Tide Lines chats to TotalNtertainment

Tide Lines and 10 Questions With TotalNtertainment. Emboldened by against-all-odds success, Tide Lines channelled their energies into writing a collection of new songs, the first of which is their new single ‘Rivers In The Light’. We got to chat to them about how it all came about.

1. Thanks for your time, how is life treating you today?

Great, thanks. It feels so good to have new music out and a general feeling that the music industry has finally got fully back up and running this summer!

2. So, the last two years have been pretty challenging, tell us about your virtual world tour and how that came about?

Yea, the lockdown came at the worst possible time for us because we had just announced the release of our second album and then had to cancel all the touring plans around it. In a desperate attempt to get the word out, we went on a “virtual world tour” where basically I sat in my house in the highlands each night and went live on Facebook to sing a song from the album. One of the other boys in the band designed a sort of virtual set each day that put me in various famous world locations and each video began with a wee tartan aeroplane flying across Google Earth from my house to wherever city I was pretending to be that evening. 2 years on, it feels so ridiculous describing it! It was one of those bizarre ideas that would never have worked if it weren’t for everyone being locked in their houses and going slightly mad!

3. It’s not the same as being out on the road though. For a band like Tide Lines, how vital is playing live to you?

You took the words right out of my mouth. There’s just no substitute to being out actually playing to real audiences. It’s what we’ve always lived for but I think, after the last two years, we’re appreciating it now even more than ever.

4. Despite not touring, the album was still hugely successful. How rewarding was that for you?

It was a big boost for us at quite a tricky time. At the start of the campaign, before the pandemic was a consideration, we’d loosely aimed to chart within the top 40. So to go through a pandemic, consider postponing the release date completely, launch it without any live tour, and ultimately chart at number 12 (and number 1 in Scotland) was definitely beyond our expectations.

5. And you’re starting on new music with the brilliant “Rivers in the Light”, is that inspired by the return to “normality”?

Sort of the opposite, actually! It was written right in the middle of the pandemic. I’d gone home to the highlands for lockdown and, despite everything going on in the world, it became quite a positive thing for me and a chance to re-charge. It almost felt like my world had been put on pause and I was back in the peaceful landscape I’d been brought up in – having lived in the frantic city for the previous ten years. I think that sense of calm reflection sort of defines the song.

6. What can we expect in terms of new music from the band going forward now?

We’ve got a few things in the pipeline so I think it’s going to be a busy few months!

7. You head back out on tour in September, what have you missed most and least missed about touring?

I’ve missed exploring new places, new restaurants pre-gig and new bars post-gig, and meeting new people and audiences. I’ve missed the moments on tour when you’re all pretty tired and start talking absolute nonsense and finding it funny. I’ve not missed that lethargic feeling you get as a result of sitting in the van for hour upon hour each day and constantly snacking on motorway service station food to go.

8. On the theme of the virtual tour, if you could gig in any location in the world where would it be and why?

There were some pretty unlikely gig locations on that world tour! In front of the Great Pyramids singing Night Boat to Cairo by Madness or below Christ the Redeemer in Rio singing Rio by Duran Duran in my Brazil football top were two particular crackers. I think our agent would have a thing or two to say if we charged him with booking these particular shows, though!

9. Just for fun, if you could detach one of your body parts and replace it with something completely random, which one would it be and what would you replace it with?

I’d probably detach my right pinkie and replace it with a bottle opener. I don’t often need my right pinkie but I quite often need a bottle opener.

10. Thanks for your time and good luck with everything. Anything you want to say to wrap this up…

Thanks for inviting me to chat!

Upcoming live shows include Edinburgh Castle as guests to Deacon Blue, and festivals including Doune The Rabbit Hole and the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival. Please see here for ticket information.

SEPTEMBER – THE NATIONAL LOTTERY’S REVIVE LIVE TOUR

7th – Sunderland, Independent

8th – York, The Crescent

9th – Blackpool, Bootleg Social

10th – Kendal, Brewery Arts Centre

12th – Norwich, Arts Centre

13th – Hebden Bridge, The Trades Club

SEPTEMBER – THE TOWN HALL TOUR

15th – Inverness, Ironworks

16th – Gairloch, Community Hall (SOLD OUT)

17th – Dunkeld, Birnam Arts Centre (SOLD OUT)

22nd – Alloa, Town Hall