Editors
Encyclopedia
Editors are a British indie rock
band based in Birmingham
, who formed in 2002. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band consists of Tom Smith
(lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano), Chris Urbanowicz
(lead guitar, synthesizer), Russell Leetch
(bass guitar, backing vocals) and Ed Lay (drums, percussion).
Editors have so far released two platinum
studio albums, and three in total, whilst selling over several million copies between them worldwide. Their debut album The Back Room
was released in 2005. It contained the hits "Munich
" and "Blood" and the following year received a Mercury Prize
nomination.
Their follow-up album An End Has a Start
went to number 1 in the UK Album Chart 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
". The band's third album, In This Light and on This Evening
, was released in October 2009 and went straight to number 1 in the UK Album Chart. Their brand of dark indie rock is commonly compared to the sound of bands such as Echo & the Bunnymen
, Joy Division
, Interpol
, The Chameleons
and U2
.
at Staffordshire University, but they realised technology wasn't the right career for them and instead formed a band, playing in Wolverhampton
, Birmingham
and Stafford
.
The band was initially known as Pilot and played its first show under this name in 2002. While in university, the band had a marketing strategy which involved placing hundreds of promotional stickers across the walls of Stafford asking "Who's the Pilot?". However, they realised 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 then uploaded them onto the internet
, making the songs available to listen to on BBC Radio 1
'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 create mystery and anxiousness and ensure that more "A&R" representatives came to see them perform.
They then changed the line-up with Ed Lay replacing Geraint Owen on drums as he 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, all of which went on to become future Editors songs. Then, as it was the home of their management and the nearest big city, the band relocated to Birmingham after graduation in the Autumn of 2003.
For the next year, the different band members then worked part-time jobs along with the rest of their work with the band. After continuous gigging
around the Midlands
, it wasn't long until word of mouth
helped them become a popular unsigned band. The band then sent out a one track demo cd
of Bullets
, earning them the interest of several British labels, with thirty A&R reps coming to see them play at Birmingham. In October 2004, the group signed to Newcastle
based indie
label Kitchenware Records
. Upon signing to the record label they changed their band name to Editors.
and Oceansize
, Editors released debut single "Bullets
" 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 BBC Radio 1
disc jockey Zane Lowe
, where it earned the honour of 'Single of the Week'. The limited run then sold out on the day of its release, with copies famously then sold later in the week for more than £30 on eBay
.
The release of "Munich
" followed in April of that year and gave the band their first Top 25 hit, another sold out UK tour and a place on MTV’s Spanking New Music show in Manchester
. At this point, due to the band's increasing popularity, Editors and Kitchenware signed an exclusive distribution deal with Sony BMG. "Blood" 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
. 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
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
and Lollapalooza
. Editors proceeded to perform "Munich" on the American television show Late Night with Conan O'Brien
.
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, 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
. After a string of high profile festival shows across Europe, including slots on T in the Park
, V 2006 and the Isle of Wight Festival
, Editors began work on their second album.
with producer Jacknife Lee
in Grouse Lodge
, Ireland
over a two month period beginning in late November 2006. It was released on 25 June 2007 and went straight to number 1 in the UK album charts, selling 59,405 copies in its first week. The album was preceded by the Top 10 single "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
" on the 18th. The song was Editors' highest-charting single at number 7 and it also earned its own Making the Video
episode on MTV
.
Just after its release, Editors played at the Glastonbury Festival
with a second from top slot on The Other Stage. They also played many other festivals such as Oxegen
, Lowlands
and Pukkelpop
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! and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Upon returning to the UK, the band contributed a cover of The Cure's
"Lullaby" to the Radio 1 Established 1967
compilation, which was released on 1 October 2007. Shortly after this, Editors played a 75 minute set for the BBC Electric Proms
at KOKO
in London with backing from a classical string quartet
. In November, they released "The Racing Rats" as the third single off the album. Editors played it live on 'Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
' and it helped the song reach number 26 in the UK Charts. It also reached number 12 in the Dutch Top 40
, the band's highest ever single
charting outside of the UK at that point.
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. The nomination resulted in increased acclaim from the media with The Mail on Sunday
newspaper declaring them as the second biggest British band of the decade after Arctic Monkeys
. 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
s such as the 12,000 capacity National Indoor Arena
in Birmingham and two sold out dates in London's Alexandra Palace
.
