Editors are an English
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band, formed in 2002 in
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band currently consists of
Tom Smith (lead vocals, guitar, piano),
Russell Leetch (bass guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals), Ed Lay (drums, percussion, backing vocals),
Justin Lockey (lead guitar), Elliott Williams (keys, synthesizer, guitar, backing vocals), and
Benjamin John Power (songwriter and producer).
Editors have so far released two
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
studio albums, and seven in total, with several million combined sales. Their debut album ''
The Back Room'' was released in 2005. It contained the hits "
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
" and "
Blood
Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells.
Blood is com ...
" and the following year received a
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...
nomination.
Their follow-up album ''
An End Has a Start'' went to number one on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
in June 2007 and earned the band a
Brit Awards nomination for best British Band. It also spawned another top 10 hit single, "
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
"Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors" is the first single from English rock band Editors' second album, '' An End Has a Start'' (2007). It was released as a digital download on 11 June 2007 and as a physical single through CD and vinyl on 18 June ...
". The band's third album, ''
In This Light and on This Evening
''In This Light and on This Evening'' is the third studio album by English rock band Editors. It was released on 12 October 2009 by Kitchenware Records. The band had said the material would have a more raw and anthemic sound compared to their ...
'', was released in October 2009 and went straight to number one on the UK Albums Chart. The band released their fourth studio album, ''
The Weight of Your Love
''The Weight of Your Love'' is the fourth studio album from the British band Editors. It was released on 28 June 2013 by PIAS Recordings. The first single " A Ton of Love" first aired on 6 May 2013 on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show, with the music ...
'', in July 2013, followed by the self-produced ''
In Dream
''In Dream'' is the fifth studio album by British band Editors. It was produced by the band themselves and released on 2 October 2015 through PIAS Recordings.
Background
On 15 July 2015, the band announced the album via Facebook and said in a st ...
'' in October 2015. In 2018, the band released their sixth album ''
Violence
Violence is characterized as the use of physical force by humans to cause harm to other living beings, or property, such as pain, injury, disablement, death, damage and destruction. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence a ...
''. Their seventh album, ''
EBM'', was released in September 2022.
Alongside their critical acclaim and strong success on the
UK Singles Chart, they consistently enjoyed sold-out tours and numerous headlining festival slots. Their brand of dark indie rock is commonly compared to the sound of bands such as
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch (singer), Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson. By 1980, Pete de Freita ...
,
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris (musici ...
,
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...
,
the Chameleons
The Chameleons are an English rock band formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester, in 1981. The band's classic line-up consisted of bassist and vocalist Mark Burgess (now known as Vox), guitarists Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding, and drummer Jo ...
and
U2.
History
Formation (2002–2004)
The band met while studying
Music Technology
Music technology is the study or the use of any device, mechanism, machine or tool by a musician or composer to make or perform music; to musical composition, compose, music notation, notate, playback or record songs or pieces; or to Music infor ...
at
Staffordshire University
The University of Staffordshire is a public research university in Staffordshire, England. It has its main campus in Stoke-on-Trent and four other campuses in Stafford, Lichfield, Shrewsbury, and London.
History
In 1901, industrialist Alfred ...
, but living in
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
and playing at venues such as the Jug of Ale and the Flapper & Firkin. In an interview in 2015, Tom Smith said, "Birmingham is very important. Looking back further it was where we all lived together in the early years, played all those Flapper and Jug of Ale shows, and then got our record deal. We've always said although only one of us was brought up there, Birmingham was the band's home".
The band was initially known as Pilot and played its first show under this name in 2002.
While in college, the band constructed a marketing strategy which involved placing hundreds of promotional stickers across the walls of
Stafford
Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, England. It is located about south of Stoke-on-Trent, north of Wolverhampton, and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 71,673 at the 2021–2022 United Kingd ...
asking "Who's the Pilot?".
[ However, they realized the name was already taken by a 1970s Scottish pop group, so they changed their name to The Pride.
