In Conversation with

 

“Travel by Sea”

 

March 2006

 

A little background:

 

I actually got into Travel by sea by complete accident.

 

Honest to god, I got into them by complete accident.

 

I actually hadn’t planned to download any of their stuff

In fact I hadn’t even heard off them, I actually downloaded

Some demos off them by chance by accident thinking

I was downloading something else altogether and was

Stunned by the beauty of what I heard when I actually

Played it on some songs like “Desert comes alive”…

 

Here was a band that played beautifully chilled alternative

Country music that perhaps was a calmer version off Low

Although I could also hear elements off Red House Painters

And Ryan Adams among others..

 

What makes them original from them is the fact that

the band (Kyle Kersten – Vocals, Guitars and Brian

Kraft – Guitars, Keys, Producer, Banjo, Mandolin,

Vocals, Bass, Drums) have never actually met and

recorded this album without even meeting in

person, which makes their sound even more

incredible.

 

When I signed myself up to myspace.com at the end

of last year, one of the first things I did once I got

myself sorted out was to sign the band up as one of my

contacts and then approach them over this interview.

 

The interview took it’s time I guess coming together, but

It did and to say I am as pleased as punch with this is

An understatement.

 

According to additional notes I have received from the

Band, their debut album is due out towards the

End of March / Start off April 2006.

 

More details about the band can

Be found at:

 

http://www.travelbyseamusic.com

 

or

 

http://www.myspace.com/goldenwest

 

where you can download a few excellent mp3’s

 

Thanks to the guys for their effort…

 

I cannot wait to hear the final result.

 

Cheers

 

Andrew N

 

 

Setting Sun:

 

How's tricks and what is happening at the moment?

 

Brian:

 

Just chilling at the moment. The album is in mastering right

now, so we're just sitting back waiting for it to finally be available.

 

People seem to be chomping at the bit waiting for its release.

We're definitely excited. We've really worked hard over the

past year getting 'Shadows Rise' to where we're happy with it.

 

I think once it's released- to celebrate I'll probably streak through

the streets of Denver. Well, that's not unusual for me, but I

usually stick to the sidewalks, so this will be special.

Setting Sun:

 

Can you next tell us all a little bit about the
history about "Travel by Sea"  –  It really
interested me to read when I first heard a promo off
your CD that neither of you had never met – How did
you meet up etc?

Kyle:

 

Brian and I met through the world of the Mother Hips

(www.the-grotto.com).  We were both fans of the band and

sort of struck a conversation about our own music. 

 

I believe I first shared one of my songs with Brian back in 2002.

Thankfully I’ve gotten much better over the years, at least I hope. 

 

Setting Sun:

What are your influences (music wise) and what are
you listening to at the moment?

 

Brian:

 

I think I pull my musical influences from such a wide

variety of styles. Really, I appreciate music across a large

spectrum. My feeling is, if it’s good music, despite the style,

it’s good music. So, I think that large palette of ideas can open up

the possibilities to approaching any song we’re working on. 

 

What am I listening to now? Well, Kyle has really been great at

opening my eyes even more to the music in the ‘alt-country’ genre

or whatever folks are now calling the variety of music

that stemmed from the bands like Uncle Tupelo or Ryan Adams.

 

I think those artists really just took older classic country or folk

and made it cool again to the younger crowd and artists have

now taken off with that idea and branched out in so many

directions using those roots. I think we are doing that same thing.

 

I think it’s an exciting time for music. There is a lot of really

great music again. For a while I was really disappointed at the

music that was being passed off as “good.” 

Kyle:

 

My influences are on a smaller scope than Brian.  

 

I mainly listen to folk/alt-country music. 

 

Sad music has always made me feel the happiest.

 

My biggest influences right now are Will Johnson

(Centromatic/South San Gabriel), Tim Bluhm, M Ward,

Elephant Micah, Richard Buckner, Damien Jurado,

Hayden….etc. 

Setting Sun:

 

Listening to your promo album as I type these up,
there are a number of really stirring songs on there
including "Desert comes alive" which really is a
corker of a song – What inspired you with this song?

Kyle:

 

Thanks for the kind words, glad you like the song. 

 

I spent a lot of my youth in the Western Arizona deserts. 

 

The landscape has always been a real inspiration. 

I always felt refreshed when we arrived.  I tried to

capture some of the feelings I had being there in the song.  

 

Setting Sun:

 

I normally like to ask bands and artists

about their live sound – in your case

with "Travel by Sea" – this clearly is a very

different question indeed.. In your case however

this would be a different ball game – if you were

to start playing concerts – how would
you approach it? Would you use a live video link

up (lol)?

 

Brian:

 

Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas will be hosting “The

Big Meet”, our first ever meeting and gig together.

Laser show and all.

 

No, really… I think we both have a good musical sense

and are very much on the same wave length, so

playing together should go well.

 

My favorite thing I read on the internet about us was

by some guy in France who said something like,

“Your music is really good. I hope when you two do

finally meet it doesn’t turn to shit.”

 

Haha. I think there are a couple of general approaches

that interest us. We both like bands that, even if normally

in a “full bands” setup, they sound good stripped down to just

a couple acoustic guitars or something. If the songs are

quality, the songs stand up, even with minimal instrumentation.

 

I think Travel by Sea’s music has that going for it.

So, we could gig with special guest musicians

for a full band thing.

 

Or just the two of us, with me playing an assortment

of instruments and/or with the technology of

looping and samples, depending on the song, or just

keep it really basic and just bring out the ol’ acoustics.

 

I think all options are available to us and we are excited

to try lots of possibilities.

 

Kyle: 

 

Unfortunately being that we live 1000 miles apart

the chances of us playing live shows together is

pretty slim.  I do plan to play some solo shows

this year in the Southern California. 

 

We're also kicking around the idea of playing a

CD release show together (Denver, CO) in the coming

months. 

Setting Sun:

 

I also love your name "Travel by Sea" as I think it
mixes beautifully with some of your songs like "Desert
comes alive" in projecting a wonderfully dusky,
traveling sort of feel.. What is the inspiration
behind this?

 

Kyle:

 

Well, we wanted to somehow come up with a name

that meant something to us. 

 

I’ve also always had a fascination with the ocean

and water in general and being that we are collaborating

through a “sea of wires” we thought the name fit. 

Setting Sun:

 

What's next for you both? Seem to recall you have(or about to

release) your debut album? Do you have any more releases in

mind etc?

 

Brian: 

 

This album, ‘Shadows Rise’, is our debut album.

 

We’re already working on the tunes for our next album,

already entitled ‘Days of My Escape.’  We’ve got about 2

albums worth of demo songs to sort through and decide

on before we get to laying down the tracks.

 

We have also recorded 2 cover songs for a various-artists

covers album. We’ve done a song by Will Johnson

and the Great Lake Swimmers.

Setting Sun:

 

Anyway, a few slightly more light heartened questions

to finish things off with, first what would be your dream

job if you were not a rock and roll band?

Brian:

 

Hmmm… let’s see… polka. Yeah, a polka band.

 

I think I could do that. I’ve always found the accordion

to be a sexy instrument.

 

Kyle:

 

My dream job would be able to play music for

a living.  Unfortunately we both have full time jobs. 

Setting Sun:

 

What would you like to be doing when you are 60?

Brian:

 

The polka.

 

Kyle:

 

I’d like to sleep in everyday and sip red wine. 

Setting Sun:

 

What will you be doing when you are 60?

Brian:

 

Well, since the polka takes a lot of knee bending and my knees

are getting bad, I’ll probably just be sitting around in a wheelchair

playing the kazoo or something—that’s pretty mindless.

 

We can only dream, can’t we?

 

Kyle:

 

Waking up early

Setting Sun:

 

Lastly, something light to finish off (Borrowed
from a pal's zine almost) - Imagine you were ship
wrecked on a desert Island and could have (Clearly
have second sight here – lol) the choice of having 5
records or Cd's with you with a Stereo of course- what
would be your desert Island discs?

Brian:

 

Miles Davis - “Kind of Blue”,

 

South San Gabriel – “The Carlton Chronicles”,

 

Mother Hips - “Part Timer Goes Full”,

 

Pink Floyd- “The Wall”,

 

and honestly, I think our upcoming album, ‘Shadows

Rise’ would do me good.

 

Do they have Peanut M&M’s on this island?

I could sure go for some of those.

 

Kyle:

 

Right now I'd say

 

....Elephant Micah "and the Agrarian Malaise",

 

Will Johnson "Vulture’s Await",

 

Mother Hips "Later Days",

 

Wilco "Being There"

 

& Neil Young “Tonight’s the Night”