Otherworld Cottage Industries schedules Travis Edward Pike's New Album, "Outside the Box" for Spring Release

January 11, 2016 - This is Travis Edward Pike's most eclectic collection of all his recent recordings, featuring two new love songs, a novelty song, two very different psychedelic songs, three all new rockers, his "Otherworld March," "Andalusian Bride Suite," and "Witch," a chilling look at the witch burnings in Bavaria during the 30 Years War, that draws upon styles and rhythms found in Baroque and Romantic music of the 18th Century. Travis and his brother, Adam Pike, provide the music, except for the outstanding clavichord and pipe organ parts in "Witch," brilliantly played by guest keyboard maestro David Pinto. Travis' vocals are backed by singers Lauran Doverspike, Karen Callahan, and Colleen Stratton, except on "Witch," where Travis voices the ecclesiastical judge and the ladies sing the song. In all, in addition to "Witch," the album features six new songs, two songs evolved from songs composed (c. 1974), plus the aforementioned "Otherworld March," "Andalusian Bride" and the late 80's psychedelic rocker, "Flying Snakes."

We asked author, journalist and pop music historian Harvey Kubernik what he thought of the new album. "When I heard them in demo form, I was very impressed by the new batch of tunes Travis compiled for "Outside the Box." Some are brand new, but others are outgrowths of earlier compositions that have finally come to audio fruition. Travis has always been a student of history and mystery. The new album underscores that passion.

"One of the pleasures in my music and literary journey has been the ability to spot talent and acknowledge it. As a former A&R man for MCA Records, or as a journalist and author, I've been watching Travis Pike's career for decades, while pursuing my own endeavors on the page and internet. It's a true joy asking Travis questions about his music and recording trek. His migration from Massachusetts to Southern California has been a focus of our interviews.

"Travis Pike is an overlooked, but fascinating rock 'n' roll story, which is the reason that in the middle of working on my own books and television appearances, I spend time with him. This is a man who, as a high school sophomore (1959-1960), met Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy in his father's house in Newton, Massachusetts, when Kennedy was preparing to run for President of the United States. Travis is a musical maverick that has been in the game since his first 1964 guest performance in a rock and roll club in Kiel, Germany, where he did a twenty-minute version of Ray Charles' hit, "What'd I Say." Coincidentally, although they never met, Travis has lived for nearly 40 years only a few blocks from Ray Charles' Studio, in what is now the Harvard Heights Historical Preservation Overlay Zone in Los Angeles.

"I conducted two extensive interviews with Travis in 2015 and 2016. They are more like conversations. During the process I learned so much about his life, decisions, determination, songwriting, Travis' military service to our country, and particularly his collaborating with his brother, multi-instrumentalist, project engineer and co-producer Adam Pike, who works the recording console at his home studio in Pasadena while battling multiple sclerosis. When I asked Adam how he was handling working in his studio and dealing with MS, he smiled and said, 'You live your life, not your MS.' And as for Travis, I guess life really begins at age 70!

"These Pike brothers are not only talented, they're both doing what they love to do, and while they both draw breath, I'm confident they'll keep right on doing it!

"Our interviews are also a forum for me to continue long-form journalism — not sound bites or short responses. It's all part of my continuing education in Q. and A. exposition.

"In addition to "It Was 50 Year Ago Today THE BEATLES Invade America and Hollywood," published by Otherworld Cottage Industries, I've written a number of regional and worldwide studies of rock music, and now two highly acclaimed books on Leonard Cohen and Neil Young. From time to time, around my global interviews, I'm asked 'Who is this Travis Pike guy?' I simply direct them to his several websites. All they have to do is click on the links – and I get a kick out of their reactions."

Who could know better? Last week, Kubernik recorded a music career retrospective audio interview with Pike in which they talked about Pike's book, "Odd Tales and Wonders 1974-1974 A Decade of Performance," for which, Kubernik wrote the Introduction. Bloggers will be pleased to learn that portions of that conversation are slated to be shared by Otherworld Cottage Industries for download in January and February on its FREE TO BLOGGERS webpage.

The December Kubernik/Pike pictorial interview centered on the growth of Otherworld Cottage Industries, the October 2015 Shindig Magazine Review of "Odd Tales and Wonders," the expanded Book Baby marketing plan for the book, and the five music CD albums he recorded in 2013-2014, of which four feature his original songs from the mid to late sixties, all now internationally distributed by CD Baby — after which, they immediately scheduled the January pictorial interview, in which they discussed in-depth the music, lyrics, inspiration and processes that influenced and motivated Pike's new original material for "Outside the Box."

We asked Travis how that went. Said Pike, "I enjoyed the interviews – and I especially enjoyed suggesting the photos, artwork, and links to the people, places and things we covered."

Both the January 2016 and December 2015 color pictorial interviews are posted in their entirety on the TRAVIS PIKE PRINT AND ONLINE INTERVIEWS webpage.

UPDATE: "Odd Tales and Wonders 1964-1974 A Decade of Performance" is now distributed in both print and ebook editions through Book Baby, and available to purchase through select online, and brick & mortar retailers across North America, Western Europe, India, and Japan.

TRAVIS EDWARD PIKE'S WEBSITE