They made a promo under this name with the tracks "Come Share the View" and "Forest Fire" and made the songs available on ]BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
's ''Onemusic Unsigned''. A review of the songs reads, "''The Pride'' keep things subliminally lo-fi. Refreshingly simple and restrained, 'Come Share The View' is a lesson in welding hypnotic soundscapes with white noise while showing allegiance to the school of slo-mo on "Forest Fire"".[ The band then took its music offline to encourage more " A&R" representatives to see them perform.][
Ed Lay replaced drummer Geraint Owen, who began to focus on his Welsh band ''The Heights''. Under this lineup they became known as Snowfield. They played their debut gig under this name at the request of Fused Magazine in March 2003. The following summer the band self-released a demo six-track EP, of which all six songs went on to become future Editors songs. In the autumn of 2003, after graduation, the band relocated to Birmingham, the home of their management and the nearest big city.
For the next year, the band members worked part-time jobs along in addition to working in the band. After regular gigging around ]the Midlands
The Midlands is the central region of England, to the south of Northern England, to the north of southern England, to the east of Wales, and to the west of the North Sea. The Midlands comprises the ceremonial counties of Derbyshire, Herefords ...
, it was not long until word of mouth
Word of mouth is the passing of information from person to person using oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day. Storytelling is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others a ...
helped them become a popular unsigned band.[ They sent out a one-track demo of "]Bullets
A bullet is a Kinetic energy weapon, kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is Shooting, shot from a gun barrel. They are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax; and are made ...
". This demo attracted the interest of several British labels, including thirty A&R reps who came to see them play in Birmingham. In October 2004, the group signed to Newcastle
Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
-based indie
Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
*Independent media, media free of influence by government or corporate interests
*Indie art, fine arts made by artists independent of commer ...
label Kitchenware Records
Kitchenware Records was an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong, Paul Ludford and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective and nightcl ...
. At that point they changed their band name to Editors.
''The Back Room'' (2005–2006)
After supporting bands such as Puressence
Puressence are an English indie rock band, formed in 1991 in Failsworth, Greater Manchester.
History
James Mudriczki, Neil McDonald, Anthony Szuminski and Kevin Matthews met on a bus on their way to watch The Stone Roses play at Spike Island ...
and Oceansize
Oceansize were an English rock band from Manchester, formed in 1998. The band consisted of Mike Vennart (vocals, guitar), Steve Durose (guitar, backing vocals), Richard "Gambler" Ingram (guitar, keyboards), Mark Heron (drums) and Jon Ellis (b ...
, Editors released debut single "Bullets", which was recorded with producer Gavin Monaghan, as a limited edition of 1000 copies on Kitchenware Records on 24 January 2005. The song had previously been played by Zane Lowe
Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...
on BBC Radio 1, where it was 'Single of the Week'. The limited run sold out on the day of its release, with copies selling later the same week for more than £30 on eBay
eBay Inc. ( , often stylized as ebay) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that allows users to buy or view items via retail sales through online marketplaces and websites in 190 markets worldwide. ...
.
The release of "Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
" followed in April of that year and gave the band their first top 25 hit, a sold out UK tour and a place on MTV's Spanking New Music show in Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
. At this point, due to the band's increasing popularity, Editors and Kitchenware signed an exclusive distribution deal with Sony BMG
Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
. "Blood
Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells.
Blood is com ...
" was released two months later, reaching number 18 in the UK Singles Chart in its first week, selling 5,286 copies. With these releases their fanbase continued to grow and on 25 July 2005 their debut album '' The Back Room'' was released to critical acclaim and commercial success. In its first week, the album entered the charts at number 13, selling 17,627 copies.[ After re-issuing "Bullets" and achieving another Top 30 hit, Editors gained a high-profile support slot, supporting Franz Ferdinand in arenas across the UK and Europe.
Editors then re-issued "Munich" in January 2006, selling one and half thousand more copies than the last time it was released.][ The song gave Editors their first Top 10 single and an appearance on '']Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...
''. With the single release, ''The Back Room'' also rose back up the album charts, peaking at number 2. It sold an additional 40,000 copies in the week of "Munich"'s release and went platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
in the process.[ A joint North American tour with Stellastarr* coincided with the American release of ''The Back Room'' in March 2006. It was released by Fader label and sold 35,000 albums after 20 weeks. The band went on to play influential American festivals in 2006 such as ]Coachella
Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...
and Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...
