Travis MacRae
Encyclopedia
Travis MacRae is a Canadian
singer/songwriter known for his folk
(or folk blues
) music, for his accomplished guitar
and harmonica
playing, and for his rough, somewhat Southern
-styled vocals. He is often, but not always, accompanied by backing musicians on record.
label Willow Tree Records. Since this release in 2002 MacRae has gone on to release three LP's titled Historic Hills (2003), Travis MacRae (2004), and The Future is the Present Wrapped (2005). Bootlegs
of his large collection of demo material have also been circulating among fans and are known as A Brief History 1999-2003 (2003), The Kitchen Demos (2004), and Demos from the Attic (2005).
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
singer/songwriter known for his folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
(or folk blues
Country blues
Country blues is a general term that refers to all the acoustic, mainly guitar-driven forms of the blues. It often incorporated elements of rural gospel, ragtime, hillbilly, and dixieland jazz...
) music, for his accomplished guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
playing, and for his rough, somewhat Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
-styled vocals. He is often, but not always, accompanied by backing musicians on record.
Biography
Travis MacRae's first official record, titled Silhouettes on the Sunset, was released on the CanadianCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
label Willow Tree Records. Since this release in 2002 MacRae has gone on to release three LP's titled Historic Hills (2003), Travis MacRae (2004), and The Future is the Present Wrapped (2005). Bootlegs
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
of his large collection of demo material have also been circulating among fans and are known as A Brief History 1999-2003 (2003), The Kitchen Demos (2004), and Demos from the Attic (2005).
Trivia
- MacRae lent his vocals to a tribute record http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1052038/a/Seeds:+The+Songs+Of+Pete+Seeger+Vol.+3.htm for Pete SeegerPete SeegerPeter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
on the song "Sailing Down My Golden River"
- MacRae wrote and recorded a track titled "Remember This Song" specifically for a compilation CD for children.
- His name sake is country and western musician Merle TravisMerle TravisMerle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"...
, coincidentally MacRae also plays in the Travis style fingerpicking
- He is a pescetarian
- Frequently plays a Gibson J-45Gibson J-45The Gibson J-45 is an acoustic guitar model manufactured by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. It is part of Gibson's round-shoulder, dreadnought acoustic "jumbo" line, begun in 1934 with the Gibson Jumbo Flattop which was to compete with C.F. Martin & Company's "D" line.The J-45 is generally regarded...
or Martin OM-35
- His songs often include imagery of birds, trains, clouds, and highways
Known pseudonyms
- Blind Boy Crumble (album credit)
- Elliott White (album credit)
- Forrest Lint (album credit)
- Willy Brown (Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival in Lunenburg, NS on 08/12/05)
Albums
| Title | Year | Label | Format(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silhouettes On The Sunset | 1995 | Willow Tree | 12" | First official full length album |
| The Folk Blues Of Travis MacRae | 2000 | Willow Tree | 12" | Album inspired by Eric Von Schmidt |
| When We Were Sixteen | 2001 | Willow Tree | 7" | |
| The Difference Between Growing Up And Growing Old | 2002 | Willow Tree | 12" | Last release on Willow Tree Records |
| B Sides, Demos & Rarities, Volume 1 | 2003 | Middle River | 2 x 12" | First release on Middle River Records |
| Historic Hills | 2003 | Middle River | 12" | Includes traditional folk and blues songs |
| The Kitchen Demos, Volume 1 | 2004 | Middle River | Cassette | Includes traditional folk and blues songs |
| Travis MacRae | 2004 | Middle River | 12" | Includes traditional folk and blues songs |
| Demos From The Attic | 2005 | Middle River | Cassette | Limited volume of 100 |
| The Kitchen Demos, Volume 2 | 2005 | Middle River | Cassette | Limited volume of 100 |
| The Future Is The Present Wrapped | 2005 | Middle River | 12" | |
| B Sides, Demos & Rarities, Volume 2 | 2006 | Middle River | 2 x 12" | Limited pressing of 500 |
| The Kitchen Demos, Volume 3 | 2006 | Middle River | Cassette | Limited volume of 100 |
| The Sunshine Demos | 2006 | Middle River | Cassette | Limited volume of 100 |
| The Porpoise And The Whale The Porpoise and the Whale These songs have been recorded during the Pass Me The Devil & Water Please sessions in September 2006. The Porpoise And The Whale appears to be much more than out takes however... |
2006 | Middle River | 7" | A concept EP Extended play An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact... surrounding longing and love |
| Pass Me The Devil And Water Please | 2006 | Middle River | 12" | Currently in recording |
Singles
- "Heading For The Country" (2002)
- "This Land Is Your Land" (2003)
- "What Kind Of Friend Is This?" (2004)
- "It's Hard To Repair" (2005)
Videos
- Breakfast Television: "So Long, It's Been Good To Know Ya'"Breakfast TelevisionBreakfast Television is a Canadian morning news and entertainment program which airs on the Citytv stations . Each station produces its own local edition of Breakfast Television....
(2005)