If you have not heard about Tide Lines before now, you are going to be hearing about them from now on.
Firstly, where have you been?
With hits like Walking on the Waves, Heroes and The Young and the Restless – it has been difficult to miss the rise, and rise again of these West Coast music makers.
And secondly, you might want to pay more attention – because in the Official Charts this week they are in with a chance of being the closest any Highland band have been to chart success – than for many a year.
Lastly, the bands blend of traditional music, sense of fun and determination, is worth a download, isn’t it?
They already have a solid fan base of people of all ages, who go out of their way to see them at events, festivals and gigs all over Europe.
Lead singer and guitarist Robert Robertson, who hails from Roy Bridge, first came onto the scene as an accordian player, and singer.
He is a Royal National Mod gold medalist – so he knows his way around a thick “l”, and plays any number of instruments.
An Ocean full of Islands
He met fellow musician Ross Wilson, a keyboard player – and fine backing singer – who hails from Bunessan on Mull, when they played in trad supergroup Skipinnish.
They left, not before giving us the summer trad anthem Walking on the Waves, along with Skipinnish mainstay Angus MacPhail.
The duo formed Tidelines with Alasdair Turner on electric guitar/bagpipes and Fergus Munro on drums.
They have released three albums and one EP.
Their latest offering, An Ocean Full of Islands, is already this summer’s anthem, that is for sure.
The album features the Radio 2 playlisted single Written In The Scars, plus These Days and Rivers in the Light.
Robert said: “We were playing our fourth instore in HMV Inverness on Monday when we heard the news that we were number six in the midweeks.
“We just couldn’t believe it. We’re expecting that the album will inevitably slip down the charts as the week progresses and we battle with all the major artist releases but we’re so grateful to everyone who has supported the record so far.
“We’re just four lads from the Highlands with no record label and no massive coverage but we’re very lucky to have a very loyal fanbase who will help us with one last push between now and Thursday night and hopefully we can finish the week as high up the chart as possible!”
Next week the band embarks on a tour of the UK and Ireland, which includes a long sold-out show at Edinburgh’s 2800-capacity Usher Hall, as well as their biggest London gig to date at the Electric Ballroom.
Also confirmed as headliners at The Gathering Festival, Tide Lines recently announced their biggest ever headline show, a 6,000-capacity big top festival-style show at Glasgow’s Queen’s Park.
To download a copy of An Ocean Full of Islands it can be found here.
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