Editors

Editors formed in Birmingham in 2002, Tom Smith's deep, resonant vocals and the band's dark, atmospheric post-punk sound giving them a quality that was immediately distinctive. They signed to Kitchenware Records and released their debut album 'The Back Room' (2005) — one of the most acclaimed British debuts of the year. The Joy Division and Cure comparisons were inevitable and not entirely unfair.

'The Back Room' was an immediate statement of intent. 'Bullets', 'Munich', 'Blood', and 'All Sparks' were all excellent singles. The album reached number three and established Editors as one of the most important British bands of their generation. Smith's voice — deep, intense, and possessed of a genuine gravitas — was unlike anything else in the mid-2000s indie scene.

'An End Has a Start' (2007) reached number one. Editors have continued to record and tour with remarkable consistency, their sound evolving towards a more electronic direction. 'In Dream' (2015) and 'Violence' (2018) were both strong late-career albums. They remain one of the most consistently excellent British bands of their generation.