In June, they released "Bones
" as a download only single in Continental Europe
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 for the first time. The band then played their second major support slot of their history supporting R.E.M.
on a 16 date summer tour across Europe alongside their festival dates which included the headlining of the Lowlands Festival
in August.
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
and that they would be the first band to play at the new O2 Academy Birmingham.. Through producer Flood's heavy usage of synthesisers, the album provided a synthpop/post-punk sound to Editors' production. Flood, who is famous for collaborating with electronic music influenced bands like U2
, Depeche Mode
, The Killers and Erasure
, helped develop synthetic elements on the album, which resulted in a mixed reception from long-term fans as to the group's new direction.
The album was released on 12 October and it debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart
.. Alongside the album, the band released lead single "Papillon
" and it lead them to their first taste of number one success outside of the UK, with the song hitting the top position in Belgium
and being certified Gold in the process. After releasing singles "You Don't Know Love
", "Last Day
" 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" vinyls, 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".
On 26 March, Editors performed their first tour date of the year at the Royal Albert Hall
as the headline act for the penultimate show in the 2011 Teenage Cancer Trust
, 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
with two dates in Mexico City
.
In October, Smith spoke to Q Radio about the new album. "Its 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. Its our fourth record and we don't want to feel like we're doing the same thing again."
On 22 November, 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."
, Joy Division
, The Strokes
, The Walkmen
, R.E.M.
and Elbow
. The band draw their musical style particularly from the latter two bands' debut albums Murmur
and Asleep in the Back
. While often compared to Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen by the media, the band commented that those bands are too old to have a major impact on their musical style. Upon Editors' first appearances in the British music scene, they were also heavily compared to American indie band Interpol
; however both bands have strongly played down the associations.
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
. This sound was created by the use of synthesizer
s, catchy guitar riffs
and simple, ambiguous lyrics
. 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 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 synthesizer
s 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
or acoustic guitar
where he records
them and sends them to the other band members where the song is turned into a full 'Editors song'. Lead singer, Smith, has said that he purposely makes the lyrics ambiguous so people can draw their own conclusions.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band based in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, who formed in 2002. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band consists of Tom Smith
Tom Smith (musician)
Thomas Michael Henry Smith is an English musician. He is lead singer, lyricist, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist for the Birmingham-based indie rock band Editors....
(lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano), Chris Urbanowicz
Chris Urbanowicz
Christopher Dominic Urbanowicz is the lead guitarist and synthesizer player of the British indie rock band Editors. He studied music technology at Staffordshire University for three years with the other members of Editors...
(lead guitar, synthesizer), Russell Leetch
Russell Leetch
Russell Jonathan Leetch is the bass guitarist for Birmingham-based indie rock band Editors. He studied music technology at Staffordshire University where he met his fellow Editors band members. He went to secondary school at Arden School, Knowle.He used to work with bandmate Tom Smith in a call...
(bass guitar, backing vocals) and Ed Lay (drums, percussion).
Editors have so far released two platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
studio albums, and three in total, whilst selling over several million copies between them worldwide. Their debut album The Back Room
The Back Room
The Back Room is the debut album by British post-punk revival band Editors, released on 25 July 2005. It entered the UK Album Charts at #13 in July 2005, before peaking at #2 in January 2006.The album was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Prize.-Overview:...
was released in 2005. It contained the hits "Munich
Munich (song)
"Munich" is a song by British post-punk revival band Editors and is featured on their 2005 debut album, The Back Room. It was originally released 18 April 2005 as the second single from the band...
" and "Blood" and the following year received a Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
nomination.
Their follow-up album An End Has a Start
An End Has a Start
An End Has a Start is the second album by British indie rock band Editors. It was released on June 25, 2007 in the UK and on July 17, 2007 in the US. The album was certified Platinum in the UK on the same day it was released....
went to number 1 in the UK Album Chart in June 2007 and earned the band a Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
nomination for best British Band. It also spawned another Top 10 hit single, "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
"Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors" is the first single from Editors' second album An End Has a Start. It was released as a digital download on June 11, 2007 and as a physical single through cd and vinyl on June 18, 2007 in the UK. It peaked at number 7 in the UK Singles Chart in its first week of...
". The band's third album, In This Light and on This Evening
In This Light and On This Evening
In This Light and on This Evening is the third studio album from British band Editors. It was released on October 12, 2009. The band had said the material would have a more raw and anthemic sound compared to their previous work....
, was released in October 2009 and went straight to number 1 in the UK Album Chart. Their brand of dark indie rock is commonly compared to the sound of bands such as Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
, Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, Interpol
Interpol (band)
Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...
