TIDES OF VIRTUE
PHOTO BY: Abbi London  l  WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/tidesofvirtue

BIG NEWS FOR THE BAND RECENTLY WAS THE SIGNING TO UK LABEL TRANSCEND RECORDS. THIS MUST HAVE MADE YOUR PLANNING FOR THE YEAR A BIT EASIER?

Yes it has made planning the year a lot easier as we now have an awesome label to help us release and market out forthcoming debut album “MALEVOLENCE” which will be available to purchase from us directly on our big cartel, online on Itunes, play.com and in many retailers in the UK. We are really excited and looking forward to the coming year and to what it will bring.

We have a 4 date headline tour in Belgium in April and shows booked up until the beginning of May. This includes Hellfire Club at club Revolution over the weekend of May 7th-9th. Many incredible acts will be performing and we are really honoured to be able to share a stage with them. Over the course of the summer we are looking to tour and play as much as possible and really push the album. We are already including the title track from the album in our set now, so to get a preview of the album make sure you get to one of our dates and check it out!

YOU GUYS PORTRAY YOURSELVES AS A VERY MOTIVATED AND HARDWORKING BAND. WOULD YOU SAY THAT THIS “ATTITUDE” HELPS WHEN IT COMES TO CONVINCING PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN THE BAND AND THE MUSIC YOU HAVE TO OFFER?

We have since day one been a hardworking and dedicated band, we play every show we physically can and give nothing less than 100% in our live shows. Everything we do is from the passion and dedication that we all give to the band, and we try to show this in all our actions and in what we produce musically. We try to show our passion in our music through our live show, all I can say is that we give it everything and make sure that we leave audiences with hopefully a good impression.

I think that the correct attitude does help as I believe if you personally do not take things seriously then why should anyone else. To many times people expect things delivered on a silver plate or for free and in my opinion by working hard for something and giving it everything, in the long run it’s better as you can look back and see what you have achieved as a result of all what you put in. A hard work ethic and a strong determination is required in my opinion to achieve things in music, life, work or whatever the case may be.

IT IS ALMOST TIME FOR YOU GUYS TO HEAD INTO THE STUDIO TO RECORD YOUR NEXT RELEASE TITLED “MALEVOLENCE”. HOW MANY TRACKS ARE YOU GUYS AIMING TO COMPLETE AND ARE YOU PLANNING TO WRITE A BIT IN STUDIO AS WELL OR ARE THE SONGS DONE?

“Malevolence” originally was a 7 track MCD that was going to be made up of 7 totally new tracks. After the signing to Transcend Records in December of 2009, we all thought and felt that it would be better to release solid amount and varied selection of new and some old tracks. As a result we are now recording a 10 track debut album which will comprise of 6 totally new songs, an interlude, an Introduction and two old songs, “Emperors” and “Fabric Of Destiny” Both old tracks are going to be re-recorded and updated slightly to keep them in place with the rest of the album.

All our new tracks are 99% completed but you know how it can be, we may get into the studio and add or remove sections and parts until we are all 100% happy with the final product. All I can say is that we are really excited and looking forward to the recording process and what it has in store for us.

ARE THERE ANY NEW THINGS THAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM THE BAND ON THESE NEW SONGS AND WHAT TYPE OF PRODUCTION AND VIBE WILL YOU GUYS BE GOING FOR?

As for the overall sound of “Malevolence” we have tried to progress and develop our sound from our self titled release and 2009 free sampler. The debut album still retains all of current style and features, fast paced aggressive riffs, crushing breakdowns, harmonies, hellish vocals but also brings in a more matured sound that overall is darker, more epic and holds more of a punch live.

As for the production of the record, we are once again recording at Studio 6 in Swindon UK with Stuart Mackay who has always taken what we love and made it sound rad. The album is going to be mixed and mastered by Josh Middleton (Sylosis) at Shredroom Studio as we feel that the combination of both Studio 6 and Shredroom Studio will make “Malevolence” sound the way in which we want it to.

BECAUSE THE BAND IS STILL “YOUNG” IN MUSIC YEARS DO YOU THINK IT GIVES YOU GUYS THE FREEDOM TO STILL PLAY AROUND WITH YOUR SOUND AND FIND A FORMULA THAT WORKS AND DOES NOT LIMIT THE BAND TO ONE GENRE OR SOUND?

As a band we have only been around for just over 16 months, our sound has I would say developed and matured with each subsequent release but we still try to keep it along the lines of what we like and are influenced by. It does give us the opportunity to play around with our sound yes, but I don’t think or feel that we would suddenly change genre or go off in another direction randomly.

We are not trying to play what is considered “cool” or “in” we play what we enjoy and like, if folks dig it then that’s awesome. Our music contains elements of what we all like and enjoy and we are not trying to be pigeon holed into a specific genre, hence why we stick to just being labelled as a metal band.

Many bands change their style over time so drastically that in the end by the 4th or 5th release they hardly sound the same as their first record. Bands like Iron Maiden for example stick to what they enjoy and like and have developed a huge following and respect by playing consistently what they enjoy, not by playing what is big at the time or popular. At the end of the day we are a metal band and we will continue and always be a metal band.

TALKING ABOUT SOUND… YOUR MUSIC PACKS A HEAVY PUNCH, WHAT GEAR AND GUITAR TUNINGS CURRENTLY GIVES YOU GUYS THE BEST RESULTS?

We have always tuned to drop B (B, F#, B, E, G#, C#) since we started back in 2008, which we feel gives us the right sound and impact live, yet it still retains the all important clarity in riffs and harmonies. We played around with tunings when we first started out but Drop B just sounded right for us as a band.

