Click here for a chance to win tickets to their concert at Plymouth Pavillions on Wednesday 27th February

Their album The Man Who has gone more than seven times platinum in this country, they have headlined most of the UK's summer festivals and their latest album The Invisible Band was one of the biggest sellers in 2001.

"You just can't take things seriously," says charismatic lead singer Fran Healy. "We are just as unconfident and confident as we have ever been about things."

The reason for the lack of arrogance probably lies in the group's route to stardom. The Glaswegian band has achieved fame the old-fashioned way and is the antithesis of the overnight manufactured pop sensations which currently populate the charts.

Fran Healy

Singer and guitarist Healy, guitarist Andy Dunlop, bass player Dougie Payne and drummer Neil Primrose served a six year apprenticeship before success came their way.

Healy says: "We have always been a band who spent our time touring, writing and recording our own songs. That tends to take up a lot of your time. So you don't have enough hours to develop airs and graces."

While Healy reveals the band are pulling out all the stops to make their forthcoming tour a special event, he says it won't be too long before they take time off.

"We are planning to take six months off in the very near future. We just need to chill out. I just want to write songs, write stories and take photographs - do things I haven't really done for the past five years. But I still feel we haven't written our magnum opus yet."

Even though they are currently riding on the crest of a wave of success Healy finds it easy to pinpoint two events which acted as pivotal moments - launching them into musical orbit.

Fran Healy performing on stage

They both occurred in the space of a couple of months in 1999. "It all started around Glastonbury. The Man Who had started doing exactly what the first album had done, dropping down the charts a month after its release.

"In June, we played Glastonbury. When we started playing Why Does It Always Rain On Me it just started to pour down. I got home, saw the TV news and we were on it playing in the downpour. People had started talking about us."

A couple of months later we were playing at Weston Park in Staffordshire and we heard the album had gone to No 1. Everything changed - the radio started to play our songs and people wanted to know us. So I think it has something to do with timing and a little luck as well."

Travis have certainly had their fair share of luck, but their recent scoop at the Brit Awards for 'best British band' is undoubtedly due to their talent.

Travis play at Plymouth Pavilions Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th February, 7.30pm Tickets: £21.50 Phone: 01752-229922

TOUR DATES:

Travis's single Flowers In The Window is released on Monday, March 18.

See also BBC Devon entertainment