. Editors proceeded to perform "Munich" on the American television show ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the ''Late Night (franchise), Late Night'' franchise originally established by David Letterman. Hosted by Conan O'Brie ...
''.
At the end of March, Editors released " All Sparks" as a single in the United Kingdom, achieving a position of 21 in the singles chart. After a European tour which included three successive nights at Brixton Academy
Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South Lon ...
, Editors re-issued a limited edition of "Blood". It entered the Top 40, pushing the album up the chart 45 places.[ Shortly after this, ''The Back Room'' hit the million mark in sales worldwide and was also nominated for the 2006 ]Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...
. After a string of high-profile festival shows across Europe, including slots on T in the Park
T in the Park festival was a major Scottish music festival that was held annually from 1994 to 2016. It was named after its main sponsor, Tennents. The event was held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire, until 1996. It then moved to the disused ...
, V 2006 and the Isle of Wight Festival
The Isle of Wight Festival is a British music festival which takes place annually in Newport, Isle of Wight, Newport on the Isle of Wight, England. It was originally a Counterculture of the 1960s, counterculture event held from 1968 to 1970.
Th ...
, Editors began work on their second album.
''An End Has a Start'' (2007–2008)
Editors recorded their second album '' An End Has a Start'' with producer Jacknife Lee
Garret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including the Cars, U2, R.E.M., the Killers, Robbie Williams, Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, Two Door Cinema Club, AFI, the Hives, Weezer, One Direc ...
in Grouse Lodge
Grouse Lodge is a recording studio near Rosemount, County Westmeath, Ireland. Designed by Andy Munro, it has two studios and living quarters in nine stone outhouses, integrating the existing 275-year-old stone structure.
Artists
It has recor ...
, Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
over a two-month period beginning in late November 2006. It was released on 25 June 2007 and went straight to number one on the UK Albums Chart, selling 59,405 copies in its first week. The album was preceded by the top 10 single "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
"Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors" is the first single from English rock band Editors' second album, '' An End Has a Start'' (2007). It was released as a digital download on 11 June 2007 and as a physical single through CD and vinyl on 18 June ...
" on the 18th. The song was Editors' highest-charting single, reaching number 7. It also earned its own Making the Video
''Making the Video'' is an MTV show consisting of half-hour episodes chronicling the process of filming various music videos. Usually the director outlines the concept of the video (or treatment) and the show often includes light-hearted and h ...
episode on MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
.[
Just after the album's release, Editors played at the ]Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...
with a second from top slot on ''The Other Stage''. They also played many other festivals such as Oxegen
Oxegen was a List of music festivals#Ireland, music festival in Ireland, first held from 2004–2011 as a rock and pop festival and again in 2013 with dance and chart acts only. The event was regularly cited as Ireland's biggest music festiva ...
, Lowlands
Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland.
Definitions
Upland and lowland are portions of a ...
and Pukkelpop
Pukkelpop is an annual music festival that takes place near the city of Hasselt, Belgium in mid- to late August. It is held within a large enclosure of fields and woodland—adjacent to a dual carriageway called ''Kempische Steenweg''—in the v ...
over the following weeks, as well as playing their first ever tour dates in Australia and New Zealand. They then released the album's title track " An End Has a Start" in September to coincide with their North American tour. Editors went on to play the song live on American television shows such as ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', sometimes shortened to ''JKL'', is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show tapes and is based out of the Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywo ...
'' and ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fourth and sixth installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Jay Leno, it aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009, replacing ''The Ton ...
''.
Upon returning to the UK, the band contributed a cover of the Cure
The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...
's "Lullaby
A lullaby (), or a cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually played for (or sung to) children (for adults see music and sleep). The purposes of lullabies vary. In some societies, they are used to pass down cultural knowl ...
" to the ''Radio 1 Established 1967
''Radio 1: Established 1967'' is a compilation album consisting of covers recorded for BBC Radio 1 by a number of artists to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the radio station. There are 40 covers recorded by 40 different artists. Each artist c ...
'' compilation, again working with producer Gavin Monaghan, which was released on 1 October 2007. Shortly after this, Editors played a 75-minute set for the BBC Electric Proms
The BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms (formerly the BBC Electric Proms) was an October pop music festival in London run by the BBC for five years, 2006–2010. On 31 January 2011, the BBC announced that the event would be discontinued with immediate ...
at KOKO in London with backing from a classical string quartet
The term string quartet refers to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two Violin, violini ...
