Preston Frazier: Travis, how are you?

Travis Hall: I’m doing well, thank you. I’m super excited to be here today.

Preston Frazier: I’m glad to have you. I’ve been listening to the album, and it’s terrific. I’m excited for you. Let me start by asking about your unique musical journey. Is your primary background in opera, correct?

Travis Hall: Yes, it is.

Preston Frazier: How did you get into opera, and what inspired the transition to R&B for Heart Museum?

Travis Hall: Musically, my roots are me riding around in the car with my mom, who listened to a lot of old school music from the ’60s and ’70s—Marvin Gaye, Bobby Womack—so I grew up hearing those songs by ear. We also watched a lot of Disney films, which are essentially classical, musical theater-ish in style.

I originally wanted to be an R&B singer, but I was very shy. I actually lost my voice in middle school and thought I’d never sing again. In high school, my choir teacher told me I couldn’t sing and shouldn’t pursue music. Somehow, I ended up in college pursuing a degree in classical music, and they said, “You have a knack for this.” For a very long time, my focus was literally on opera. I still plan to sing at the Met one day.

Then one day, the spirit, the universe, told me to work on an album. I hadn’t even thought of R&B again! So, it’s a full circle, which is strange but beautiful, because I didn’t plan that detour.

Preston Frazier: That’s fascinating. And for those who don’t know, you’ve performed in challenging operas like The Barber of Seville here in Atlanta. That’s a massive shift from that world to the nuances of popular music. Who were some of your key R&B influences as you started this project?

Travis Hall: My favorite singer is Mariah Carey. I love her catalog, her writing, and her production. I’m also a big fan of Ashford & Simpson and Angela Winbush. Honestly, I love basically every artist from the ’60s to the ’80s—Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway—they all have such a unique signature.

Preston Frazier: When did you decide to move forward with the Heart Museum project?

Travis Hall: around 2020. I would wake up and record little snippets of melodies on my phone every day. I was literally crawling as a songwriter at first, but I got into a graduate program at Georgia State, which was the way I planned to connect with live musicians in the music department.

My intent with the album was to recreate the feeling I get when I listen to my favorite old-school music. I hypothesized that it was because of the live instruments, so I decided to use the master’s program to meet the right people. For two or three years, everyone kept hearing me talk about this album. I tell people this album is my child; it was a three-year gestation period that took all of me.

Preston Frazier: The dedication shows. Let’s talk about the debut single, “A Day,” an incredible, upbeat R&B song with classic hints but a fresh feel. Was that the first song you wrote?

Travis Hall: I think it was one of the first two, along with “Fireflies.” I’m very melody-based, so I wrote them both a cappella first. Then, in a graduate jazz theory class, I learned about jazz chords and notation. I was able to take the melodies and sit at the piano, meticulously building the songs piece by piece, matching chords that felt right.

Initially, I wasn’t even going to use “A Day” because I thought the melody was boring. But a close friend insisted she loved it, saying, “It’s easy listening.” The only thing that’s the same from the demo is the chorus. I rewrote the verses and created a new bridge. People kept saying “A Day” was their favorite throughout the three years, so I knew it had to be a single.

Preston Frazier: It’s very melodic and well-crafted. I saw a video analysis of the song that showed how complex the harmonies are—it’s much more complicated than it sounds at first listen.

Travis Hall: I didn’t even know it was that complex until I had gigs and people were stumbling on the charts! I love that it’s still accessible, though, and I think that’s because I always start with the melodies.

Preston Frazier: “Lightning” has a great feel, and the guitar solo is excellent. You mentioned that you were inspired to write that after seeing an electric guitar player at a jam session. Can you talk a little about “Fireflies”? I believe it’s a single as well.

Travis Hall: Yes, I released “Fireflies” a few weeks ago. It’s based on my last relationship, in a way. The moment we met was actually during the COVID pandemic, and there were fireflies everywhere—it felt like a truly magical moment. I wanted to capture that feeling.

