According to Travis bassist, Andy Dunlop, making an album is akin to building a bonfire. You can pile on and arrange the kindling wood as artfully as you like, but you still need a spark to ignite it; and with a little luck, you'll get it. Multimillion-selling Scottish quartet Travis has already had a lot of luck in the U.K., scoring three Brit awards and 18 Top 40 hits. But in the U.S., it's been a tougher road to stardom with only two alternative hits: 1999's "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" and 2000's "Sing." Hopefully, after a five-year hiatus, Travis' standing stateside will increase with new album "Where You Stand" and their current U.S. tour.

Band on the run: Travis is excited to tour the U.S. again.

Download.com caught up with Dunlop about recording music on his iPad over the U.S. tour, how fatherhood permeated the new album, his favorite apps for music- and merrymaking, and why he loathes constant connectivity.

How does it feel to be back in the U.S. for this tour? It's been a while, but it's great. I love touring the U.S. It's a country built with big, long roads, so we're excited to tour here. When we were younger, we dreamed of coming here someday, and it's still the most jaw-dropping place to tour around because it's so vast and so exciting to tour for any band outside of America.

What have the Travis members been up to over... [Read more]