What’s your relationship status this Valentine’s Day? Single? Taken? Obsessed with girlfriends’ new single, ‘shut up & kiss me?’ We’re definitely part of the latter group! Anything Travis Mills and Nick Gross touch turns to pop-punk gold, but the energetic ‘shut up & kiss me’ stole our hearts right out of our chests when we first pressed play. It’s the ultimate anthem for exciting new love, whether you’ve found it yourself or you have your fingers crossed to find it soon!
To celebrate the release of ‘shut up & kiss me,’ we got to ask Travis Mills all about the song, girlfriends’ tour plans, their recent signing to Verswire, and so much more! We know you’ll fall for this song just as hard as we did, so check it out below and keep reading for our Q&A.
Hey Travis, welcome to The Honey POP and congrats on the release of ‘shut up & kiss me!’ How does it feel to share the song with your fans?
It feels great to start the new year off with some new music, introduce everyone to the next era of the band and get ready to go play it live for everyone this summer!
What does ‘shut up & kiss me’ mean to you?
‘shut up & kiss me’ brings me back to the summer of my first kiss, the sleepless nights when you meet someone new and it’s packed with the energy that made us fall in love with music in the first place.
‘shut up & kiss me’ is the perfect anthem for Valentine’s Day and has so many great lyrics, with one of our favorites being “my hands are cold, I wouldn’t hate having yours to hold.” Is there a certain line you’re especially proud of?
It definitely has to be the simplicity of the hook with ‘shut up & kiss me.’ It’s simple, it’s catchy, and when it came out of my mouth in the studio, it just put a big smile on my face.
You’ve said that ‘shut up & kiss me’ captures the feeling of “taking a risk and wearing your heart on your sleeve,” which we love. What’s a risk you’ve taken in your music career that has really paid off?
Starting anything from scratch is taking a risk. You never know what’s going to happen. I love watching what Nick & I have been building for the last few years and seeing our music start to connect and resonate with people. Touring is the most rewarding thing because there’s an energy you get to share with people from all walks of life that have one thing in common – the love of music.
Congratulations on joining the Verswire family with Mark Hoppus, Pete Wentz, and Sherry Saeedi! What has it been like for you to join the label and work with such industry icons?
It’s pretty surreal, to be honest. The fact we feel so supported from a team of people we admire and respect is huge for us. The relationship is definitely a two-way street and it’s priceless to work with people who believe in you as much as you believe in yourself.
You’ll be touring with Avril Lavigne this summer, which must be so exciting! How do you prepare for a tour and pick the perfect setlist?
I was actually on the phone with Avril last night about our setlists and “what does the perfect night sound like.” You’ll have to grab a ticket and come see for yourself!
How do you feel you’ve grown as a band since releasing your Over My Dead Body EP last year?
Last year was amazing because we went straight from the studio recording the EP to Europe with Avril so we got to see in real time how the songs we wrote translated live. I think having that perspective in the back of your head while you’re creating is important because the live show is so important to us. We’re focused on having fun making music, writing songs from real experiences and sharing sides of ourselves we haven’t had a chance to explore in our music yet.
What can your fans look forward to in the rest of 2024?
A LOT of music and some incredible tours.
Thank you so much to Travis for answering our questions, and thank you to him and Nick for soundtracking our Valentine’s Day with ‘shut up & kiss me!’
What do you think of ‘shut up & kiss me?’ What was your favorite answer from our Q&A with Travis? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
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