, The Chameleons
The Chameleons
The Chameleons were an English post-punk band that formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester, England in 1981. They consisted of singer and bassist Mark Burgess, guitarist Reg Smithies, guitarist Dave Fielding, and drummer John Lever...
and U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
.
Formation (2002–2004)
The band met while studying Music TechnologyMusic technology
Music technology is a term that refers to all forms of technology involved with the musical arts, particularly the use of electronic devices and computer software to facilitate playback, recording, composition, storage and performance. This subject is taught at many different educational levels,...
at Staffordshire University, but they realised technology wasn't the right career for them and instead formed a band, playing in Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
.
The band was initially known as Pilot and played its first show under this name in 2002. While in university, the band had a marketing strategy which involved placing hundreds of promotional stickers across the walls of Stafford asking "Who's the Pilot?". However, they realised the name was already taken by a 1970s Scottish pop group
Pilot (band)
Pilot was a pop rock musical group, formed during 1973 in Edinburgh, Scotland by the former Bay City Rollers members, David Paton and Billy Lyall.-Career:...
, 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 then uploaded them onto the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, making the songs available to listen to on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
'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 create mystery and anxiousness and ensure that more "A&R" representatives came to see them perform.
They then changed the line-up with Ed Lay replacing Geraint Owen on drums as he 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
Fused Magazine
Fused Magazine is an art, design, music and fashion magazine based in Birmingham, England and distributed throughout the United Kingdom.It is published bi-monthly and distributed through both free and paid-for channels...
in March 2003. The following summer the band self released a demo six track EP, all of which went on to become future Editors songs. Then, as it was the home of their management and the nearest big city, the band relocated to Birmingham after graduation in the Autumn of 2003.
For the next year, the different band members then worked part-time jobs along with the rest of their work with the band. After continuous gigging
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
around the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
, it wasn't long until word of mouth
Word of mouth
Word of mouth, or viva voce, is the passing of information from person to person by oral communication. Storytelling is the oldest form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others of something, whether a real event or something made up. Oral tradition is cultural material and...
helped them become a popular unsigned band. The band then sent out a one track demo cd
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
of Bullets
Bullets (Editors song)
"Bullets" is a song by British post-punk revival band Editors and is featured on their 2005 debut album, The Back Room.It was originally released 24 January 2005 as their first single. The single was mixed by Cenzo Townshend and the video made for the song was directed by Mike Brady. Both editions...
, earning them the interest of several British labels, with thirty A&R reps coming to see them play at Birmingham. In October 2004, the group signed to Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
based indie
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
label Kitchenware Records
Kitchenware Records
Kitchenware Records is an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective and nightclub...
. Upon signing to the record label they changed their band name to Editors.
The Back Room (2005–2006)
After supporting bands such as PuressencePuressence
Puressence are a British rock band from Failsworth, Greater Manchester, England, formed in May 1992.-Band membership:The band currently consists of:*James Mudriczki: Vocals*Lowell Killen: Guitar*Kevin Matthews: Bass guitar...
and Oceansize
Oceansize
Oceansize were a British rock band, formed in Manchester, England on 19th October 1998. The band consisted of Mike Vennart , Steve Durose , Richard "Gambler" Ingram , Mark Heron and Jon Ellis for the majority of its career, with Steve Hodson replacing Ellis on bass in 2006...
, Editors released debut single "Bullets
Bullets (Editors song)
"Bullets" is a song by British post-punk revival band Editors and is featured on their 2005 debut album, The Back Room.It was originally released 24 January 2005 as their first single. The single was mixed by Cenzo Townshend and the video made for the song was directed by Mike Brady. Both editions...
" 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 BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
disc jockey Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
, where it earned the honour of 'Single of the Week'. The limited run then sold out on the day of its release, with copies famously then sold later in the week for more than £30 on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.
The release of "Munich
Munich (song)
"Munich" is a song by British post-punk revival band Editors and is featured on their 2005 debut album, The Back Room. It was originally released 18 April 2005 as the second single from the band...
" followed in April of that year and gave the band their first Top 25 hit, another sold out UK tour and a place on MTV’s Spanking New Music show in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. At this point, due to the band's increasing popularity, Editors and Kitchenware signed an exclusive distribution deal with Sony BMG. "Blood" was released two months later, reaching number 18 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
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
The Back Room
The Back Room is the debut album by British post-punk revival band Editors, released on 25 July 2005. It entered the UK Album Charts at #13 in July 2005, before peaking at #2 in January 2006.The album was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Prize.-Overview:...
