Few At First'', was released in 2022. Royal Coda supported Travis' former band
Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
on their 2022 "An Evening With Friends" tour. The tour also saw Travis perform as a part of
Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
again for the first time in years, sharing clean vocal duties with Andrew Wells in the wake of Tilian Pearson's departure from the band.
2021: Gold Necklace
Gold Necklace is a
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
duo consisting of Kurt Travis and Brandon Ewing. This is the second project the two have been a part of together since the
math rock
Math rock is a style of progressive and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush as well as 20th-century minimal music composers such as Steve Reich. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (includi ...
trio Eternity Forever. Their debut song, "Vibe with Me", was released on September 15, 2021 and their
self-titled debut studio album, released on November 12 on Kill Iconic Records, a label owned by
Hail the Sun's
Donovan Melero. Although presented as a duo,
Royal Coda
Royal Coda is an American rock band based in Sacramento, California, founded by lead guitarist Sergio Medina. They are known for their amalgamation of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and post-hardcore. The band currently consists of lead voc ...
drummer Joseph Arrington wrote and recorded drums on the album.
Business ventures and other endeavors
In August 2015, Travis launched his own independent record label Esque Records. Travis said he was inspired to begin a record label due to wanting to support artists "while touring as a solo artist and with
A Lot Like Birds
A Lot Like Birds was an American post-hardcore band formed in Sacramento, California. The band released four albums and received considerable media attention from music sites. Since the release of 2011's ''Conversation Piece'', A Lot Like Birds ...
." Originally, the label's roster included a variety of
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
and
math rock
Math rock is a style of progressive and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush as well as 20th-century minimal music composers such as Steve Reich. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (includi ...
bands including Rome Hero Foxes, Lemix J. Buckley, Floral, Amarionette, and In Angles. In the fall of 2016, Travis announced the first and only Esque Records Tour, which took place from September 29 to October 26 with support from
Strawberry Girls
Strawberry Girls is an American rock band from Salinas, California, formed in 2011. The band is currently composed of guitarist Zac Garren, drummer Ben Rosett, and bassist Ian Jennings. All three members are multi-instrumentalists and record prod ...
, Amarionette, and Lemix J. Buckley.
In 2021, Travis launched Big Wave Industries, an independently owned company purposed for selling merchandise for indie bands including post-hardcore bands Adventurer and Body Thief.
Discography
;As Kurt Travis
* ''Wha Happen?'' (EP) (
Doghouse
A doghouse, also known as a kennel, is an outbuilding to provide shelter for a dog from various weather conditions.
Background
Humans and domesticated dogs have been companions for more than 15,000 years, beginning with the wolf and hunter–ga ...
, 2012)
* ''Kurt Travis'' (EP) (
Equal Vision
Equal Vision Records is an independent record label based in Albany, New York. It was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo, singer for the punk bands Youth of Today, Shelter, and Better Than a Thousand.
The label originally existed solely to ...
, 2013)
* ''
Everything Is Beautiful
"Everything Is Beautiful" is a song written, composed, and performed by Ray Stevens. It has appeared on many of Stevens's albums, including one named after the song, and has become a pop standard and common in religious performances. The children ...
'' (
Blue Swan Records
William Swan (born December 5, 1985) is an American songwriter and musician born in Sacramento, California. He is best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the American post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance and as the founder and owner ...
, 2014)
* ''Kurt Travis/Paul Travis Split'' (EP) (Esque Records, 2016)
* ''
There's A Place I Want To Take You
''There’s A Place I Want To Take You'' is the second studio album by American recording artist Kurt Travis, released on May 17, 2019, through Blue Swan Records and his own label, Esque Records. It also serves as a follow-up to his debut studio a ...
'' (Blue Swan Records, 2019)
* ''Fun & Games'' (with
Zachary Garren) (2021)
;With Five Minute Ride
* ''Bathroom Walls... Lipstick Secrets'' (2003)
* ''The World Needs Convincing Of All That It's Missing'' (2005)
;With There & Back Again
* ''Demos 06'' (2006)
;With No Not Constant
* ''No Not Constant'' (Bootleg) (2012)
;With O! The Joy
* ''Zen Mode'' (2008)
;With
Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
*
''Dance Gavin Dance'' (2008)
*
''Happiness'' (2009)
;With
A Lot Like Birds
A Lot Like Birds was an American post-hardcore band formed in Sacramento, California. The band released four albums and received considerable media attention from music sites. Since the release of 2011's ''Conversation Piece'', A Lot Like Birds ...
*
''Conversation Piece'' (2011)
*
''No Place'' (2013)
;With Eternity Forever
* ''Fantasy EP'' (2017)
;With Push Over
* ''Demo EP'' (2017)
;With Royal Coda
* ''
Royal Coda
Royal Coda is an American rock band based in Sacramento, California, founded by lead guitarist Sergio Medina. They are known for their amalgamation of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and post-hardcore. The band currently consists of lead voc ...
'' (2018)
* ''
Compassion
Compassion motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is often regarded as being sensitive to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based on n ...
'' (2019)
* ''To Only A Few At First'' (2022)
;With Gold Necklace
* ''
Gold Necklace'' (2021)
Guest appearances
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Travis, Kurt
1984 births
Living people
American rock singers
21st-century American singers
Dance Gavin Dance members
Doghouse Records artists
Equal Vision Records artists