Travis Morrison

Biography

Travis Morrison remains best known for his decade-long stint fronting the influential dance-punk quartet the Dismemberment Plan. Born in 1972, Morrison spent his adolescence in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Fairfax, VA, learning guitar and fronting a series of short-lived high school bands. After three years at the College of William and Mary, he dropped out to pursue music full-time, and in 1993 formed the Dismemberment Plan with fellow Lake Braddock Secondary School alums Eric Axelson (bass) and Steve Cummings (drums). Rooted equally in the local Dischord Records art punk sound, R&B, and hip-hop, the Dismemberment Plan built a rabid cult audience via early LPs like 1995's ! and 1997's The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified, eventually signing to major label Interscope in 1998. The company nevertheless dropped the band upon completion of its 1999 effort Emergency & I, which proved its commercial and critical breakthrough upon release through indie imprint DeSoto. After supporting Pearl Jam on its 2000 European tour, the Dismemberment Plan completed 2001's Change, mounting a co-headlining U.S. tour with Death Cab for Cutie. At the peak of its fame the band nevertheless announced its intention to dissolve, playing a farewell show at D.C.'s famed 9:30 Club on September 1, 2003. Morrison then relocated to Seattle and tapped Death Cab guitarist Chris Walla to co-produce the sessions for his debut solo LP. Although a cover of rapper Ludacris' "What's Your Fantasy?" posted to Morrison's website generated significant media attention, the completed album, 2004's Travistan, earned some of the most vicious reviews in recent memory. Morrison toured the record with a band dubbed Travis Morrison Hellfighters, and wrote new songs for his second record. Recording sessions in 2005 didn't go well, but in 2006, the band visited Chicago and producer Jason Caddell (former bandmate of Morrison). Those sessions produced All Y'All, released in 2007 by Barsuk. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide