Biography
Born in Dallas in 1982, Travis Mitchell grew up in a comfortably middle-class household while his father operated a modest chain of feed stores. Extended branches of both parents’ families included numerous skilled amateur musicians, and Mitchell’s mother shared an expansive appreciation for country, R&B, and assorted other styles. Throughout grammar school and high school, however, the future performer devoted far more energy to crafting short stories and poems than to any musical pursuit.
Only toward the conclusion of his studies at the University of Texas at Austin—where he majored in sociology and minored in psychology—did Mitchell begin adapting some of those poems into songs. In 2002 he purchased a guitar along with instructional books on songwriting and technique, then started composing. Following graduation he returned to Dallas, took a job with his father, and began performing the new material at local open-mic nights. The gritty vocals and original songs drew steady notice, prompting him to assemble the initial lineup of the Travis Mitchell Band so the arrangements could be more fully realized. The group performed publicly for roughly four months before entering the studio to record its debut, the self-produced Forget What’s Wrong.
That first album wove country, Southern rock, honky-tonk, bluegrass, folk, and touches of metal and hip-hop into a distinctive blend of Texas roadhouse and Nashville radio-friendly sounds. Positive notices in the Texas press highlighted its traditional country foundation edged with rock energy. After several personnel changes the band stabilized as a quartet featuring Mitchell on acoustic guitar, harmonica, and vocals; Ty Taylor on lead guitar, mandolin, and pedal steel; Jonathon Bryant on bass; and Paul Laymon on drums. Chris Henderson of 3 Doors Down heard the record, signed Mitchell to his Rock Ridge Records imprint, and offered to produce the next project.
Released in September 2007, Waiting on Tomorrow showcased Taylor’s formidable technique—effortlessly delivering crunchy metal riffs, fleet-fingered country chicken pickin’, moaning pedal-steel accents, and soaring bluesy solos that evoked George Harrison or Brian May yet remained anchored in down-home country.
Only toward the conclusion of his studies at the University of Texas at Austin—where he majored in sociology and minored in psychology—did Mitchell begin adapting some of those poems into songs. In 2002 he purchased a guitar along with instructional books on songwriting and technique, then started composing. Following graduation he returned to Dallas, took a job with his father, and began performing the new material at local open-mic nights. The gritty vocals and original songs drew steady notice, prompting him to assemble the initial lineup of the Travis Mitchell Band so the arrangements could be more fully realized. The group performed publicly for roughly four months before entering the studio to record its debut, the self-produced Forget What’s Wrong.
That first album wove country, Southern rock, honky-tonk, bluegrass, folk, and touches of metal and hip-hop into a distinctive blend of Texas roadhouse and Nashville radio-friendly sounds. Positive notices in the Texas press highlighted its traditional country foundation edged with rock energy. After several personnel changes the band stabilized as a quartet featuring Mitchell on acoustic guitar, harmonica, and vocals; Ty Taylor on lead guitar, mandolin, and pedal steel; Jonathon Bryant on bass; and Paul Laymon on drums. Chris Henderson of 3 Doors Down heard the record, signed Mitchell to his Rock Ridge Records imprint, and offered to produce the next project.
Released in September 2007, Waiting on Tomorrow showcased Taylor’s formidable technique—effortlessly delivering crunchy metal riffs, fleet-fingered country chicken pickin’, moaning pedal-steel accents, and soaring bluesy solos that evoked George Harrison or Brian May yet remained anchored in down-home country.
Albums