“Happiness… starts inside,” Travis Marsh discovers in his aptly titled new single, “Happiness.”
The video for the song offers a fun, metaphorical take on feeling like an alien (or in this case, an astronaut) in everyday circumstances. Marsh, seen here dressed as the trophy from the MTV Music Video Awards, searches everywhere around LA for happiness before seemingly discovering it within himself after taking off his helmet. This journey is summarized at the end by a well chosen quote from Denis Waitley: “Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.”
Marsh is a native Los Angeles based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer whose musical journey began at the age of 10 when he received a guitar at Christmas. His taste in music is highly eclectic – equal parts folk, rock, and pop – yet all rooted in music-rich legacy and landscape of Southern California.
Songwriting seems to have become a passion for Marsh only a few years later in life. Many of those songs stayed with him as his musical sensibilities took shape, as Marsh describes: “I’ve been writing songs since I was about 14. These songs would [later] be released, in one form or another, on an album I released on iTunes when I was 18.”
At that time, the Laurel Canyon scene of the 70’s had a massive impact on shaping Travis’ music taste: “My favorite music growing up was the Cali-Country / Laurel Canyon scene. Artists like the Eagles, Jackson Browne, and others helped spark my interest in strong sensory-based lyrics tied to classic country and folk story telling.”
It only makes sense that the music of Travis Marsh echoes the tradition of the songwriting troubadour, of Jackson Browne and Joni Mitchell, but also deals in the smooth aesthetics of a pop connoisseur. The culmination of working in these seemingly polar opposite styles has arrived in the form of a string of new singles. With smooth production handled by producers D. Brooks Exclusive and Smitty Soul, these are the songs that bring out the Jekyll and Hyde qualities of Marsh’s discography.
After recently living in Nashville for a couple of years, performing in various Country groups, Travis was ready to come home. Nashville had run its musical course for Travis, and his life – musical and otherwise – needed reimagining. After wrapping up a tour in 2015 with Country artist Joel Crouse, Travis eventually returned to his native Los Angeles, where he set out to focus on a new solo direction. This time around, Travis wanted to take his early love for the songsmiths of Laurel Canyon, and add a dose of sun-bleached California pop melody.
By blurring the lines between rock, folk, country, and pop, Travis is charting exciting new musical territory that captures perfectly the Jekyll and Hyde spirit of Los Angeles and Southern California. The result of this newfound hybrid sound has made itself apparent in a handful of infectious singles that will be released in the coming months, including his collaboration with Chicago rapper G-Herbo on his single “Lay Me Down.”
Brent Butler is a NYC-based rapper, producer, and guitarist. He is a regular contributor to Popdust and host of Popdust Presents. Follow Brent on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Soundcloud | and check out his debut solo EP, | L I L A C|
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