Dougie Payne, bassist for Scottish pop group Travis, talks about the band's edgier sound

Travis made its debut in Bangkok on Tuesday night when the group played at Impact Arena.

Legions of their fans showed up to display their support for the band.

On their tour, the Scottish pop quartet is promoting their latest album, "Ode To J Smith", which will be released this year. The album was completed in only two weeks, so that the group's bassist, Dougie Payne, could appreciate his new status as a father.

Daily Xpress had a conversation with Payne before the show.

What's it like being a new father?

It's absolutely amazing. But don't get me talking about it because I'm too far away from [my son].

What was it like working with producer Emery Dobyns?

I think it's the best sounding record we've ever made. He's done a great job with the quality.

Was it different from your past work with Nigel Godrich?

We've done a lot with Nigel, but for this record we just wanted to try with somebody else. It's good - kind of to keep things fresh. We're still very close friends with Nigel, he's a great guy.

Who is J Smith?

J Smith is a common name in Britain and America. All the songs seem to be written from the point of view of characters rather than us. We've done a lot of songs that have been autobiographical, and this was more like writing a novel than like writing a diary.

"Ode To J Smith" is somehow categorised as a rock album.

It is definitely "rockier" than the previous records. A lot of people have been saying it's like a classic 1970s rock album. A lot of people have been mentioning stuff like Led Zeppelin and it's like, well that's nice!

Ever thought of splitting up?

Yeah. There have been moments where we have been tired. Five or six years ago we were pretty much bummed out. But we're kind of smart enough to know that when you feel like that, rather than letting it explode. You need time to become a person again rather than in the band. And then you get back together again.

What trend do you see coming up in music?

If I knew that, my God, I wouldn't tell you!