It was the peak of summer in 2002 with his roots in small-town Maine when Travis Magrane tossed a couple of guitars in a station wagon and drove off.  He was either headed to NYC or California, but once behind the wheel the lure of the west was just too great to resist.   Arriving to the west coast fresh out of money, he found himself a job working in the golden hills of Northern California as a shepherd.  Unusual, perhaps, but tending goats turned out to pay dividends.  While some days were full of hot, dust filled and back breaking work that began long before day break and lasted long past sundown, others were slow, quiet, and peaceful.  These conditions proved a perfect combination for Magrane’s songwriting.  While rambling around singing to his goats and border collies he also wandered into pubs and taverns and sang them to friends and strangers. 

Based now in Portland, OR, Magrane has been the recipient of the John Hendricks Composition Award, had his music featured in an internationally screened documentary film, been a Featured Artist for international fair-trade cooperative Equal Exchange, and performed in notable venues such as The Fillmore, SF, CA.