In Conversation With… Travis Denning

We catch up with Travis Denning, ahead of the release of his debut EP this Friday, to talk about the process of putting it out

Hey, how are you doing? 

I’m doing good, how about you?

Not too bad, how’s quarantine been treating you so far? 

Oh it’s the most bored I’ve been, but I’m trying to enjoy it for what it is. It’s some time that I wouldn’t usually have.

It’s definitely not the way that you thought you’d be releasing your EP, but I am glad that you have continued with the release. With so many things being pushed back, it feels like this is the EP we all need for right now.

Well, you know that conversation happened, but to me I think that now people want more new music more than ever. We’re all trying to find our own little ways to escape and get away from this crazy thing. I hope that this EP will do that. I think that the selection of songs are perfect for right now.

Well you can laugh a bit to them, drink a bit… It’s ideal lockdown listening material.

Absolutely.

It feels like a big transition from your previous singles to this project. Sonically, it feels bigger and there’s a lot more humour in these songs.

Yeah, I mean for me, especially ‘Where That Beer’s Been’ and ‘ABBY’ specifically those songs, I’m kind of at a point in my life where I’m just really having fun. I’m enjoying the shows that we were playing and the shows that we’re going to play, once this is all over. I’m just in a good spot, so it really didn’t take any effort. It’s just reflective of where I am in my life right now and as far as the sound, and the rounding out of these new songs, I just knew going into the studio I wanted it to sound like our live show. I wanted it to sound like if George Strait and Motorhead did a show together, we’re somewhere in the middle of that.

I saw you at the CMA Songwriters Night in London, so obviously haven’t seen the live show, what kind of energy can people expect from a Travis Denning show? 

Yeah, I mean I’ve always strived for people to walk away from my shows, saying ‘who the hell was that guy’ and to be taken aback by the high energy. We come at it with kick drums, snare drums, bass, we just want to put on a memorable show – no matter how long we’re playing, whether it’s 90 minute set or we’ve got 25 minutes. I just want people to go away thinking ‘damn’ and that they weren’t expecting that kind of energy.

One of my favourite songs from the EP was ABBY, what was the story behind that song? 

So that’s actually the only song on the EP that I did not write. I can take you back to the day that I heard the song for the first time. A friend of mine played it for me, who’s not in the music business – he’s just got some buddies who send him demos of songs – he played that for me in the back of his truck in South Georgia before I played a concert. When that chorus finished up, I was like ‘I have to record that.’ I just loved it, it was funny and I love having songs like that. For me, it was also a moment. It’s a moment on an EP, it’s a moment on a live show, just to lighten the mood and get everybody off their guard a little bit. It’s a fun song, and whether you’re a guy or a girl, we’ve all had somebody that we wanted to say that to.

The other track that took me by surprise was ‘Sitting By A Fire,’ was it very intentional your desire to round out the sound and feel of the EP in that way?

Yeah, I wanted it to be the last track too. I think there’s something cool about the sequence of this EP. You kind of blow through it, and people will say ‘oh yeah, this sounds like a Travis record’ it’s got energy, it’s country and it’s about drinking, but ‘Sitting By A Fire’ is a side of me that I haven’t shown yet at all in my music, but it’s a side of me that I’ve spent a lot of time diving into. I’ve written a lot of songs like that and about that side of me. I’m excited that it’s the last song, because I hope it leaves people wanting more because further down the road there’s going to be more of that side coming out.

It did make sense more for me, having heard your cut with Michael Ray ‘Her World or Mine,’ and that song tied it all together for me, in terms of your songwriting.

Yeah, I know I hadn’t even really ever thought about that, but you’re totally right. The reaction I usually get when someone finds out that I wrote that Michael Ray song, they’re kind of like damn I didn’t know that you had that in you. Yeah, I mean, like I said, I think the reason that everything’s been so upbeat and so high energy, feeling good, drink in the air is just I’m at that point of my life where I’m thinking about those kinds of things. I know I’ve got a lot more to say deeper, and wider and broader on all spectrums that music makes you feel. I’m excited to roll those out over time.

Congratulations because that was a Top 25 hit!

Yeah that was my first song that I co-wrote but didn’t record that was a top 20. ‘After A Few’ is sitting at 5 right now, which is just insane.

That’s a great energy to be leading in with on the release of the EP, people are ready for this. Can we expect this to be a part of a longer record further down the line?

This will 100% be a part of a larger project. This is just the first chapter of the first record I want to put out. We went ahead and wanted to come at this first for a few different reasons, but yes people can fully expect these songs to be a part of more songs in the future.

I’m just hoping that things calm down enough that we are able to see these songs in their live format, because they are built for it. 

I literally can’t wait, I mean we were working on plans to get over to the UK before all this craziness. I’m telling you as soon as we get the green light we’re going to finalise those plans and get the band over there and have some fun.

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Final Few

What’s your favourite beer? 

My favourite beer.. an open one (laughs). It’d probably be Miller Light or Bush Light if I’m just drinking domestic. I know that’s like water crap to you all and you hate that stuff. In terms of flavourful, I love Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. What I really love is going to Wetherspoon’s and sitting there until I can’t see straight. 

If there was a biopic written about your life what would be the opening track?

That’s a good question, I’d say ‘Kickstart My Heart’ by Motley Crew.

What’s your guilty pleasure in quarantine? 

I’ve kind of let the guilty pleasures fly out the window, because this is airport hours now, you can do whatever you want. There’s no rules. I’d say my girlfriend’s grandmother has been making these apple crisp bars, they’re almost an apple and pecan candy and I’ve literally ate an entire box of those in one sitting.

Complete the sentence… 

Music is… the most important thing during this time.

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Travis Denning –  Beer’s Better Cold EP is out on May 15.