At the moment we use ESP & Blackmachine guitars, Peavey 6505 and Hughes & Kettner Warp X guitar heads along with Messa Boogie Rectifier or peavey 6505 cabinets. I personally have always loved the Peavey 5150 and 6505 guitar heads, where as Paul has always favoured the more bass driven Hughes & Kettner heads. Our sounds live just works for us I suppose as Pauls tone is more Bass driven, where as mine is more Middle and Treble based with some bottom end thrown in for luck. The two sets of tones blend in well I guess and give us our sound, we will keep using until we find something else or a sound that works better for us.

LAST YEAR YOU GUYS OFFERED TO EMAIL TWO NEWER SONGS TO FANS THAT WERE INTERESTED FOR FREE. MANY BANDS SEEM TO BE GIVING AWAY FREE SONGS AND EP’S THESE DAYS. WHERE DOES ONE DRAW THE LINE IN YOUR OPINION AND ATTEMPT MAKE THE MONEY BACK YOU SPENT RECORDING THOSE SONGS?

Sometimes it’s just better to get your music out there for fans and people to listen to. With CD’s becoming less of a purchase for many people, getting tracks electronically by purchasing them from stores like Itunes or Play.com has become a lot more popular due to the Ipod and other MP3 players. The idea to give out free tracks can be a very good way for bands to release and give music to fans new and old.

The 2009 sampler that you can email us and get for FREE by sending a blank email message to (free-tides-tracks@live.co.uk) was a good way for us to get our more matured sound in “Emperors” & “The Miasmic Legacies” out to people. With the many online blog spots and free downloads site now all over the internet it does make it harder to make any form of money from releasing music in the form of a CD. Many bands and label’s now release CD’s, E.P’s and Albums in both Hard and Electronic versions to cater for both markets and maximise on their financial gain. I personally think that it’s good to give music away for free as a band progress’s maybe not the most current release but past release’s definitely.

YOU GUYS ALSO SEEM VERY MOTIVATED TO PERFORM LIVE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITH THE BAND HAVING SHARED STAGES WITH SOME REALLY COOL BANDS ALREADY. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO BUILD “WORKING RELATIONSHIPS” WITH THESE BANDS TO ENSURE GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR LIVE SHOWS IN THE FUTURE?

Working relationships go hand in hand with working hard and playing as much as possible, the friendships and bonds made at shows with fans, promoters and other bands are extremely important when it comes to building a solid fan base and reputation. I think that “networking” and building a good relationship with others is very good for bands and promoters in general and the majority of tours, shows and festivals happen due to these friendships and working relationships.

For us playing live is why we do this, from the first ring out to the last note we give it 100%, we are there as a band to perform and that is what we try to do with passion and dedication to anyone that likes our music. Working relationships are just as important in music as they are in any business or organisation and from them greater opportunities can be gained, they are hugely important when trying to work your way up in work, business or music.

THE BAND HAS PROBABLY PERFORMED AT A WIDE VARIETY OF VENUES. DO YOU KIND OF KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU PERFORM AT CERTAIN VENUES CONCERNING THE SOUND AND CROWDS OR ARE THERE ALWAYS A FEW SURPRISES?

We have played with some incredible acts and we are really honoured and proud to have had the opportunities that we have had. With new venues you never really know what to expect when you turn up to a new venue with regards to the crowd size or turnout. The turnout can vary so much now days depending on the location to stations, public transport, weather or promotion. Some venues get a big crowd every night, where as others have to have a lot of promotion for an event as they may be in the middle of nowhere or not near transport.

The sound at most venues is really good, as normally the sound engineer has tweaked the PA and sound system so that they know exactly what to get and how to get it from their rig. As a rule of thumb I would always advise to wear ear plugs when playing live as they help cut out the extra noise and let you hear a lot better the others in your band, this is especially true if the monitors don’t work in the venue!

There can always be surprises when playing at venues you have not played before, Satan’s Hollow in Manchester UK being a good example for us. We were told that the venue was round and so was the stage, but when we arrived we were really intrigued and excited about playing there as playing in a Hell like venue on a round stage with no direct crowd area, was a totally different experience, but one that we still thoroughly enjoyed. Then again there are times when the sound is bad or the venue is tiny or you are playing to only the other bands, the promoter and the venue owner’s dog. You just have to deal with it, make the best of what you have and remember to be grateful that someone has put the show on in the first place and given you the opportunity to play, oh and remember to thank the sound engineer for their effort and time!

DOES THE BAND TAKE UP MOST OF YOUR TIME AT THE MOMENT AND IF YOU HAD TO SWITCH TO A DIFFERENT CAREER WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO?

Tides take’s up a good 99% of my time, with shows, practicing and writing. I work 40 hours a week in a job but its not what I want to do, music is what I enjoy and what I want to do with my life. I am not the type of person who enjoys sitting behind a desk and slaving away at a job that they really don’t like. To fund Tides and do the thing I love most I have to until maybe I can do band full time and survive I will have to work. If I had to switch it would be to a new career, I think it would still be in the music industry, but maybe I would try to do tour driving or promoting shows and even maybe as a full time booking agent.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

I would just like to send out a huge thank you on behalf of all the guys in Tides and myself anyone who has checked us out since day one, anyone who has given us a show to play, floor to sleep on or chance to get out there, this means so much to us and we all really appreciate your support and interest.

“Malevolence” our debut 2010 album is released on Transcend Records as of May 1st. Please come check us out online or at a show and if you can help us out and pick up some merch or our album in May we would be really grateful!

If you would like some free tracks then please send a blank email to:
free-tides-tracks@live.co.uk

And please add us up on these websites:

http://www.myspace.com/tidesofvirtue
http://www.youtube.com/user/tidesofvirtue
http://twitter.com/tidesofvirtue
http://www.last.fm/music/Tides+Of+Virtue

Thanks!
Tides Of Virtue

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL