Tide Lines are back with their new single 'Rivers in the Light,' with an ambition for success that is stronger than ever before. After establishing a predominantly word-of-mouth following largely on the road, 'Rivers in the Light' is the first track from the quartet's newest collection of songs. The single takes the band to a new level in their career to date. With their Highland roots, they have evolved into a modern, alt-pop band with international appeal and the anthemic, emotional punch of classic American heartland rock. Optimism, striking lyricism and undeniable talent are just some of the key features that make up Tide Lines.
The band are set to embark on a host of shows around the UK throughout the coming months. We had the opportunity to speak with the band about their new single, the formation of Tide Lines, their plans for the remainder of the year. Keep reading to check out what they had to say!
You have recently released your new single, titled ‘Rivers in the Light.’ How does it feel to have new music released?
‘It feels great, especially as this is the first new music we’ve released in almost two years. The last new music we released was during lockdown, so we had to wait ages before we could play it live to anyone!’
What is the meaning behind the single?
‘There’s no particular meaning intended, but it was written during lockdown when I headed back to the Highlands for almost four months. Obviously it was an awful time around the globe for so many reasons, but I felt lucky to be back in the peaceful landscape I’d been brought up in, having lived in the frantic city for the previous ten years. It almost felt like my world had been put on pause and it gave me a chance to recharge and reflect. I think there’s a sort of calmness in the song which results from that.’
How long did the single take to come together, right from the initial writing stages?
A bit longer than usual, because we weren’t immediately able to jump in the studio as soon as the song was taking shape. Once we were, I had a few songs that we worked on before coming to ‘Rivers in the Light.’ Once I played the basis of ‘Rivers in the Light’ to the lads, we all felt pretty good about it and had similar ideas about where we should go with it musically and how to turn it into a track, rather than just me singing it with my acoustic guitar, so it came together pretty quickly.’
For anyone who hasn’t heard the single yet, can you sum it up in a couple of words?
‘Reflective but energetic.’
Going back to your roots, how was this band formed?
‘We all had two things in common: we were all originally from various parts of the Scottish Highlands, and we were all based in Glasgow. Ross Wilson (keyboard player) and I had played together for a couple of years and knew of Ali and Gus through the Glasgow music scene, which is pretty vibrant and a great place to put a band together. We met the lads for the first time for a couple of pints and agreed to have a rehearsal to play a new song I had been writing, called ‘Far Side of the World.’ Things went well and Tide Lines formed from there!'
Do you feel that you all have a similar creative direction, which is helpful when it comes to going forward with your sound?
‘I think we all have largely similar ideas of what we want the songs to sound like, but we also each have enough varied influences to bring something slightly different to the table when we’re putting together an arrangement.’
Who would you say are your musical influences as a band?
‘I think we’re all still very inspired by our early influences, which were pretty eclectic. We probably all naturally listened to what our parents and siblings were listening to as we grew up. Everything from classic rock, 80’s, 90’s and more traditional music. Then probably, throughout our school days, we all had very different tastes, from harder rock through to electronic music and the chart music of the day. A fairly common theme for all four of us when it comes to early influences is actually the more traditional music of Scotland. I think all these aforementioned early influences can be heard in the cumulative sound we create today.’
You are set to embark on a number of live dates across the UK later this year. Are you looking forward to getting out on the road? What can people coming to see you expect from your performance?
‘Yes - very much so! Live gigs are what we love doing and, although we love working at songs in the studio, it’s always with a view to playing them live. It is a massive relief that the live music industry seems to be up and running again so, with new material and a full summer of festival gigs under our belt for the first time in two years, we’re very excited to be back on the road. I think people coming to see us can probably expect some of that renewed excitement to be very obvious in our performances!’
What else does 2022 have lined up for you that you can tell us about?
‘Our ‘Town Hall Tour’ in Scotland and the ‘National Lottery Revive Live Tour’ in England are going to take us to loads of new places, so we’re excited about that. We’ve also got one or two new songs in the pipe line, as well as ‘Rivers in the Light,’ so we’re looking forward to touring with some new material.’
Finally, do you have a message for all your supporters?
‘Mainly just one of gratitude for supporting us through the most difficult two years the music industry has ever seen! We can’t wait to see everyone on the road!’
'Rivers in the Light' is out now and is available to purchase and stream through all major purchasing and streaming outlets.
By Rachel Dempster