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| Abby
Travis: Milking the Punk-Funk Connection from Bass Player 02.99 |
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Some bassists just have more interesting careers than others. L.A. native Abby Travis has had memorable moments performing with the Love Dolls, the Rails, Beck, Elastica, KMFDM, the Abby Travis Foundation, and even Spinal Tap - as a dancer for the song "Stonehenge." "I lucked into playing bass," Abby says. "My brother was going out with a girl from the garage-punk band the Love Dolls, and tey needed a bass player. I had several things going for me, none of which included prior bass experience." Abby's playing style mixes the gristle of punk with the bounce of funk. Even though the lines are song-driven, they're interesting enough to stand on their own. And despite her experience backing a wide spectrum of artists, travis has never lost her determination to do her own thing. Her recently formed Abby Travis Foundation has been performing around L.A., San Francisco, and New York and put in a stellar performance at the '98 South By Southwest event in Austin, Texas. The band has just released its eponymous debut CD on You Seem Like a Nice Well-Adjusted Person Records. (*ROFL* - Sers) Her dry yet refreshingly unsubtle style of humor finds its way into every corner of the album; Travis wrote, sang, and produced all of the songs, which range from all-out thrash-punk to Kurt Weil-meets-Bootsy theatrical vignettes. Abby was already something of a punk-rock veteran by the time she enrolled in L.A.'s Dick Grove School of Music. "It wasn't fun for me, but I'm glad I went," she says. "It enabled me to process things quicker, and it helped me with my harmony, which improved my songwriting." Coming from the punk scene Abby had some misgivings about the academic approach. I didn't want to turn into one of those boring, play-everything-that's-appropriate musicians. Fortunately I had played long enough for my tastes to be developed, so school didn't brainwash me too much. But I did get tired of hearing drummers practicing the 'Rosanna' beat four hours a day." After her school days Travis hit the scene as a freelancer, backing up a variety of artists including French chanteuse Vanessa Paradis, Michael Penn, and Peter Tork. She also landed a slot touring with Beck after the release of his break-out CD, Mellow Gold. On the road with Beck during the 1995 Lollapalooza tour, Travis filled in when Elastica bassist Annie Holland had to go home - and it was here that Abby's schooling really paid off. "I learned their whole set in four hours. It was a combination of training and will power." Another gig involved playing and singing with German electronica group KMFDM on its most recent release, Symbols [TVT/Wax Trax]. In the studio Travis lays down a miked amp and a direct track, both running through Neve 1073 preamp modules. Playing live adds the challenge of singing and playing simultaneously. "Onstage I keep my bass lines almost completely intact. The only bummer is I don't get to improvise as much while I'm singing." Usually she plays a Yamaha BB2000 strung with DR High Beams, although lately she's been favoring her '73 P-Bass with La Bella flatwounds. Abby's live rig consists of a Demeter-modified Ampeg SVT II pushing two Hartke XL Series 410 cabs. ("I like the combination of tube warmth and the clarity of aluminium speakers.") Her effects include a Mu-Tron III, a Boss Synth Bass pedal, and a Big Muff distortion. Travis's bass philosophy: "Listen to what everyone is doing - don't get too caught up in your ego. I wish everyone would take the time to learn how to play their instruments better. People can get so caught up in their 'scene' identity they sometimes forget what's really important - creating something valid." |
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Copyright? What's that? - Sers 1999 |
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