ARTIST STORY
EDITORS.
With Editors, the movement often comes before the comfort. A short guitar line, a bass that keeps pressing, drums that leave no room to stand still. Then Tom Smith starts to sing. His low voice gives that restlessness weight, while the melody slowly opens up the room. There, between tension and relief, this band lives.
IMAGE CREDIT: Stig Nygaard · Tom Smith of Editors, Roskilde Festival, 29 June 2006 · via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Responsively cropped.
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Open in Spotify ↗FROM STAFFORD, TOWARDS THE NIGHT
Editors formed in 2002 in Stafford and subsequently built their own sound from Birmingham. On the 2005 debut The Back Room, it immediately took on sharp contours. In Munich, the guitar cuts through the rhythm; in Blood, repetition and momentum work like a motor. Smith does not need to sing above it constantly. It is precisely his restrained delivery that makes the outbursts palpable.
The early records have the tight lines of post-punk, but also choruses that can carry a full room. Listen to how little a guitar figure needs to become recognizable. The space around it matters too. Bass and drums hold the pressure, while the vocals let something vulnerable in. This allows you to dance to the same music and turn completely inward for a moment.
A BIGGER CHORUS, A DIFFERENT MOTOR
An End Has a Start reached number one on the British album charts in 2007. With Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors, the band sounds more spacious: piano, rising tension, and a chorus that slowly breaks free. It is a natural expansion of their debut, without the nervousness disappearing.
On In This Light and on This Evening from 2009, synthesizers move to the fore. Papillon shows how much physical energy is in it. The electronic repetition gives Smith a different backdrop, but the tension between dark sound and inviting melody remains recognizable. Those who only know the early singles will find a second entry point here.
Even after that, the sound keeps moving. The Weight of Your Love seeks out the broad band sound; In Dream gives electronics more room to breathe. Via Violence, that route leads to the distinctly danceable world of EBM. Put Munich next to Heart Attack and hear how the means change, while the need for tension remains.
THE VOICE REMAINS CLOSE
Editors currently consists of Tom Smith, Russell Leetch, Ed Lay, Justin Lockey, and Elliott Williams. Together they combine guitars, keyboards, and rhythm with a voice that can sound close even in a large arrangement. This makes their records suitable for listening through completely: the next song can change the temperature without taking you out of the same world.
ONE THING YOU DIDN’T KNOW.
Before Editors was on the cover, the band tried the names Pilot, The Pride, and Snowfield. The final name therefore only came after several attempts. Behind those concise letters lies a longer lead-up than the confident debut suggests.
THE FACTS
Stafford, England
Justin Lockey · Elliott Williams
An End Has a Start at number one in the UK
ESSENTIAL DISCOGRAPHY
The seven released original studio albums, in chronological order. The announced Surface, Echo & Sound follows and therefore stands apart from this series.
- 2005The Back Room
- 2007An End Has a Start
- 2009In This Light and on This Evening
- 2013The Weight of Your Love
- 2015In Dream
- 2018Violence
- 2022EBM
FAQ
Where do Editors come from?
Editors formed in Birmingham, England. The members met during their studies in music technology at Staffordshire University.
Who is the singer of Editors?
Tom Smith is the singer and one of the central songwriters of Editors. His dark baritone, alongside the layered guitars and later synthesizers, defines the band's recognizable sound.
With which album did Editors break through?
The Back Room from 2005 was the debut and quickly brought the group to attention. Songs like Munich and Blood combined post-punk tension with big melodies.
What musical style do Editors make?
Editors started as an indie rock and post-punk band, but later took on a more pronounced electronic side. This development is clearly audible on In This Light and on This Evening and the albums that followed.
Why did Editors' sound change?
After the first guitar records, the band consciously sought new forms and more synthesizers. This meant that the dark atmosphere remained, but the rhythm, texture, and production changed from record to record.
Which Editors record is good on vinyl?
The Back Room is the best starting point for the early guitar phase, while An End Has a Start builds out the big choruses. Those who want to hear the electronic side can start with In This Light and on This Evening.
View the artist page for Editors for vinyl releases and more to discover.
Read on in POST-PUNK and INDIE ROCK.
THE FINAL WORD.
DARK, WITH THE DOOR OPEN.
Start with Munich and then let Papillon continue. You hear two facets of the same band: music that does not smooth over restlessness, but finds a rhythm and a melody for it.
Listen and read on via Editors – Surface, Echo and Sound (1LP, Coloured Vinyl), Editors – Surface, Echo and Sound (1LP Vinyl).