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
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, Editors gained a high profile support slot, supporting Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
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
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
. 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
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
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
The Fader
The FADER, or FADER, is an United States-based music/culture/fashion magazine that covers hip-hop, reggae, independent rock, pop and dance music from around the world.-Overview:...
Label and sold 35,000 albums after 20 weeks. The band went on to play influential American festivals in 2006 such as Coachella
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
and Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
. Editors proceeded to perform "Munich" on the American television show Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
.
At the end of March, Editors released "All Sparks
All Sparks
"All Sparks" is a song by British post-punk revival band Editors and is featured on their 2005 debut album, The Back Room. It was released 27 March 2006 as the fourth single from the album ....
" 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, Editors re-issued a limited edition of "Blood". It entered the Top 40, pushing the album
The Back Room
The Back Room is the debut album by British post-punk revival band Editors, released on 25 July 2005. It entered the UK Album Charts at #13 in July 2005, before peaking at #2 in January 2006.The album was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Prize.-Overview:...
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
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
. After a string of high profile festival shows across Europe, including slots on T in the Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
, V 2006 and the Isle of Wight Festival
Isle of Wight Festival
The Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place every year on the Isle of Wight in England. It was originally held from 1968 to 1970. These original events were promoted and organised by the Foulk brothers under the banner of their company Fiery Creations Limited...
, Editors began work on their second album.
An End Has a Start (2007–2008)
Editors recorded their second album An End Has a StartAn End Has a Start
An End Has a Start is the second album by British indie rock band Editors. It was released on June 25, 2007 in the UK and on July 17, 2007 in the US. The album was certified Platinum in the UK on the same day it was released....
with producer Jacknife Lee
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., Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, AFI, The Hives, Weezer, Vega4 and Editors.-Biography:...
in Grouse Lodge
Grouse Lodge
Grouse Lodge is a recording studio in 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...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
over a two month period beginning in late November 2006. It was released on 25 June 2007 and went straight to number 1 in the UK album charts, 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
"Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors" is the first single from Editors' second album An End Has a Start. It was released as a digital download on June 11, 2007 and as a physical single through cd and vinyl on June 18, 2007 in the UK. It peaked at number 7 in the UK Singles Chart in its first week of...
" on the 18th. The song was Editors' highest-charting single at number 7 and it also earned its own Making the Video
Making the Video
Making the Video is an MTV show, consisting of half-hour episodes, which chronicles the process of filming various music videos. Usually the director outlines the concept of the video and the show often includes light-hearted and humorous moments. It always concludes with a premiere of the...
episode on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.
Just after its release, Editors played at the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
with a second from top slot on The Other Stage. They also played many other festivals such as Oxegen
Oxegen
Oxegen is an annual music festival in Ireland held since 2004, sponsored by Heineken. As of 2007, 2008, 2009, the festival has been cited as Ireland's biggest music festival. And by 2009, the festival is cited as the greenest festival, being a 100% carbon neutral event in Ireland. It was previously...
, Lowlands
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise, also known as simply Lowlands, is a music festival, held annually in the Netherlands in August. Lowlands has about 55,000 visitors, over 200 acts and more than ten stages every year which are named according to the NATO phonetic alphabet apart from the Grolsch...
and Pukkelpop
Pukkelpop
Pukkelpop is an annual music festival which takes place near the city of Hasselt, Belgium in mid-to-late August. It is held within a large enclosure of fields and woodland—between a dual carriageway called Kempische Steenweg—in the village of Kiewit, approximately 7 km north of Hasselt...
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
An End Has a Start (song)
"An End Has a Start" is the title track and second single from Editors' second album. The single was released September 3, 2007 on CD, maxi-CD and 7" vinyl...
" 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! and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Upon returning to the UK, the band contributed a cover of The Cure's
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
"Lullaby" to the Radio 1 Established 1967
Radio 1 Established 1967
The compilation album Radio 1 Established 1967 is a collection of covers especially recorded for Radio 1 by a number of artists. The album celebrates the 40th anniversary of BBC Radio 1. There are 40 songs recorded by 40 different artists . Each artist was given a year, and were allowed to cover a...
compilation, which was released on 1 October 2007. Shortly after this, Editors played a 75 minute set for the BBC Electric Proms
BBC Electric Proms
The BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms was an October music festival in London run by the BBC for five years, 2006-2010...
at KOKO
Camden Palace
KOKO is a nightclub in a former theatre in Camden Town, London, England, at the bottom of Camden High Street close to Mornington Crescent tube station. Until 2004 it was called the Camden Palace. The building is considered to have some architectural significance and is a Grade II listed...
in London with backing from a classical string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
. 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
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
' and it helped the song reach number 26 in the UK Charts. It also reached number 12 in the Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
, the band's highest ever single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
charting outside of the UK at that point.