. In November, they released " The Racing Rats" as the third single off the album. Editors played it live on ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' is a British chat show presented by Jonathan Ross and broadcast on BBC One between 2001 and 2010. The programme featured Ross' take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews (usually three per show ...
'' and it helped the song reach number 26 on the UK charts. It also reached number 12 on the Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 () is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore radio, offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" ...
, the band's highest ever single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
charting outside of the UK at that point.["The Racing Rats" chart positions](_blank)
''aCharts.us''. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
For the first two months of 2008, Editors played 30 shows on a tour across America and Canada. During the tour Editors were nominated for a Brit Award, in the Best British Group Category. Also as a result of the nomination, one of the North American tour dates had to be cancelled, as the band had to return to London to attend the prize ceremony. A month later, Editors announced " Push Your Head Towards the Air" to be the fourth single from ''An End Has a Start''. This release was a limited special edition which was ineligible to chart. Along with this release Editors engaged in their biggest and most extensive British tour to date. They played arena
An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
s such as the 12,000 capacity National Indoor Arena
Utilita Arena Birmingham (previously known as Arena Birmingham, The Barclaycard Arena, originally as the National Indoor Arena and still commonly called The NIA) is an indoor arena and sporting venue in central Birmingham, England. It is owne ...
in Birmingham and two sold out dates in London's Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is an entertainment and sports venue in North London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. A listed building, Grade II listed building, it is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and th ...
.
In June, they released "Bones
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...
" as a download only single in Continental Europe
Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous mainland of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by som ...
to coincide with the summer festival season, the video of which was directed by the band's bassist Russell Leetch. Shortly afterwards, Editors played at the Glastonbury Festival, playing on the pyramid stage
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...
for the first time. The band then played their second major support slot of their history supporting R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...
on a 16 date summer tour across Europe alongside their festival dates which included the headlining of the Lowlands Festival in August.
''In This Light and on This Evening'' (2009–2010)
Lead singer Smith revealed that the band will explore a new direction on their next album, pursuing a new, rawer sound. Before January 2009, Editors had written around eighteen new songs for the new albumSteve Lamacq
Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with BBC Radio 6 Music.
Lamacq was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire ( ...
, BBC 6 Music
BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It primarily plays a wide range of alternative music, from established and emerging artists and bands. In 2002 it was the first national music radio station t ...
, 8 December 2008 and they have been described as some of the most synthetic, raw and anthemic songs they have written to date. In October the band went to the studio to record some demos. The band spent the first week of April recording the album and on 8 April, they released a short video with information about the recording process. It announced that Mark 'Flood' Ellis would be the producer for the album. Earlier on in the year, the sound of the album was said to have a very electric feel; the band often using the Terminator theme song as a reference.
On 2 June 2009, it was announced that the new album title would be ''In This Light and on This Evening
''In This Light and on This Evening'' is the third studio album by English rock band Editors. It was released on 12 October 2009 by Kitchenware Records. The band had said the material would have a more raw and anthemic sound compared to their ...
'' and that they would be the first band to play at the new O2 Academy Birmingham
O2 Academy Birmingham is a music venue located in Birmingham, West Midlands, England.
Venue
The original O Academy Birmingham was located at Dale End (the venue is now known as Forum Birmingham). In September 2009, the O2 Academy moved to ...
. Through producer Flood's heavy usage of synthesisers, the album provided a synthpop and post-punk sound to Editors' production.
The album was released on 12 October and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
. Alongside the album, the band released lead single " Papillon" and it led them to their first taste of number one success outside the UK, with the song hitting the top position in Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
and being certified Gold in the process. After releasing singles " You Don't Know Love", "Last Day
The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the ''Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism.
Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus, Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God in Abrahamic religions, God of a ...
" and " Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool" to limited chart success, it was announced that their unreleased song " No Sound But the Wind" would appear on the '' New Moon soundtrack''. A live version of the song was later released in continental Europe in September 2010 and again achieved the same success as "Papillon" in Belgium, going to number 1 and being certified gold.
