Kurt Travis (born January 16, 1984) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter from Sacramento, California. He is currently part of the post-hardcore bands Royal Coda, A Lot Like Birds, and Push Over and the math rock duo Gold Necklace, and was formerly a vocalist in the post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance.
Travis began his musical career in 2001. He joined post-hardcore band Five Minute Ride, releasing the extended plays (EPs), Bathroom Walls... Lipstick Secrets in 2003, and The World Needs Convincing of All That It's Missing, on Rise Records, in 2005 before disbanding later that year. Travis later formed the folk group There & Back Again in 2006. Following these two groups, Travis helped form the band No Not Constant in July 2007, later disbanding the same year. In 2008, Travis became the lead vocalist for rock band O! the Joy, releasing one studio album, Zen Mode (2008).
Following his underground success, Travis replaced Jonny Craig as clean vocalist in rock band Dance Gavin Dance. With the group, he released two studio albums, Dance Gavin Dance (2008) and Happiness (2009). After two years, it was revealed that Travis departed from Dance Gavin Dance, in 2010. The following year, Travis joined as a vocalist in the post-hardcore group A Lot Like Birds, releasing the studio albums Conversation Piece (2011) and No Place (2013) on Equal Vision Records, before departing in 2016. He briefly joined the math rock trio Eternity Forever, in 2016. He also formed the post-hardcore duo Push Over, along with The Fall of Troy's Thomas Erak, releasing a demo EP in February 2017. In 2018, he joined Royal Coda, having released three studio albums, Royal Coda (2018), Compassion (2019), and To Only A Few At First (2022).
As a solo artist, Travis has released three EPs, one split EP, and two full-length studio albums; Everything Is Beautiful (2014) and There's a Place I Want to Take You (2019). He launched his own record label, Esque Records, in 2016.
Early life Kurt Travis was born in Scottsdale, Arizona. Both of his parents were gymnasts, and his father was three-time world champion Kurt Thomas. Travis changed his surname from Thomas to Travis following his mother's remarriage.
Travis grew up in a musical family. His grandparents inspired him to pursue guitar. At a young age, he was inspired by Counting Crows, Elliott Smith, and Heatmiser.
Solo career 2012–14: Wha Happen? and Everything Is Beautiful During his time as a vocalist in American post-hardcore band A Lot Like Birds, Kurt Travis began pursuing a solo career, in 2012. On January 24, 2012, he released his debut solo debut extended play (EP), Wha Happen? on Doghouse Records, a DIY lo-fi and indie rock project consisting of seven tracks. In support of its release, Travis performed a number of various one-off concerts with former Dance Gavin Dance vocalist Jonny Craig, Never Shout Never, Hail the Sun, and The Seeking from May 2012 to April 2013.
On March 12, 2013, he released his self-titled second solo EP on Equal Vision Records. The following year, he released his debut studio album, Everything Is Beautiful, on May 14, on Blue Swan Records. The album was produced by former Dance Gavin Dance guitarist Josh Benton and mastered by Kris Crummett, while featuring guest appearances from Strawberry Girls lead guitarist Zachary Garren and A Lot Like Birds members Cory Lockwood and Joseph Arrington. Its lead single, "Brain Lord", was released on April 22, 2014, accompanied with its music video. To promote the album, Travis embarked on a headlining US tour with support from Hotel Books and So Much Light, beginning on May 14 and concluding June 7, 2014. On July 26, 2015, Travis released the single "Switchblade", featuring Strawberry Girls.
2015–19: There's A Place I Want to Take You In August 2015, he launched his own independent record label, Esque Records, based in Sacramento, California. On the label, he signed American singer-songwriter Paul Travis and released a split EP with the musician on February 1, 2016. On March 2, 2016, he announced his departure from A Lot Like Birds. In March 2016, Las Vegas based post-hardcore band Amarionette released the single "Get It Right", featuring Kurt Travis, with its music video premiering in July and later appearing on the group's studio album Repeating History. Travis toured as a solo artist with Tilian and Jonny Craig in the US from April 22 to May 15, 2016, with support from Myke Terry and Victory Heights. Following this tour, he embarked on his first solo UK tour with headliner The Appleseed Cast and other support Listener and Atlas: Empire, in June.
On May 31, 2017, he released the solo track "No Apologies", featuring Strawberry Girls. The track was produced, mixed and mastered by Strawberry Girls drummer Ben Rosett at Spirit Vision Records. On October 8, 2017, musician Kyle Ekstrom released the song "Easy", featuring Travis as a guest vocalist. On December 25, 2017, singer Andrés released the song "Multiverse", which features Travis on vocals. The next month, American math rock band Find Yourself released the song "Conjured Conjecture", which also features Travis. In November 2018, Boy Becomes Hero released the collaborative single "Delectation", with Travis on vocals. In September 2018, he announced a solo US headlining tour with support from I the Mighty's Brent Walsh, Makari and Televangelist, which took place from October 30 to November 18.
On April 11, 2019, Travis announced an album release tour for his second solo studio album, which took place between May 17 and June 23, 2019. The same month, Travis released the single "Easy Peasy", on April 16, along with its music video. On May 17, 2019, he released his second studio album, There's A Place I Want To Take You, on Blue Swan Records and Esque Records. In support of the album, he embarked on numerous solo tours with Andrés, Makari, Adventurer, and Body Thief. In 2021, he will tour as support on Hail the Sun's New Age Filth tour.