The song is multifaceted, capturing the feeling of love while also being lyrically about a fleeting love. Fireflies are naturally fleeting, which I didn’t realize when I wrote or titled it! I looked at songs like Minnie Riperton’s “Le Fleur” and Mariah Carey’s “Underneath the Stars.” I intended to capture a youthful, naive love that was fleeting, because the relationship felt that way to me. The song is about love, but in the bridge, you get the turn—the realization that this is not going to be forever.

Preston Frazier: Another one of my favorites is “Forever.” I think it’s terrific.

Travis Hall: I love that! It brings me joy to know that all of my “children” are being loved.  “Forever” is actually a very sensual song. I envisioned a forbidden love when I wrote it—a story of two people who have lives and families who come together when they shouldn’t, sharing a moment where they forget the rest of the world.

Preston Frazier: One last song—“My First Love.”

Travis Hall: A lot of people love “My First Love.” My last partner was my first love, but it didn’t work. The lyrics are: “My first love, sent from above, so sad love wasn’t enough. Maybe another time, somewhere, another place.” That was originally a slow ballad like “Memories,” which I wrote together. When we were recording the rhythm section, we did a slow take, and I said, “Can we just do one take fast?” It had a sparkle to it that I loved, so we used that one run-through.

I think it has a charm to it. I actually reference Aretha Franklin’s “Daydreaming” at the end of the song with the tag, “somewhere, somehow, my first love,” using the whole tone scale to give that dreamy, nostalgic quality.

Preston Frazier: Let’s talk about the production. You produced all of them yourself?

Travis Hall: Yes, I did.

Preston Frazier: Wow. The songs are not easy; they have a lot of musical meat to them. The fact that you brought in live horns, strings, keys, guitar, bass, and drums, and it sounds wonderful—talk about that process. Were they all recorded with Pro Tools?

Travis Hall: Yes, recorded with Pro Tools. A professor at Georgia State told me, “For the kind of music you want to do, you need to get a band together and cut the record in the studio.” So I took that knowledge.

After writing the songs on paper, I met a pianist, Maxwell Estes, who became my music director. I would hear in my inner ear what each song needed—acoustic guitar, bass, and so on. We first cut all the rhythm sections live in the studio. I would give notes on the fly. For “Kiss Goodnight,” I told the bass player, “I want you to play bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, go with the vocal line.”

Then came the overdubs. I’d hear strings, and I’d find a string player. For “Fireflies,” I listened to a harp. I literally went through probably 20 harp emails until I found a harpist. It was primarily inner-ear based—if I heard it and felt it needed it, I made sure it was on there, despite people telling me the songs were finished. The process was arduous; for “Lightning,” I changed the guitarist a few times because I needed that solo to really evoke the feeling it gives me now.

Preston Frazier: The sound is beautiful and lush. And your backing vocal arrangements are very soulful and complex—like a modern take on Luther Vandross or Bill Champlin.

Travis Hall: Thank you. I’m very melody-based. When I arrange background vocals, I often incorporate counter-melodies because I grew up singing alone, rather than harmonizing in a group. I think that’s what leads to the complexity. In “A Day,” there are so many things going on at the same time. People would often say, “No, don’t add that background, it’s too much.” But when you really lock it in, it fits. I had to learn to trust what I hear and not let other people’s style dictate mine.

Preston Frazier: What are the next steps for you when the album comes out?

Travis Hall: I have my album release show on October 22nd at Vinyl at Center Stage in Atlanta. I’m planning a massive show featuring a string quartet, horns, background singers, and a live rhythm section. I would love to tour.

I’m also submitting “A Day” and “Fireflies” to the Grammys for consideration. And I’m already writing for the second album. I want to build a catalog and tour—those are my two main focuses. I also want to create house remixes for these singles, in the vein of Mariah Carey, where I recut the vocals to appeal to different markets.

Preston Frazier: What are your 5 favorite albums?

Travis Hall: My favorite 5 albums are:

Chameleon – Labelle

Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey

Naughty – Chaka Khan

Brenda Russell – Brenda Russell

19 – Adele

Preston Frazier: Travis, Heart Museum truly reflects the excellent craft on your part. It’s brilliantly produced, the songs are great, the playing is superb, and your vocals are fantastic. Thank you for your time.

Travis Hall: Thank you for having me. I’m excited to share it with the world.