In November 2010, it was confirmed that a boxset called ''Unedited'' compiling the first 3 albums, as well as B-sides and previously unreleased songs on 7 12" records, 7 CDs and 7 MP3 albums, alongside a book of photos and words, would be released in early 2011. The boxset included the full band version of "No Sound But the Wind", demos of "Camera" and "These Streets Are Still Home to Me", and an unreleased version of "The Weight of the World", called "Every Little Piece".
''The Weight of Your Love'' and Urbanowicz's departure (2011–2014)
On 26 November 2010, Smith announced on the band's website that they had started work on a new album, that it would again be produced by Flood, and that they were recording "in stages over 2011", and that first rehearsals started in "a matter of days".
On 26 March 2011, Editors performed their first tour date of the year at the Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272.
Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
as the headline act for the penultimate show in the 2011 Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust is a cancer care and support charity in the UK that exists to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13–24. Founded in 1990, the charity's key service is providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. It ...
, during which they showcased two new songs, "Two Hearted Spider" and "The Sting". In October 2011, Editors played their first shows ever in Latin America
Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
with two dates in Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
.
In October 2011, Smith spoke to Q Radio about the new album. "It's still going to be fairly electronic, I think, compared to our earlier records. So far it feels quite muscular with a bit of swagger and a bit more of a groove. The last record was liberating in lots of different ways and I think we just need to, kind of, build on that..... with a nod to our past as well. It's our fourth record and we don't want to feel like we're doing the same thing again."
On 22 November 2011, Russell Leetch, the band's bassist posted on the band's official site saying they have seven songs ready to record and some more ideas "floating around" and that the album "will be with you next year."
On 16 April 2012, it was announced that Chris Urbanowicz had left the group due to a difference in musical direction.
Following Urbanowicz's departure, the band played their first shows as a five piece with new members Justin Lockey and Elliott Williams in Birmingham, UK on 26 and 27 June 2012. On 29 June, they played at Main Square Festival in Arras, France, and on 30 June they headlined Rock Werchter festival in Belgium. At the shows they played new versions of "Two Hearted Spider" and "The Sting" as well as two new songs, "Sugar" and "Nothing".
On 8 April 2013, Smith stated via his official Twitter account, that "the record is being mastered today. it's finished. done."
On 6 May 2013, Zane Lowe stated via his official Twitter account, that the new Editors record would be entitled ''The Weight of Your Love
''The Weight of Your Love'' is the fourth studio album from the British band Editors. It was released on 28 June 2013 by PIAS Recordings. The first single " A Ton of Love" first aired on 6 May 2013 on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show, with the music ...
''. The first single from this album was " A Ton of Love". In February 2014, the band released the fourth single, "Sugar".
During 2014, Elliott Williams left the band for a period of touring to work on his own music project YdotOdotU, supporting the 1975
The 1975 are
an English pop rock
band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy (lead vocals, guitar, primary songwriter), Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums, primary produ ...
. The band continued to tour with musician Nicholas Willes.
''In Dream'' (2014–2018)
In October 2014, the band reconvened in Scotland to work on their fifth album. During a session supporting Andy Burrows on Jo Wiley's Radio 2 show, Tom Smith confirmed the album's songs had been written.
On 20 April 2015, the band released a new song entitled 'No Harm' for free download. The song later became available through retailers, and on 11 May, its official video was posted on their YouTube channel. On 18 June, they released a video for the album's lead single, 'Marching Orders'. The video, directed by Rahi Rezvani (as was 'No Harm'), was filmed in the Western Highlands of Scotland. The song was released on 19 June for digital download, and a limited run of 300 12" vinyl test pressings were distributed randomly throughout Oxfam
Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs), focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. It began as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief ...
stores.
On 15 July 2015, the band announced the album ''In Dream
''In Dream'' is the fifth studio album by British band Editors. It was produced by the band themselves and released on 2 October 2015 through PIAS Recordings.
Background
On 15 July 2015, the band announced the album via Facebook and said in a st ...
