Not that long ago a friend of mine pointed me in the direction of two deftly executed tracks on YouTube by an alternative rock outfit from South Wales named Edit the Tide. Now, the term alternative rock will only get you halfway there as there are hard rock flourishes and progressive elements to be found within their atmospheric material too, which is merely another way of stating that these gentlemen have conjured up a rather unique sound that makes them stand out to these ears. Their first two singles appealed to me greatly and so I reached out to guitarist Rob Norris to get the lowdown on all things Edit the Tide and learn more about what we can expect from their upcoming EP.

Hello Rob, I am eager to learn more about Edit the Tide and the tracks that have been released so far under that moniker. The first two singles that have seen the light of day this year, namely ‘Strangest Call’ and ‘Skylines’, form a most satisfying listening experience as they boast some great melodies and plenty of emotional heft. How have the listeners and critics responded to the tunes? I take it that your upcoming material will be in that same vein as the aforementioned singles, musically and stylistically speaking.

Rob: Yeah, those two songs really helped us find our feet and style . . . major and minor spins, dark to light twists and plenty of melody! They have been received really well and it’s helping us to slowly grow our fan base and get some shows off the back of it.

The video you guys posted on YouTube for ‘Skylines’ is an impressive and thought-provoking affair, and it raises a lot of important questions and focuses on something that is highly relevant these days. Could you touch a bit on the issue of men’s mental health and how that ties in with ‘Skylines’?

Rob: So, Ben and I lost a close friend and family member to suicide 3 years ago, and I think it really hit home that the stigma has to be obliterated. All of us have no problem in talking about the fact we’ve had our own struggles too and have been there for friends who have as well. So, when the idea for ‘Skylines’ came along, it formed a natural path to dealing with the subject – we’re saying, “we’ve all been there but the skies aren’t always grey guys, stay with us!”

When and where did Edit the Tide come into being and who came up with the idea of launching the outfit? Were you all friends and familiar with each other before joining forces in a band, and were there any auditions? Was there any earlier incarnation of the group dating back to 2011 or 2012?

Rob: There are a lot of ties within the band. Members of As Silence Falls, Miss Conduct and I Am Pariah previously all coming out of those bands and into a new vibe together, but we all knew each other from bands, college and growing up in the local music scene. No auditions, Dave was the last to join on bass after moving back down to South Wales from England and was the catalyst for the surge back into the scene and getting our music out there!

Let us discuss musical influences and what bands and artists that serve as an inspiration to Edit the Tide. Not only the groups and acts that all of you are into, but also the ones that inspire you on a more personal level and spur you on to write and compose stuff of your own, i.e., the ones that trigger your sense of creativity.

Rob: I think we all have various age group influences from family and friends. I personally started out on a journey with Queen, Genesis and MJ and then became a huge fan of Manic Street Preachers, Nirvana, and Green Day, so it was quite the mix for me! But being a musician and writing as we all have it’s always life and struggles especially through covid and of late that has inspired the music on the singles and EP coming next!

I was curious as to the titles of the songs ‘Skylines’ and what they signify and refer to. Could you elaborate a bit on the words to the songs and the meaning of their titles? In many ways, ‘Skylines’ could strike one as being somewhat metaphorical and arguably even ambiguous to an extent.  

Rob: Yeah, as I touched on previously ‘Skylines’ is a metaphor for how the ups and downs of life can mirror the changing of the sky from blue to grey, just like our mood and different circumstances that can affect that.

I saw that you had lined up some UK live dates in the fall, which should be really interesting. How many new compositions will you be presenting and performing? Did you do any shows earlier on this year and if so, were you happy with the outcome of those?

Rob: So, our set will form the 2 singles and the 5 numbers off the upcoming EP set for the new year as well as an opening track ‘Will of Fate’. We’ve recently played in Swansea with an Iron Maiden tribute act, and this has formed the backbone of the next 6-7 shows we have coming up going into next year too!

https://linktr.ee/editthetide