2020–present: Fun & Games EP A compilation EP of demos and B-sides from past recording sessions with guitarist Zachary Garren, titled Fun & Games, was released for streaming and digital download on May 28, 2021.
From January 20 to February 3, 2022, Travis embarked on a headlining solo US tour, with support from Amarionette, Sani Bronco, and Catbamboo. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the final four tour dates were cancelled.
History 2001–08: Five Minute Ride, No Not Constant, and O! the Joy In 2001, while still a senior in high school, Kurt Travis was offered to join the Cameron Park based post-hardcore band Five Minute Ride, after the members discovered him at an open mic event in Placerville, California. The band's 2003 debut EP, Bathroom Walls... Lipstick Secrets, was released on promoter Eric Rushing's now-defunct 720 Records. Their follow-up EP, The World Needs Convincing of All That It's Missing, was recorded during the summer of 2004 with producer Kurt Ballou at Godcity Studios in Salem, MA, and released in 2005 through Rise Records. The group later disbanded in October 2005 after many of the original members, who formed the band during high school, had left for college.
No Not Constant, another post-hardcore project based in Sacramento, California, consisting of Kurt Travis, Julian Loy, Tony Marks, Josh Benton, Alex Fleshman and Dale Arseneau, formed in 2007. The band was described as a "nu-jazz" and "indie pop" group and were heavily praised throughout the Northern California music scene. The band was short-lived and disbanded the same year.
After numerous trial and errors with Five Minute Ride and No Not Constant, as well as his folk music project There & Back Again, he joined the post-hardcore band O! the Joy. With the band, he released one full-length studio album, titled Zen Mode (2008), which was recorded at Tiny Telephone Studios in San Francisco, California. Despite local success, the group disbanded the same year.
2008–10: Dance Gavin Dance
Briefly following Jonny Craig's departure from American post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance in November 2007, Kurt Travis replaced Craig as clean vocalist. Travis' first tour with the group took place from January 16 to February 22, 2008, co-headlined with metalcore band Poison the Well. The band released their second studio album, Dance Gavin Dance, on August 19, 2008 on Rise Records. In support of its release, the group co-headlined a summer tour with post-hardcore band A Static Lullaby from July to August 2008. The band toured as support on Senses Fail's US tour in October and November 2008.
On March 20, 2009, the band performed at South by South West in Austin, Texas. They performed on the first half of the 2009 Vans Warped Tour. On June 9, 2009, Dance Gavin Dance released their third studio album, also the second and final studio album with Travis, Happiness, just ten months after the release of their self-titled second album. They toured with Emarosa, Of Mice & Men, Tides of Man and Of Machines from September to October 2009. In February 2010, the band performed at Soundwave in Australia and at Bamboozle Festival in March 2010. In August 2010, the band announced Kurt Travis' departure from the band, who was later replaced by original vocalist Jonny Craig. A few weeks later, it was revealed Travis was kicked out of the group, however the split resulted in "no bad blood" between members.
On October 18, 2010, the band released its debut live album, Live at Bamboozle 2010. It was the final release to feature Kurt Travis as lead vocalist.
After Craig's second departure from Dance Gavin Dance, Kurt Travis and Lower Definition vocalist Matt Geise temporarily filled in as clean vocalists on their US headlining tour with A Lot Like Birds and Just Like Vinyl in February and March 2012.
Dance Gavin Dance announced its ten-year anniversary tour, taking place from November 14 to December 18, 2015, with support from A Lot Like Birds, Slaves, Dayshell and Strawberry Girls. On the tour, both Travis and Craig traded off as clean vocalist performing with the band during their set. The group embarked on a European leg of the ten-year anniversary tour with Travis and Craig as support in November 2016.
On June 8, 2018, the band released their eighth studio album, Artificial Selection, which features the song "Shelf Life", featuring Travis as a guest vocalist. This makes it the singer's first time appearing on a Dance Gavin Dance track since October 2010.
2011–2016, 2024-present: A Lot Like Birds
After his departure from Dance Gavin Dance in August 2010, post-hardcore band A Lot Like Birds announced that Kurt Travis had joined the band as second vocalist on January 9, 2011. With the band, they signed to Doghouse Records and released their second studio album, Conversation Piece, on October 11, 2011. In January and February 2012, the band headlined a tour with Decoder and Just Like Vinyl in the US. From November 2 to December 9, 2012, the group toured as support on the Rock Yourself to Sleep Tour with Dance Gavin Dance and I the Mighty in the US.
A Lot Like Birds signed with Equal Vision Records and announced their third studio album. The band released No Place, their second and final studio album with Kurt Travis in the band, on October 29, 2013. In support of the album, the group embarked on a tour with Sianvar and Stolas, which took place from January 8 to February 2, 2014. They toured on the 2014 Vans Warped Tour from June to August. The group toured as support on Enter Shikari's US Mindsweep Tour from March 23 to April 28, 2015. A Lot Like Birds toured on Dance Gavin Dance's ten year anniversary tour in November and December 2015, in the United States, along with Slaves, Dayshell, and Strawberry Girls. This was the final tour to feature Kurt Travis before his departure on February 20, 2016.