'' via Facebook. It is the first Editors record to feature a duet. The third single and video 'Life is a Fear' got its first play on Zane Lowe's Apple Music Beats1 radio show on 11 August 2015. Its video, again directed by Rahi Rezvani, was uploaded to YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
on the same day. On 22 September, Editors shared 'The Law', an album track which features Rachel Goswell of Slowdive
Slowdive (stylized in lowercase) are an English people, English rock band that formed in Reading, Berkshire, in 1989. The band consists of Neil Halstead (vocals, guitars), Rachel Goswell (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Christian Savill (guitars) ...
.
The fifth album ''In Dream'', produced by Editors themselves and mixed by Alan Moulder, was released on 2 October 2015. It marks the band's collaboration with the Iranian born Dutch photographer, film and music video director Rahi Rezvani
Rahi Rezvani (; born 1978) is an Iranian-born photographer and film director, based in Amsterdam.
Early life and education
Rezvani was born and raised in Tehran. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from Tehran University of Art, ...
who also directed the video for 'Ocean of Night', released on 24 November. In October 2015, Editors together with Brussels Beer Project has released their own beer 'Salvation', named after a track on their album ''In Dream''.
In support of the album the band embarked on a 42-date tour, playing throughout October, November and December in the UK, Ireland and Europe. Editors supported Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Wales, Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, in 1986. The band consists of Nicky Wire (bass guitar, lyrics) and cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, le ...
across the UK on the 20th anniversary tour of the album '' Everything Must Go''. They also performed at Glastonbury
Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...
, Bråvalla, Rock Werchter
Rock Werchter is an annual music festival held in the village of Werchter, near Leuven, Belgium, since 1976 and is a large sized rock music festival. The 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012 and 2014 festivals received the Arthur award for ''best festiva ...
, Bilbao BBK Live
Bilbao BBK Live is a rock and pop music festival that takes place annually in the city of Bilbao, Spain. Since its beginnings, the festival is held in its entirety on a special complex built specifically for the event on the slopes of Mount Cob ...
2016 and more than 20 festivals.
''Violence'' (2018–2019)
Editors released their sixth album, ''Violence'', on 9 March 2018. The lead single, 'Magazine', premiered on Jo Whiley's BBC Radio 2 show on 15 January 2018. The second single "Hallelujah (So Low)" premiered on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show on 21 February 2018.
''Black Gold'' (2019–2022)
In 2019, the band released their first compilation album, ''Black Gold'', featuring 13 tracks from across their career along with three new songs: "Black Gold", "Frankenstein" and "Upside Down", which were produced by Jacknife Lee. The deluxe edition of the release featured eight stripped-down acoustic versions of previously released material under the title ''Distance: The Acoustic Recordings''. The release was followed by a 2020 best of tour.
''EBM'' (2022–present)
On 20 April 2022 the band released the single "Heart Attack", and announced the addition of Benjamin John Power, who had previously worked with the band on the ''Violence'' album, as an official band member. On 22 September 2022, the band released their seventh album, '' EBM''.
Musical style
Editors' own variation of dark indie guitar rock draws on influences from both older and contemporary bands. Their influences include Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch (singer), Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson. By 1980, Pete de Freita ...
,[ ]Joy Division
Joy Division were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris (musici ...
,[ ]the Strokes
The Strokes are an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1998. The band is composed of lead singer and primary songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr., Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikola ...
, the Walkmen
The Walkmen is an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The band consists of Hamilton Leithauser (vocals), Paul Maroon (guitar, keyboards), Walter Martin (musician), Walter Martin (bass, organ), Peter Matthew Bauer (org ...
, Elbow
The elbow is the region between the upper arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and t ...
,[ and ]R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...
The band draw their musical style particularly from the latter two bands' debut albums ''Asleep in the Back
''Asleep in the Back'' is the debut studio album by English rock band Elbow, first released in the United Kingdom on 7 May 2001, and in the United States on 22 January 2002. The title track, "Asleep in the Back", was only included as a bonus tr ...
'' and '' Murmur''. Smith has commented that "we're dark and moody so yeah we build on the sound of the likes of Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen and The Chameleons
The Chameleons are an English rock band formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester, in 1981. The band's classic line-up consisted of bassist and vocalist Mark Burgess (now known as Vox), guitarists Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding, and drummer Jo ...
