A & R manager's view - Geoff Travis

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Geoff Travis' A&R credits include the Rough Trade and Blanco y Negro labels. He has also been involved in the management of acts including Pulp and The Cranberries.

On Stephen Street

"Stephen Street (producer of the first two Cranberries albums) has a very clear view of what works and what doesn't, but he's not afraid of trying things. He is the kind of person who is there to bring the best out of a band rather than impose his will. He is totally open minded and he is more likely to say, 'That sounds like an interesting idea, let's try it', than he is to say, 'That sounds like a crap idea, why don't you go home and let me get on with it'."

New producers

"If I didn't know a producer, I would listen to what he had done and then meet him. The same way when you meet an artist, if they talk sense to you and if they have got a kind of spark, I give them a try. The band need to feel comfortable with them, they are the ones doing the work."

Listening to work in progress

"I like to go to the studio and see what's happening. Some bands invite you to make comments and want to get feedback. Other people just want to get on with it. I don't try to impose and interfere, unless there was something drastically wrong. My experience of bands is that the better the band, the more they know what they want."

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