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. The nomination resulted in increased acclaim from the media with The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday is a British conservative newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1982 by Lord Rothermere, it became Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper following the closing of The News of the World in July 2011...
newspaper declaring them as the second biggest British band of the decade after Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
. 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
Push Your Head Towards the Air
"Push Your Head Towards the Air" is the fourth single from An End Has A Start, the second album by Editors. It was released on 3 March 2008 and featured a new mix of the album track...
" 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
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
s such as the 12,000 capacity National Indoor Arena
National Indoor Arena
The National Indoor Arena is a large indoor arena and is owned by the NEC Group. It is situated in central Birmingham, England and was opened in 1991, as the largest indoor arena at the time in the UK...
in Birmingham and two sold out dates in London's Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
.
In June, they released "Bones
Bones (Editors song)
"Bones" was the fifth and final single from An End Has a Start, the second album by Editors. It was only released in Continental Europe under the PIAS label as a download only single. It was released to help promote the band during the festival run and their support of R.E.M. in July during their...
" as a download only single in Continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
to coincide with the summer festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
season, the video of which was directed by the band's bassist Russell Leetch
Russell Leetch
Russell Jonathan Leetch is the bass guitarist for Birmingham-based indie rock band Editors. He studied music technology at Staffordshire University where he met his fellow Editors band members. He went to secondary school at Arden School, Knowle.He used to work with bandmate Tom Smith in a call...
. Shortly afterwards, Editors played at the Glastonbury Festival, playing on the pyramid stage for the first time. The band then played their second major support slot of their history supporting R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
on a 16 date summer tour across Europe alongside their festival dates which included the headlining of the Lowlands Festival
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise, also known as simply Lowlands, is a music festival, held annually in the Netherlands in August. Lowlands has about 55,000 visitors, over 200 acts and more than ten stages every year which are named according to the NATO phonetic alphabet apart from the Grolsch...
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 album 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 TerminatorTerminator (franchise)
The Terminator series is a science fiction franchise encompassing a series of films and other media concerning battles between Skynet's artificially intelligent machine network, and John Connor's Resistance forces and the rest of the human race....
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
In This Light and on This Evening is the third studio album from British band Editors. It was released on October 12, 2009. The band had said the material would have a more raw and anthemic sound compared to their previous work....
and that they would be the first band to play at the new O2 Academy Birmingham.. Through producer Flood's heavy usage of synthesisers, the album provided a synthpop/post-punk sound to Editors' production. Flood, who is famous for collaborating with electronic music influenced bands like U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
, The Killers and Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
, helped develop synthetic elements on the album, which resulted in a mixed reception from long-term fans as to the group's new direction.
The album was released on 12 October and it debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
.. Alongside the album, the band released lead single "Papillon
Papillon (song)
"Papillon" is a song by British post-punk revival band Editors and is featured on their 2009 album, In This Light and on This Evening.The music video for "Papillon" was directed by Andrew Douglas.-Track listings:7"#"Papillon " – 3:55...
" and it lead them to their first taste of number one success outside of the UK, with the song hitting the top position in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and being certified Gold in the process. After releasing singles "You Don't Know Love
You Don't Know Love
"You Don't Know Love" is a song by British post-punk revival band Editors and features on their 2009 album, In This Light and On This Evening...
", "Last Day
Last Day (song)
"Last Day" is a limited release single by the indie rock band Editors. It was released on vinyl as part of Record Store Day on Saturday 17 April, and is limited to 1000 copies.A video was released to coincide with the Record Store Day on 17 April 2010...
" and "Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool
Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool
"Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool" is a song by British indie rock band Editors and features on their 2009 album, In This Light and On This Evening...
" to limited chart success, it was announced that their unreleased song "No Sound But the Wind
No Sound But the Wind
"No Sound But the Wind" is a song by British indie rock band Editors, and is featured on The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack. The song was first played at the Glastonbury festival 2008 and has gone through many changes; the Twilight soundtrack version features several new lyrics.Tom Smith has...
