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The Five Deep Interview
Straight From The Source
By GIA COMPTON
I met with Travis Hall a few days before his performance, along with a 16-piece band, of his debut album HeArt Museum at Vinyl in Atlanta. Travis is an Atlanta native so in addition to his open and engaging spirit, we had a great connection around the history and growth of the arts and music in Atlanta. Travis has a velvet voice, trained in the rigor of opera, with a delivery shaped by R&B and gospel influences that captured my ear immediately.
There's an elegance to his sound that feels instinctive. It’s music that doesn’t chase the
moment; it honors it. He composed every song on his debut album HeArt Museum and
every word carries weight. Onstage, his training and preparation is undeniable.
He understands that restraint can be just as powerful as spectacle.
Years of rigorous vocal training, opera discipline, and jazz theory touch each harmonic choice. In an era often pushed to accomplish by speed and saturation, Travis chooses depth and excellence.
I believe that the grit, ambition, tenacity, and spirituality are the metals that have sharpened the metal that he continues to become. Stand up, Atlanta! Here is my Five Deep interview of Travis Hall; straight from the source:
1. What led you to simultaneously record a live album with a 16-piece band at your
first album release concert?
Honestly, if I'm investing everything to bring 16 musicians together for this moment, I
needed to capture it. But beyond that, live albums are a lost art, and I wanted to capture
the essence of my live interpretation of the songs, something that I feel always trumps the studio version.
2. Vocally, you have the ability to perform so many genres. How did you land on this
sound?
Thank you so much. Versatility is very important to me. I decided to only focus on opera
professionally until the spirit guided me to pursue Soul/R&B music. It scared me initially,
but I learned that the most important things in this world are listening to God and holding fast to faith.
I think my unique sound is a culmination of my operatic training and black
American music upbringing. I was saturated in the sounds of the Mississippi Mass Choir, Tremaine Hawkins, Yolanda Adams, as well as Bobby Womack, Teena Marie, and
Parliament! I'm grateful for that Western European detour through opera—it helped me find a sound that's truly my own.
3. You write about love and relationships. Are those the life experiences that have
shaped your creative direction the most?
They definitely have. I am one of the most loving people that I know, and the directions of that love inspire me to write stories. Whether it's the joy of new love, or the growth that comes from heartbreak, those experiences fuel everything I write. I think love is the most powerful feeling there is.
4, Would you rather be in the studio or performing on stage?
I love both!!! I think of the studio as where one goes to make love, and the stage as giving birth.
In the studio, I can create entire worlds through melody, harmony, and plot.
Live I can connect and bring the audience into the worlds I have created.
5. What do you want your followers and fans to know about why you create the music for them?
I don't want you to be cold and untouched. I want you to feel whatever feelings the song evokes, process them, and come out healed.
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