... Obviously we were too young when these bands came out, so it's only more recently that we discovered them." Upon Editors' first appearances in the British music scene, they were also heavily compared to American indie band Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...
.
Editors' first album, ''The Back Room'', was described as having a wiry and raw sound, which led it to being famously dubbed 'dark disco' by the NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
. This sound was created by the use of synthesiser
A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
s, catchy guitar riffs
A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based on ...
and simple, ambiguous lyrics
Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, ...
. ''An End Has a Start'' showed progression to a new 'bigger' sound. This new sound was created by adding more textured layers to the songs as well as incorporating new forms of music into them. These include the adding of a choir in "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors" and the inclusion of the sounds of the band playing Hide-and-seek
Hide-and-seek (sometimes known as hide-and-go-seek) is a children's game in which at least two players (usually at least three) conceal themselves in a set environment, to be found by one or more seekers. The game is played by one chosen playe ...
in the song "Spiders".
Lead singer Smith announced that the band would explore a new direction on their next album, pursuing a new, rawer sound.[ The new sound materialised itself on the third album through the use of traditional synthesisers instead of the band's previous use of guitars. The producer of ''In This Light and on This Evening'', Flood also increased the importance of "vibe" in the music's sound, making it darker than the previous two albums, while also attempting to make the album sound as if it had been recorded live.
While Smith tends to write the lyrics and chords, song writing overall is a collaborative effort. The song writing starts with Smith on the ]piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
or acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
where he records them and sends them to the other band members where the song is turned into a full 'Editors song'. Smith has said that he purposely makes the lyrics ambiguous so people can draw their own conclusions.[
"To us, it's interesting if it has a darkness," said Smith in 2015. "Whatever that is. On the lyric side of things, if I was singing about dancefloors or happier or rosier things, it wouldn't ring true for me. I don't know why that is. People quite often say, 'oh, you write these sad lyrics but you're not a sad person' - and I'm not... I don't think you need to be sad to write a sad song, everybody has a dark side."]
Members
Current members
*Tom Smith – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano (2002–present)
*Russell Leetch – bass guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals (2002–present)
*Ed Lay – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2003–present)
*Justin Lockey – lead guitar (2012–present)
*Elliott Williams – keyboards, synthesizers, additional guitars, backing vocals (2012–present)
*Benjamin John Power – keyboards, synthesizers, electronics (2022–present)
Current touring musicians
*Nicholas Willes – additional guitars, keyboards, synthesizers (2014–present)
Former members
*Geraint Owen – drums (2002–2003)
*Chris Urbanowicz – lead guitar (2002–2012)
Discography
Albums
* '' The Back Room'' (2005)
* '' An End Has a Start'' (2007)
* ''In This Light and on This Evening
''In This Light and on This Evening'' is the third studio album by English rock band Editors. It was released on 12 October 2009 by Kitchenware Records. The band had said the material would have a more raw and anthemic sound compared to their ...
'' (2009)
* ''The Weight of Your Love
''The Weight of Your Love'' is the fourth studio album from the British band Editors. It was released on 28 June 2013 by PIAS Recordings. The first single " A Ton of Love" first aired on 6 May 2013 on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show, with the music ...
'' (2013)
* ''In Dream
''In Dream'' is the fifth studio album by British band Editors. It was produced by the band themselves and released on 2 October 2015 through PIAS Recordings.
Background
On 15 July 2015, the band announced the album via Facebook and said in a st ...
'' (2015)
* ''Violence
Violence is characterized as the use of physical force by humans to cause harm to other living beings, or property, such as pain, injury, disablement, death, damage and destruction. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence a ...
'' (2018)
* '' EBM'' (2022)
EPs
* '' The Blanck Mass Sessions'' (2019)
Compilations
* ''Unedited'' (2011)
* ''Black Gold: Best of Editors'' (2019)
References
External links
*
"Anatomy of a Sound – Editors' ''In This Light and on This Evening''" at Bluefat
*
*
*
{{Authority control
2002 establishments in England
Alumni of Staffordshire University
English indie rock groups
Epic Records artists
Musical groups established in 2002
Alternative rock groups from Birmingham, West Midlands
PIAS Recordings artists
English post-punk revival music groups