Oasis点名讚扬，基音、雪警一路追随 独一无二清新英式摇滚先锋

3座全英音乐奖、千万唱片销售、5张英国金榜TOP10专辑，2008全新大碟累积12年音乐实力一次展现

「听到【Ode to J. Smith】让我想起他们第一首歌“All I Want To Do Is Rock”以及当初玩团的心情，不自觉想跟他们一起摇摆。」---苏打绿

无独有偶，崔维斯主唱Fran Healy和歌坛前辈U2一样，为了音乐这条不归路，放下自尊向父母开口借钱，结果海利太太这6百英镑成了最有价值的投资，从750张自製单曲CD变成1000万张畅销专辑，也造就了英国摇滚最重要的乐团之一「崔维斯」。

有人说，没有崔维斯当先锋铺好路，Coldplay/酷玩、Keane/基音、Snow Patrol/雪警这些后起之秀的乐团，就不可能一路走来顺畅。来自苏格兰摇滚重镇Glasgow的崔维斯，成军于90年代末期，在当时充斥著舞曲和电音的英国排行榜，崔维斯以独特的清新英式摇滚风挣得一席之地。2000年崔维斯以第二张大碟『The Man Who』勇夺全英音乐奖「最佳专辑」，更于2000/2001连续两年拿下全英音乐奖「最佳乐团」的殊荣。2002年，崔维斯因为鼓手跳水意外险些丧命，团员间也因为急速成名的压力而产生裂缝，几乎濒临解散危机，酷玩乐团就是此时在美国迅速窜起。而同样在英国举足轻重的基音乐团，在2004年甚至还是崔维斯巡迴演唱会的暖场团呢。

12年的岁月，崔维斯交出5张英国金榜Top 10专辑(包括两张冠军大碟)的傲人成绩单，并获得全英音乐奖、Ivor Novello等无数奖项加持，但他们却决定回到原点，以当年出道时自创独立厂牌Red Telephone Box重新再出发，换来的是全然的自主权和创作自由。只是这次他们不用再向妈妈借钱。主修艺术的主唱海利，曾经为了省钱自己设计唱片封套，这次为新专辑再度亲自“下海”，完整地呈现了专辑的听觉和视觉概念。

新专辑名为【Ode To J. Smith】，很多乐迷纳闷J. Smith是何等人物，根据崔维斯的解释，J. Smith在苏格兰是所谓的“菜市场名”，这张专辑是描写并献给默默无名的小人物们。2008年初筹备新专辑时，为了配合贝斯手Dougie老婆的预产期，崔维斯接受时间压缩的挑战，在短短三个月内创作并录製完成新专辑。专辑标题曲“J. Smith”，数段吉他独奏加上戏剧张力十足的拉丁圣乐唱诗班和声，展现乐团的新生命力。崔维斯以这首标题曲作为起点，建构一张极具故事性的叙事专辑。从情绪高亢的“Something Anything”、“Long Way Down”到低盪的“Broken Mirror”；从抒情写意的“Friends”，到恣意奔放的“Song To Self”，最后是清澈动人的结束曲“Before You Were Young”。崔维斯新专辑代表了乐团的重生、创作灵感的再现、还有充沛的原动力，他们不断地挑战自己的极限，激发无限摇滚创意，却依然能够左右听众的情感，征服乐迷的心。

The band announced in December 2007 that a short tour was planned for February 2008, with only five dates in different small club venues around the UK. Shortly after, they would start recording their sixth studio album. Singer/songwriter Fran Healy said he would like to record the entire album in two weeks,[3] having been inspired by the speed and simplicity of their recent recording session with Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick while participating in a BBC programme celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. The band road-tested the new material in the February 2008 club shows.

It was announced in February 2008 that Travis have left Independiente Records as they had "come to the end of our deal and decided to go as it was time to start afresh", according to Fran Healy.

The band recorded the album at RAK Studios in London for two weeks between February and March. Afterwards, Fran Healy went to mix the record in New York between March and April. The cover image of the eye is an exact copy of a design by Omnific created for an early 80s Penguin Books edition of the Roald Dahl short story collection, Someone Like You.

Fran Healy announced on the band's official website, that 1000 copies of the song J. Smith have been pressed and will be available to buy as an EP called J. Smith EP, along with two other new songs, from the 30th June. However Healy has confirmed that the EP is not the 'official' first single from the album. The EP will be released on 'Red Telephone Box Records', which was the label Travis set up to release their first EP "All I Want to Do Is Rock" 12 years previously.[