Travis frontman Fran Healy has said that he doesn't care if people download his band's new album for free because they will be promoting the record for him.
Speaking at the Q Awards on Monday, he said: "If someone downloads an album, if they search for that record, they're a fan of the band. They download that record, that record [that's] 76p to manufacture. They get it for nothing - really you're paying the 76p for doing the most important job there is in the business which is word of mouth. If you made a great record and they are gabbering about it, these are the people that create the hype you know that's kind of important".
He also admitted to downloading music illegally himself: "Generally people who don't buy music are 12 year old kids who can't afford it. I did it, you know. So there's two schools - the ones that do buy and the ones that don't buy it. There will always be people that don't buy it and there will always be people that do buy it. It's fine. The people that do buy it will prop up the industry and keep it all going". Wait, Fran Healy is a 12 year old?