After 15-plus years as the frontman of Scottish rockers Travis, Fran Healy is making his solo debut with 'Wreckorder,' due out in North America October 5. While it's nerve-wracking for many artists to step out on their own, Healy is very calm about having his name alone on the marquees. "This album, compared to all the other albums, I must be honest, is exactly the same," he tells Spinner. "All the Travis albums are my songs, so each album is just a collection of songs. The songs with me are always so personal I always looked at it like that."

 

Every time a band member goes solo, there are the requisite questions about the group potentially breaking up or bandmates not being happy with the move. Well, Travis fans can relax -- Healy actually got permission from the rest of the band to step out on his own. "We came to the end of our tour last year and everyone was kind of burnt out and wanted a break, but I didn't really want to stop," he says. "So, I then asked everyone if I could do a record."

 

For him, the move to go temporarily solo was a very organic one. "When you play in a band for 16 years, you get kind of institutionalized a little bit. You're like, 'Oh, this is fine in here cause you've got a great bass player, a brilliant guitarist, a great drummer,'" he says. "But creatively, there comes a point where it naturally will occur to the main creative person in a band, 'Hey, I would like to try and work with maybe another musician. I want to try and do a duet with them or I want to do my own thing,' so for me it was just a very logical step."

 

As relaxed as he is about 'Wreckorder,' Healy admits this is a different experience after six albums with Travis. "Being a solo person, I don't know what to expect yet. I have no idea," he says. Still, he doesn't think it will end up being all that different than any of his other works. "When you put your album out, whether it's for Travis or myself, some people will like it, some people will hate it, some people will think it's alright."

 

For any fans eager to hear Healy's new material, he's kicking off a tour with Keane on Tuesday, July 20, in Oakland.

Booooring

Lol Keane.

:surprised:!

Can't say this was totally unexpected. Keane and Fran on the same bill is pure gold, though!:D

yep ...

god, if I only had a ticket for one of those shows...

this is kinda old news hehe, but anyway... i was updating the travis thread, maybe a new thread does make more sense.

 

for anyone who's interested, fran is keeping a tour diary at http://www.franhealy.com :nice:

 

this is kinda old news hehe

 

NO

this is kinda old news hehe, but anyway... i was updating the travis thread, maybe a new thread does make more sense.

 

for anyone who's interested, fran is keeping a tour diary at www.franhealy.com :nice:

 

 

You never miss a chance to increase his Franbase, do you............................ :rolleyes:

^true :nice: ;D

 

 

NO

 

yes. he announced his solo album und january and the tour with keane was announced a couple of weeks ago ;)

a couple of weeks its not old

January was 6 months ago...

UK shows please

Germany shows please....................... :rolleyes:

Holland shows please.....:P

Holland shows please.....:P

 

Why not the rest of the Netherlands?:rolleyes:

well... shows in europe would be much appreciated hehe... he said he would definitely tour so i guess that will happen later this year ;)

Why not the rest of the Netherlands?:rolleyes:

It's gonna be a Holland show though if he plays here. :rolleyes:

EXCLUSIVE SONG: Travis' Fran Healy Goes Solo

 

Fran Healy, the charming lead singer of Britpop mainstays Travis, will release Wreckorder, his first solo album, October 5. The star-studded affair features collaborations with Neko Case and Paul McCartney -- and a stirring lead single, "Buttercups." Hear it below!

 

Like much of Healy's work with Travis, "Buttercups" is based on a personal tale of a misstep in love (although he's now happily married).

 

"'Buttercups' came from an experience in my art school days when a girlfriend turned her nose up at some picked flowers I brought," Healy tells SPIN.com. "I couldn't afford fancy roses and thought these would be even better and more romantic. She didn't think so. That relationship didn't last long. Puh!"

 

Healy told a few similar tales when he performed at the SPIN offices last year -- watch the video here.

 

Healy is playing dates across North America through the end of August, supporting fellow Brits Keane. Check his official site for the full list of shows.

 

What do you think of Healy's first solo venture? Sound off in the comments section.

 

http://www.spin.com/articles/exclusive-song-travis-fran-healy-goes-solo

It's gonna be a Holland show though if he plays here. :rolleyes:

 

Why? Doesn't he have any fans in the rest of the country?:dozey:

EXCLUSIVE SONG: Travis' Fran Healy Goes Solo

 

Fran Healy, the charming lead singer of Britpop mainstays Travis, will release Wreckorder, his first solo album, October 5. The star-studded affair features collaborations with Neko Case and Paul McCartney -- and a stirring lead single, "Buttercups." Hear it below!

 

Like much of Healy's work with Travis, "Buttercups" is based on a personal tale of a misstep in love (although he's now happily married).

 

"'Buttercups' came from an experience in my art school days when a girlfriend turned her nose up at some picked flowers I brought," Healy tells SPIN.com. "I couldn't afford fancy roses and thought these would be even better and more romantic. She didn't think so. That relationship didn't last long. Puh!"

 

Healy told a few similar tales when he performed at the SPIN offices last year -- watch the video here.

 

Healy is playing dates across North America through the end of August, supporting fellow Brits Keane. Check his official site for the full list of shows.

 

What do you think of Healy's first solo venture? Sound off in the comments section.

 

http://www.spin.com/articles/exclusive-song-travis-fran-healy-goes-solo

 

Shouldn't you be out enjoying the sights and sounds of England?:rolleyes:

He is playing at Osheaga, but at the same time as the National and Beach House so I won't be seeing him.

'Buttercups' sounds so Travis-ish!

 

Does this solo project mean that Travis are gonna break up? :worried:

'Buttercups' sounds so Travis-ish!

 

Does this solo project mean that Travis are gonna break up? :worried:

 

Hopefully not, hopefully it will be like Thom Yorke doing The Eraser and the band will get back together refreshed

France then!

it doesn't mean that he's going to quit Travis, right?