Travis Roberts Gets Loud

Travis Roberts gives Americana the boot in the ass it needs with his electrifying debut Rebel Rose.

The trick was capturing the man and his band, The Chosen Few, live in the studio, which is exactly what the production team of Dalton Domino, PH Naffah (The Refreshments) and Jeff Lusby-Breault (Mercy Fall) achieved across this blistering 10-track set.

Rebel Rose burns with a passion and amplified freneticism you rarely hear on Triple A these days, as Roberts allows his influences — which range from Jimmy Eat World to Steve Earle’s essential 1988 LP Copperhead Road — to take precedence over the urge to run with the pack towards humdrum MOR. In fact, fans of David Roach — God rest his soul — and Junkyard or even the Georgia Satellites should give this cat a listen to boot.

 

VIDEO: Junkyard “Hollywood”

Add the fact that at only 25, this military child of Amarillo, Texas, has experienced a life of drug abuse and alcoholism that knocked him off the rails at an early age. But as he got clean, he began the difficult task of trying to write songs and create music sober.

“I didn’t know how to be a musician without getting loaded,” he reflects. “They had a guitar in the treatment center, though, and when I started picking it up, that’s when I really learned how to write the kind of songs I’d always wanted to write.”

Newly sober without a cent to his name, Roberts moved in with his grandmother, who gave him a place to stay while he picked up the pieces of his life. He took work painting houses and restoring old furniture until he could afford a place of his own. It was around this time that he began fighting on the side in order to earn enough money to record these songs he’s written.

“Whoever won the fights took home the lion’s share of the money,” he explains, “but even if you lost, you made something. I lost a lot, but I got what I needed out of it.”

Eventually his music landed in the lap of fellow Texan Domino, who stepped in to help mentor him and brought Roberts to the attention of New West Records.

“Dalton plugged me in with them,” he explains. “They’ve been nothing but cool. I feel like they actually give a damn about the artist’s vision, which ain’t always the case in this industry.”

Rock & Roll Globe recently caught up with Travis to speak with him about Rebel Rose and turning it up to 11.

 

I love how loud Rebel Rose is. What inspired you to crank up the volume for this album?

I’ve got a lot of punk influences. I love country music with all my heart, but sometimes, it feels like everybody is playing it safe. I’m a high risk, high reward kind of guy. I wanted this album to shake the dust off the genre a bit — turn it up, get gritty, and let it bleed. That’s my favorite way to play it.

Why do you feel not enough artists in Americana utilize more of a hard rock edge to their songwriting?

I feel like they want to fit in so bad. Like every song needs a damn pedal steel. Don’t get me wrong: I love pedal steel, but there’s a point where you have to be yourself. Myself loves running Les Pauls into loud amps and kicking up some dirt — it’s just more honest for me. Americana as a genre feels like a melting pot. Why not let a little hard rock in?

 

What is the story behind the title Rebel Rose?

Rebel Rose is a record about beautiful things with rough edges. Title fits, I think. It’s about contradiction: tougness and tenderness living in the same breath and sometimes, you don’t breath them. They just kinda spit out. That’s kind of how I see the world and the people I sing about.

 

I read that Steve Earle’s Copperhead Road had an impact on you when you were younger. What are some other albums that inspired the direction of your sound?

Bleed American by Jimmy Eat World.

Burn.Flicker.Die by American Aquarium.

Brothers by The Black Keys.

In The Throes by John Moreland.

Those records taught me how to write honestly, turn up the amps to ten, and mix melody with grit. Each one showed me you don’t have to choose between a warm heartworn sound and an edge.

 

What inspired the quieter moments on the album?

Long walks on the beach and getting sober off of various hard substances. You can only scream into the void for so long before you have to listen to the whisper of something back. Those moments came from a lot of reflection and having to honestly say how I feel.

 

VIDEO: Travis Roberts “Kudzu”

Having grown up in Amarillo, Texas, did you have any run-ins with the famous Funk wrestling family?

I did! I met Terry a couple times. Coolest dude on the damn planet. If I have a sliver of that hardcore kickass feel, I’m a winner. The guy had a quiet intensity about him that stuck with me. Tough but thoughtful. Funny too. Super funny.

 

How much does Amarillo factor into your songwriting?

Well, there’s nothing else to do there but stare at cows, go see movies and look at dead grass. Kind of have to write songs. The emptiness leaves room for your mind to wander. Amarillo makes you confront yourself, which ends up in the music whether you mean to or not.

 

VIDEO: Terry Funk Mixtape

The Rebel Rose album cover is amazing. Where was it shot and what’s the story behind that building?

It’s the Midway Theater between Turkey and Quitaque, Texas. Old drive-in. My friend Elic took the photo. It’s a cool spot. Feels run down but pretty. That duality matched the spirit of the album perfectly: ghosts of the worn out past and a strange sort of hope in what could be re-used.

 

What did you learn from your time in the fight club scene? Anything to prepare you for the music biz?

Calling it a fight club is a very loose term. I had some buddies who I would fight with to make a little cash and just laugh at each other. If I learned anything, it’s that you can get your ass kicked and still have fun. Sometimes in music, that’s the whole deal: Take the hit and keep going. I’ve been doing this for five years Sometimes, I just needed a breather and need to do something crazy.

 

What do you think the term patriotism means during these divided times in this country?

We’re divided? I mean, we all like Lynyrd Skynyrd, don’t we? In seriousness though, patriotism to me is about taking care of each other. Doesn’t matter how you voted or what you think. Just be good to everyone. That’s American.

 

What are your plans for taking Rebel Rose out on the road? These songs sound tailor made to be played live. Was that always the idea?

Oh yeah. I can’t wait to play this thing in every dive and diner from here to Timbuktu. These songs were built with a crowd in mind. A sweaty, loud, imperfect crowd. That’s the dream, right? Turning these songs loose on the road and seeing what they become out in the wild.