Image of the band, Tide Lines (Credit: Kat Bawden)
Tide Lines currently hold the number four position in the Official Scottish Album Chart with their new album, ‘An Ocean Full of Islands,’ just behind American artists Miley Cyrus and PINK, as well as English duo, Sleaford Mods.
Tide Lines are a folk-pop band from the Scottish Highlands made up of members Robert Robertson (vocals and guitar), Alasdair Turner (electric guitar and bagpipes), Ross Wilson (keyboards), and Fergus Munro (drums).
They have been releasing albums since 2017, but their latest album, ‘An Ocean Full of Islands,’ is proving to be a huge success with their Scottish audience, including anthemic choruses, stripped-back ballads, and landscape-based lyrics.
Tide Lines: left to right; Fergus Munro, Ross Wilson, Robert Robertson, Alasdair Turner (Credit: Kat Bawden)
Writing Home
“I’ve always loved songs that are formed in a specific place yet speak to people universally,” said lead vocalist Robert Robertson. “In our case, I really only write about what I know, which happens to be the Highlands of Scotland, where I was brought up, and the city of Glasgow, where I’ve lived for over ten years now. I think those places (and the people within those communities) have influenced me in a natural, almost subconscious way.”
Tide Lines recorded their new album on the Isle of Mull and are not currently signed to a record label. Speaking on achieving this chart position with an inherently Scottish sound, Robertson said: “I’m not sure I’d ever manage to sing in any other accent! It’s incredibly pleasing (and unbelievable!) for us to see an album we wrote and recorded in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland chart. We’re just so grateful to everyone who supported the record and helped us chart.”
Smooth Sailing
Tide Lines are currently on tour in the UK and Ireland and have more gigs on the horizon. “Once this album tour is finished, we’ve got a really exciting summer ahead,” said Robertson. “I think the highlight will be our headline show in a Big Top Tent in Queen’s Park, Glasgow. The whole day is going to have a real festival feel to it with an array of food vendors and bars—it’s going to be bigger than any headline show we’ve ever done before!”
You can purchase tickets for their tour as well as a copy of their album on their website: