VOX: Any big changes for you guys between the last album and Roll On?
Travis: Well, the obvious, another turn musically. The first album was made before we went into the studio, which I think is pretty common for most bands - you've been playing a certain set of songs for quite a while and then you go into the studio, pick the best of the lot and then record them. We had been playing those songs [from the first album] for years.

This time, we had fragments of songs when we went in, but that's about it. More ideas than anything. We knew we wanted to make a rock and roll album, not necessarily a punk-pop record. We knew we had to take a big step as well - if you want to be a world-class band you've got to make a huge step every time.

It was very cool putting this record together - we recorded live and in Australia, which was nice, and this time we had some money and didn't have to work side jobs. We could concentrate on the recording process.

What was really big to us was that the record was one that you could listen to from start to finish and not feel like you needed to skip some of the songs or that it was all the same. You can't do that too often, and now fans just won't have it. If you put out a record with one or two good songs on it, it's just not going to cut it any more. You can't have the record be over before you've rolled your first joint.

VOX: What is life like for The Living End right now?
Trav: You know, there are two ways I could answer that. I could answer the rock star way and say, "Life's perfect! I'm on top of the world." But to be honest, it's extremely grueling and hard-going at times. We're on the road ten months out of the year, and it takes a hard toll, emotionally, physically, all the way around. I mean, you get to the hotel after a show, pack it up, check out, get on a bus to wherever with wet laundry hanging in the back, you get to a show, sometimes the gear hasn't arrived with you…it adds up.

Sometimes we get to a city, and we've got to do an in-store with five thousand people there waiting, and you know you're going to be signing for hours. We never want to disappoint our fans, so we choose to do those things, but sometimes it's hard because we're not playing as much now as we would like. We used to spend six hours a day practicing, playing…but now there are days when we don't get to play at all. It becomes all about travelling and promotion, which we have to do to build up a fan base.

VOX: Obviously, you guys are huge in Australia - what did it take to get America to notice?
Trav: I don't think they have yet. Music fans have noticed, but that's because we've been relentless. I'm trying to think of a band that has toured like us…Green Day, No Doubt, AC/DC…Papa Roach, At The Drive-In, but most of those bands already live here, which is an advantage.

Papa Roach and Linkin Park have never been to Australia, I would bet, but they don't need to go to get heard over there. Then there's KROQ, MTV, M2…

VOX: What made you pick Roll On for the album title?
Trav: I just think it's a good sort of motto, and it's one of our best songs - a real rock song, a fist-in-the-air type of song. There is the political meanings that can be applies, but we don't want to be a political band.

As a band, we see lots of stuff - kids dying of cancer, you go the hospital and see them and they tell you it was one of their last dying wishes to meet you…as you get older, you become very vulnerable to it, but you still to have roll on - remember it, but keep going.

We felt it was a good title for lots of reasons. People will bitch, which is fine, they'll always bitch, but you've got to pick yourself up and move on. It's really the Australian spirit, I think - be resilient, tough, without being macho. If you stumble, dust yourself off and roll on.

VOX: Are you excited to get out and play the new songs for America and the rest of the world?
Trav: Of course! Our show and our music, it's evolved, so we want to get it out there. We're forward thinkers, so we're constantly trying to improve and think of what we can do next. As for me, I'm a drummer, so I'm a pretty simple guy, really. I play off of passion, without worrying too much about technique or thought process - I just want to play, man. That's why I do this. All I want to do is get out there and play.

VOX: Any favorite places to play?
Trav: That's been an interesting question for us. It's tough to pick out now - we've done so many showcases and then the Warped Tour and stuff like that…we used to name towns, but now it's really everywhere. We played for 45,000 in Australia, and we've also played for 30 thousand people in St. Louis and had a great show each time. About two years ago we played in Cincinnati for 50 people. Generally, we play to one to two thousand people a night, which we feel is pretty successful, all things considered.

We look at a band like the Hoodoo Gurus - who we see as a very cool pop band - they came overseas and were revered back at home. Now we're playing to the same capacity of crowds, which makes us feel great.