The Rock of Travolta

The Rock of Travolta

The Rock of Travolta are an instrumental post-rock and experimental band from Oxford, UK. The group is a quintet and has a DIY approach to writing and recording.

Career

Early in their career, the band plays a support slot for Radiohead at South Park in Oxford in front of 45,000 people. Within about a year and a half of their first gig, they release two records, My Band's Better Than Yours and I Love It When A Plan Comes Together, headline Truck Festival, perform at In The City, record a John Peel Session, and appear at number 48 in John Peel's Festive Fifty.

They later release two EPs and the album Uluru, which receives critical praise and is supported by UK-wide touring and sold-out shows at their home venue, the Zodiac in Oxford. A significant line-up change leads them to adopt a new approach to writing and performing, and they gain attention from the local press and the BBC. They also appear on BBC Radio Oxford, MTV2, Channel 4 and BBC South Today.

The band then enters a self-imposed period away from activity to work on new material and shape the next record. Their second full-length album, Fine Lines, marks a new phase for the group. The track “Super 8” appears on the free Spires sampler.

Reception

The Rock of Travolta receive positive reviews for their layered instrumental sound and live performances. Coverage describes them as a band that builds expansive soundscapes while remaining accessible, and notes the organic, insular quality of their writing.