MAGHERAFELT, CO. DERRY 2002 -
OVERVIEW
Way back in 2002, Paul McMillan went to rehearse with Paul Quinn in a classic rock covers band. Friends since childhood, we were unaware that the other had become a musician. When the band broke up soon after we started to write and record on our own. In the winter of 2002 we had some radio play on Radio Ulster show Across the Line with a demo of the song Something New. Although many bands in the North have been played on this show, our recording was recorded in Paul's house using one mic. The comments from the DJ's and the people who heard it spurred us on and we decided it might be time to get more serious. Recruiting a full time bassist took some time until Owen (the singer and guitarist for the much loved "Rockers Guide") offered his services. We clicked immediately and with numerous gigs in Magherafelt, Toome, Belfast and Downpatrick under our belts, we felt it was time to commit ourselves to CD. Four days spent with Neal Caulderwood in Manor Park Studios during July and August of 2004 produced our first EP.

The same month we featured in the A-Z of best unsigned bands booklet released by musicbest records. After we released our ep we gained airplay again on Radio Ulster and Queens radio with the track Rhythm and Soul. We were also playlisted on internet station Incognito Radio with the song Still Worth Fighting For. All this accompanied by constant gigging around the country in venues like the spring & airbrake has gained us respect and admiration from people all over the north.

In the late part of 2004 we were asked to be part of the unsigned stars project by liverpool label chromium records. Rhythm and soul featured on the cd released in january of 2005.)

In early 2005 we were asked to be part of "the collective." This is a network of touring bands over uk and ireland. Picked from around 700 bands we are one of 12 founding members (also the youngest and only irish band). The Collective is ran by crushed roc records.

April 2005 seen us go back to neal caulderwood to record our second ep. It feels like more of a band record this time round with Pepe and Owen writing for it and the band taking more control over the production.

Released in July 2005, the ep has already gained alot of radio play across NI. Sonya Mac on Cool Fm(Northern Irelands biggest station) has been singing our praises by calling us "the best band in the country." She has played On Our Way on her evening show. The Across The Line team on Radio Ulster have again played us, as has Mid 106 Fm, Citybeat, U105fm and RADIO 1. We recorded an acoustic live session for Mid 106 and also done an interview, taking over an hour of their lunch time show. The dj James Devlin on Mid 106 has also played Happy Homecoming, How Does It Feel and Keep it Going. Articles on us have also featured in ME magazine, Big Buzz magazine and Mid Mag.

After gigging solidly for nearly 2 years we took a step back at the start of 2006 to concentrate more on writing and recording. We reached the final of ATL rockschool which was a programme run by BBC2 for bands under the age of 21. The final was filmed in bbc studios in Belfast in Feb 2006 with the editor of kerrang, mtv presenters and some cunt from busted as the judges. Broadcast at the end of March, the show was a huge sucess gaining well above average ratings. We wound up winning the show and a much wider audience is now taking note of the tides. Every major paper in NI covered the show with full page articles in the sunday people, sunday life, daily mirror, belfast telegraph etc. Interviews with citybeat, radio 1, radio ulster, u105fm has also helped elevate us. With slots lined up for T Vital festival this summer (with some 15,000 people there) and a slot at Manchesters unsigned bands festival, things are looking good. The summer of 2006 will see us back in the studio and our first video will also be filmed.

This should only be the start and hopefully as time goes on, we'll get bigger, brighter and better. We encourage you to contact us for whatever reason, and the greatest compliment we can have is for you to leave your feedback in the guestbook. Even if you don't like it, showing that you spent time to analyze it is all we ask.

2002
- Band formed
2004
- Release of 'The Tides' E.P.
2005
- Release of 'On Our Way' E.P. [July]
2006
- The Tides perform as part of the Hard Working Class Heroes Festival in Dublin [13 - 15 October]
2007
- Release of 'One For The Man Over There' album [01 February]