" would appear on the New Moon soundtrack
New Moon (soundtrack)
The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack is the official music for the 2009 film The Twilight Saga: New Moon. The score for New Moon was composed by Alexandre Desplat while the rest of the soundtrack was chosen by music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas, who also produced the Twilight 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
Unedited
The Unedited box set is a 'deluxe limited edition collectors box set' by British Indie rock band Editors, released on 28 March 2011. The set covers not only the three officially released albums, The Back Room, An End Has a Start and In This Light and on This Evening but also b-sides and...
compiling the first 3 albums, as well as b-sides and previously unreleased songs on 7 12" vinyls, 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".
Fourth album (2011–present)
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, Editors performed their first tour date of the year at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
as the headline act for the penultimate show in the 2011 Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust is a charity that focuses on the needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer, leukaemia, Hodgkin’s and related diseases by providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. The units are dedicated areas for teenage patients, who are involved in their concept and creation...
, 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
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
with two dates in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
In October, Smith spoke to Q Radio about the new album. "Its 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. Its our fourth record and we don't want to feel like we're doing the same thing again."
On 22 November, 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."
Musical style
Editors' own variation of dark indie guitar rock draws on influences from both older and contemporary bands. Their influences include Echo & the BunnymenEcho & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
, Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
, The Walkmen
The Walkmen
The Walkmen are an American indie rock band, with members based in New York City and Philadelphia. The band formed in 2000 with three members from Jonathan Fire*Eater—Paul Maroon , Walter Martin , and Matt Barrick —and two from The Recoys, Peter Bauer and Hamilton Leithauser . All but Bauer...
, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
and Elbow
Elbow (band)
Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
. The band draw their musical style particularly from the latter two bands' debut albums Murmur
Murmur (album)
Murmur is the debut album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in 1983 on I.R.S. Records. Murmur drew critical acclaim upon its release for its sound, defined by singer Michael Stipe's cryptic lyrics, guitarist Peter Buck's jangly guitar style, and bassist Mike Mills' melodic...
and Asleep in the Back
Asleep in the Back
Asleep in the Back is the debut album by British rock band Elbow, first released in May 2001. The title track, "Asleep in the Back", was only included as a bonus track on later editions of the album after it had been released as a single and became the band's first Top 20 hit...
. While often compared to Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen by the media, the band commented that those bands are too old to have a major impact on their musical style. Upon Editors' first appearances in the British music scene, they were also heavily compared to American indie band Interpol
Interpol (band)
Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...
; however both bands have strongly played down the associations.
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
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
. This sound was created by the use of synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, catchy guitar riffs
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
and simple, ambiguous lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
. 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
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
"Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors" is the first single from Editors' second album An End Has a Start. It was released as a digital download on June 11, 2007 and as a physical single through cd and vinyl on June 18, 2007 in the UK. It peaked at number 7 in the UK Singles Chart in its first week of...
" and the inclusion of the sounds of the band playing Hide-and-seek in the song "Spiders".
Lead singer Smith announced that the band would explore a new direction on their next album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, pursuing a new, rawer sound. The new sound materialised itself on the third album through the use of traditional synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s instead of the band's previous use of guitars. The producer of In This Light and on This Evening
In This Light and On This Evening
In This Light and on This Evening is the third studio album from British band Editors. It was released on October 12, 2009. The band had said the material would have a more raw and anthemic sound compared to their previous work....
, 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
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
or acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
where he records
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
them and sends them to the other band members where the song is turned into a full 'Editors song'. Lead singer, Smith, has said that he purposely makes the lyrics ambiguous so people can draw their own conclusions.
Studio albums
- The Back RoomThe Back RoomThe Back Room is the debut album by British post-punk revival band Editors, released on 25 July 2005. It entered the UK Album Charts at #13 in July 2005, before peaking at #2 in January 2006.The album was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Prize.-Overview:...
(2005) - An End Has a StartAn End Has a StartAn End Has a Start is the second album by British indie rock band Editors. It was released on June 25, 2007 in the UK and on July 17, 2007 in the US. The album was certified Platinum in the UK on the same day it was released....
(2007) - In This Light and on This EveningIn This Light and On This EveningIn This Light and on This Evening is the third studio album from British band Editors. It was released on October 12, 2009. The band had said the material would have a more raw and anthemic sound compared to their previous work....
(2009) - TBA (2012)