Music
Press
I don't know much about Chester except that he works at Real Groovy and his EP is a little slice of pan-baked heaven.
Travis kicks off with the enchanting love song Cardigan Sweater - not an ode to his gran but a lover letter, of sorts, to a girl who wears a cardi.
Overall, this is promisingly unique. Travis sounds a bit like Chris Martin from Coldplay when he's feeling a bit down.
Nice things do sometimes come in small packages and I look forward to hearing more from this lamenting local.
- Vicki Anderson - The Press
Rumours spread very quickly. Internet blogs and social networking sites praising Chester Travis set an expectation for the first release from this young performer – which he more than exceeded on Friday evening.
Travis skilfully humoured the audience by opening with a grandiose interpretation of “Freelove Freeway” from television’s “The Office”. By the time he had introduced himself, the sold-out venue was eating from the palm of his hand.
A string of originals followed which were nothing short of incredible, each showing a musical style and integrity that any contemporary artist would kill for. “School” with its catchy hook; The melodical sentiment of “Avalanche”; Raw passion in the upbeat anthem “Cardigan Sweater”.
Chester Travis, spouting such influences as the great Ani DiFranco, has something very special to offer this world. With unbridled attitude fused with musical nous second to none, Travis is a performer not to be missed at any opportunity. This is a rumour that will spread VERY quickly.
- Joshua Simmons - The Press
A solid 25 minutes of music, striking cover artwork, a long list of indispensable friends and family inside, sterling production values - Christchurch film student Chester Travis has clearly spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort into his debut release.
That's hardly a list of essentials for great music, but there's always bonus points for someone showing this much dedication and care.
Some of his influences (David Gray, John Mayer) I would tend to say he surpasses here, particularly on the turbo-charged strumalong of Cardigan Sweater and the dramatic crests of Avalanche, a track that recalls the hyper high school piano recitals of Grayson Gilmour's solo work. Viola and Trombone also weave through and hint up at a wider musical palette (promisingly, I'd wager Travis has been eagerly devouring Surjan Stevens and the Dudley Benson EPs.)
Here's hoping the sequencing is chronological - the final track is sparse but gorgeous folk, a portent of greatness.
Joe Nunweek - Real Groove Magazine
Discography
2005:
Two five track EPs simply entitled 'piano' and guitar' were released. 100 copies of each pressed and were only sold at gigs. Lasted about 3 weeks.
2007:
EP released '7'. 1000 copies pressed. Distributed around New Zealand. Spent 9 weeks on the Real Groovy chart.
The song Cardigan Sweater has been making the radio rounds. Along with The Elixir, School and Avalanche.
A lot more songs are currently streaming around the net. I am the top listened to artist on www.bandamp.com under the pseudynom 'Educated Guess' after one of my favourite Ani DiFranco albums. Including the highest ever rated song on there 'Evergreen'. My music is also some of the highest listened to on www.amiestreet.com for its genre.
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Bio
Hailing from Canterbury, New Zealand, and with a reputation for illimitable melodies and soulful lyrics (and on occasion the two together), Travis shares a life full of experience.
Chester first learnt about notes and quavers and stuff on the piano, learning from the age of seven. Guitar, however, came later and with much more struggle, though not musically. At twelve years old Chester begged his parents for a guitar. Unfortunately, one year earlier Chester had also begged, pleaded, haggled and bargained for a unicycle, every child’s dream. Young Travis got what he had cried so loud for...and never used it. The unicycle left without even another wheel to keep it company. So when Chester went through the same ordeal a year on, Mum and Dad were suitably sceptical. Obviously Chester received his wish of a guitar which he promptly started teaching to himself. When he was about 13 or 14 Chester trasped through Europe with his family. While they were living on a barge, on a french canal, in a tiny tiny French town called Le Someil, the lack of Buxom French (and also not really hairy ladies under 70) caused Chester immense boredom and frustration. This frustration and boredom would cause him to ride off into vineyards day after day on a wee French bicycle with a guitar on his back, where he taught himself to write original material. A 'Kiwi' with strong international influences, Chester's work has to date culminated in the critically acclaimed debut EP, "7", released in May 2007. Real Groove magazine called it "a portent of greatness" while the Christchurch Press dubbed the incredible debut mark as "a slice of pan baked heaven". And Chester's mum almost fainted with pride. Much of the material is now back in the oven, preparing for a full debut album which will, no doubt, confirm the suspicions of fans and critics alike that Chester's musical stamp will make a huge mark on the international stage. "7" EP available now.
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