Travis Darrah on SoundBetter

Hi! My name is Travis Darrah. I am an engineering student with a passion for music and guitar. I write and record hooks, parts, and solos for demos and projects!

I have been playing live since 2015 and recording on projects since 2019. My playing background consists of contemporary worship, rock, country, and metal music. I recently started to record and play live with Lucky Mays in Albuquerque New Mexico.

Click the 'Contact' above to get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Credits

Lucky Mays

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Interview with Travis Darrah

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: Lucky Mays' song Summer Days. I played the double stops in the bridge section and the lead in the solo section. I am proud of the boldness in the melodic simplicity, all while leaving room for different live interpretations.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: My own music!
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Not at this time; I am relatively new to this platform.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I like both! Analog warmth is unbeatable, but digital convenience is fantastic (and better at emulating analog sounds).
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: To provide great stems without opinions attached.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Playing a variety of music.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Can you make this sound? I usually say, "let's try!"
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: My friends think I am a rockstar; I'm not; I just like to play guitar.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What are you looking for in a guitarist and hook writer? What artist is the inspiration coming from on the track you want me to play on.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Have a conversation with the person, see how they jive with you.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Definitely my Suhr Badger 18, Creamback 65 Loaded VHT 1x12, Strymon Flint, G&L USA Legacy, and my PRS USA Starla.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I am an Electrical Engineering student, but I have played guitar since 2014. in 2019 I played for Lucky Mays until I moved to Central Texas in 2022.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Ian Thornly's ferocity, Mateas Assato's double stops, and Alex Lifeson's Chords. Although I have recently dug into Eric Johnson and Steely Dan, those styles are slowly being incorporated into my playing.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Toto! Toto is severely underrated, and I would love to be able to have recorded with them!
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Less bass on guitar tracks! I hear many of my friend's tracks and can't help but notice the overwhelming mushiness in the tune because EVERYTHING is "fat" I try to have a balanced guitar tone with a little bit of bass content.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Pop-Rock and Country!
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Coming up with simple yet effective guitar parts and melodic solos that you could sing too.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Playing that stands out by blending in. I love beautiful upper chordal extensions in music, but I try to disguise them in a track's mix as if the upper extensions are "subliminal" or "implied" to the listener. I play tasteful leads and solos and can adapt my style reasonably quickly.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I listen to a track a couple of times, chart out the chords, and ask questions if necessary. Then, determine modality, improvise parts based on the information I received and produced, then send some polished ideas back to the songwriter.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My setup is relatively simple, but I get great raw tracks that can be EQ-ed to perfection. One Shure sm-57 and one Fathead ribbon mic allow me to capture my two amps' sounds truly. I also have an MX5 for additional textures!
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: RUSH!! Rush is my most significant influence. Alex Lifeson is an incredible guitarist, songwriter, and soloist; his ability to develop guitar parts that produce a lush soundscape for any tune he plays blows my mind. I am a fan of Tim Pierce and Tom Bukovac, and I try to glean any information about session work and playing from these two to truly add to a piece of music.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I come up with guitar parts that add to the overall sound and vibe of songs I record. I track tasteful solos.