In the long ago days of early 2020, Tide Lines had one goal with their second album Eye of the Storm: to translate the band’s word-of-mouth success into something verifiable. Into something tangible that would honour their fanbase and reflect their audience’s passion.
Into, in short, a decent showing in the Top 40.
Charting a self-produced, self-released album was a big ask. Then again, the Glasgow-based four-piece had already had serious form at self-starting a phenomenon. Through rigorous songwriting and vigorous gigging, Robert Robertson (vocals, guitar), Alasdair Turner (guitar, pipes), Ross Wilson (keyboards) and Fergus Munro (drums) had built up an intense following at home, and beyond.
Developing the folk-rock roots they’d planted with 2016 debut single Far Side of the World ( 7.5 million combined streams and counting) and 2017 album Dreams We Never Lost, Tide Lines were already pushing out from the Scottish heartland. Robertson sang poetically and evocatively of the Hebrides and the Highlands that all of the members call home, but the band’s eyes were on the horizon.
For sure, these were songs formed in the heart and hearth of the folk music that Gaelic-speaking Robertson had grown up with. But like the music of Van Morrison or countryman Mike Scott and his Waterboys before them, Tide Lines’ songs had a universality that reached beyond cultural boundaries.
Then, scheduled for March 2020, was Eye of the Storm, a rousing collection of tracks that were, variously, as wide as the sky and intimate as home. The stars, and the songs, were aligned. Unfortunately, like all of us, the band’s second album was overtaken by events. As lockdown took hold, Tide Lines faced a difficult decision: hold back the album until they could properly promote it, whenever that might be? Or honour the songs and their audience and push on?
Quickly, the band decided to follow the music….
A standing show. Presented by DHP. On sale 10am 7th October.