Eight questions with The Travelling Band

(c) Dan Wiebe

1. Who are The Travelling Band? (a short introduction)

We're an indie rock band from Manchester, UK, who write dark songs with killer melodies and sunshine pop harmonies.

2. Your upcoming ‘Close Your Eyes and Count To Ten’ tour is drawing pretty close - how are you getting ready for the shows?

PUMPING IRON EVERY DAY. We've been working pretty hard in the studio with the new line up and looking back at old songs and rearranging them for the road.

3. The tour is a celebration of your 10 year anniversary as a band, what have been the highlights? A lot of the bands we work with at Tigmus are just starting out, playing some of their first headline shows, any advice you wish you’d had 10 years ago?

Highlights have been getting to make albums, touring over 25 countries, playing great festivals like Cropredy and Glastonbury and sharing the whole ride with your best mates. Forming a label and opening a studio have been important steps for us too. 

Advice I'd give is maybe don't be so precious about making music. You can spend a whole bunch of time dithering. Learn to make decisions and trust your instinct but also develop a capacity to listen to others. Strength in numbers!

4. At this point in an interview I’d usually ask about the recording of a recent release… do you have an EP or album in the pipeline?! When can we hear it?!

Yeah we have a new EP compilation coming out on our label called "Pinhole Sounds Volume One' (named after our studio). It features two new recordings of ours - 'Wasted Eyes' and a live version of 'Borrowed and Blue. We'll be selling it on the tour! Check it out here.

5. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.

We have a real mix. We played Carlisle the other day and the age range was 16 - 65! They like beer and they like rock n' roll and harmonies. We really like playing shows in people's living rooms. The other day we played in a laundrette in Durham. It was pretty mental. We like to think we adapt to any environment.

6. The Oxford gig is the final night of the tour… do you have anything special lined up for the night, or perhaps some plans to explore the city before the show (or will catching up on sleep be top of the agenda?!)

We're going to have big party afterwards back at my bothers house who doesn't live too far away. Sunday will be a write off!

7. What would your dream gig look like? Are there any artists you’d love to play alongside or cities you haven’t visited yet as a band?

Neil Young

The Band 

Bob Dylan 

Wilco 

The Travelling Band 

 Live at The Albert Hall in Manchester.

8. What does the rest of the year hold for you, and looking towards 2017?

Nov/Dec we're going to get back in studio and work on a few side projects and get ready for releasing our new album in 2017.

The Travelling Band headline Oxford's The Bullingdon on 29th October with support from A. Dyjecinski, Arch Garrison and Great Western Tears. Tickets available through our site here!