Travis are back with sense of familiarity like you're partying with old friends

Travis: the producers of tunes that have become the soundtrack to so many of our lives.

We’ve sung ‘Why Does It Always Rain on Me’ when the heavens opened or at a festival? Flowers in the Window has brought a tear to the eye when a little one is on the way?

Well, they are back with yet more good music with the release of their latest album, L.A. Times. A ten-song record of delights.

Singer Fran Healy said: “The title, L.A Times – if you rewind back to 1990, there was a guy stood outside Marks & Spencer on Argyle Street who would sell the Evening Times final addition.

“He would say ‘Fin-aaa-l Times’. I would sit and think he sounded like he was calling the end of time. I always liked the idea of calling an album that, but worried it sounded too much of a downer. Then I wrote this song L.A. Times and I thought ‘this sounds like an album title.'”

The rest of the band joined Fran in LA, where he was living, and recorded the ‘old school, ten song album’.

But it feels anything but old. It sounds like Travis in their prime with singles ‘Bus’ and ‘Gaslight’ proving instant earworms.

“I feel very competitive and we’ve got a bee in our bonnet about this record. It’s good,” Fran explained, with his red locks glowing. Dyed by the Kardashians’ hairdresser nonetheless, he told me.

Fresh from supporting The Killers on their UK tour and a surprise set at TRNSMT festival, the band are soon heading back out on the road, headlining their own Hydro set on December 21.

Bassist Dougie Payne says it’s a date they enjoy playing. “It feels like it’s our office Christmas party,” he adds.

And that is indeed what you get when you watch Travis – a sense of familiarity that feels like you’re watching and partying with old friends.

Old friends I would very much like to go to the pub with as they have some fantastic stories and I only got to scratch the surface.

@stvnews
Travis bassist tells Laura Boyd what it was like meeting his musical hero David Bowie. The 52-year-old Scot said ‘he just lost his mind’ when he first met the music legend for the first-time at the music awards ceremony. It wasn’t to be the only time the pair’s paths crossed with Dougie recalling an backstage anecdote from backstage at Bowie’s Wembley Arena show. Watch more on What’s On Scotland on the STV Player and on TV every Friday at 7pm. music entertainment showbiz bowie travis davidbowie
♬ original sound – STV News – STV News

Dougie told of the times he had run into his hero David Bowie and his impression of the legend was uncanny.

One of Fran’s favourite moments was running along a beach on holiday and bumping into “Macca” – Paul McCartney, as the pair ran in slow motion towards each other. I told him I was visualising Baywatch, minus Macca in a red swimsuit.

Another great tale they told was of the time they took on Kings of Leon at karaoke. The American band were killing it until Fran and Dougie took the mic for Under Pressure – Fran as Freddie Mercury and Dougie, of course as Bowie. I would have paid to see that.

I joked that they should head to Glasgow’s legendary karaoke spot, The Horseshow Bar, but they beat me too it as they’ve already performed there.

Fran said he got up and sang one of their own songs to which a “wee wumin” at the bar leaned over to him and commented: “Son, you sound just like that boy!”

Great fun, great songs and just a great Scottish band, well worth seeing live.