Sunday, 7 January 2024

The Archive Index

"Don't let it get lost..."

Welcome to the Lemming Archive.

What you'll find here is everything that I have ferociously, and often indiscriminately collected by the UK band Editors since I first became a fan in 2006. There's no officially released material here as it's not my intention to take money out of anybody's pocket. What it does contain are live shows, interviews, television appearances and some other memorabilia that isn't quite as easy to categorise (Editors condom tin, anyone?). The whole idea in setting this blog up was to assemble everything in one place so that other Editors fans would be able to delve into the band's history, as well as catching up with their current activities. The links below will help you do that.

Whether you've been an Editors fan for a while or you've only just discovered them, I'm really glad you're here. Have a look around and take whatever you want, support the band and most importantly of all enjoy the music ;)

The Lemming Archive - Table of Contents
For hidden extras, scroll down to "Covert Shares"

Editors in 2003 (as Snowfield)

 
 

 
 

 

The Lemming Archive (main blog)
 

The Archive on Twitter (for updates and news)
 

The Archive on YouTube (for all hosted videos)

 

Editors' online message board

 

The Lemming Archive's email address
 

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x

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Sunday, 31 December 2023

Editors Instagram - October 2024

 


Very little to download this month, but there's still something fairly weighty to consider. As usual, Justin and Elliott were the main contributors to the pool of digital memories during October. Yet with only three photographs posted, Tom has positioned himself as the focal point in Editors' universe. He appears to have been recording with Iain Archer, a man with whom he has previous musical history. What we don't know is the nature of the collaboration, but there is definitely something happening. If you want to hear a very brief sample of what the two have been working on you can listen here. Other than that, details are sketchy. More waiting, I'm afraid. We're used to it...

Editors Instagram  - October 2024

For all of Editors' other Instagram posts, go here.

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x 
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Editors Instagram - September 2024

 



Initially, I believed that September would be a very quiet month indeed given that Editors are now officially on a pause of indeterminate length. I envisaged 30 days which would offer us photos from Elliott and Justin but not a lot else, and I was partially correct. What I hadn't accounted for was that Tom would drop by the Radio 2 studios on the 14th to help Dermot O'Leary celebrate 20 years in his post at that station. He brought his trusty acoustic guitar and performed Papillon, as well as giving a very brief interview, all of which you can check out here.

September saw Elliott was in a celebratory mood as his burgeoning noodle empire, New Wave Ramen, turned 1 year old. Congratulations, Sir. As predicted, Justin was busy but his actual level of activity means that any accusations of occupying a life of unfulfilled potential can never be levelled at him. There's a trend to viewing any band as being the sole, stabilising force to all the members who act as satellites around it. They are that group, it's bigger than them (for better or for worse) and aside from it they are civilians living more sedate lives. 

In 2005 I imagine that Editors was just that monolithic connection between  all four of its members. They worked, rehearsed and played in the service of advancing the group further and reaching their audience. All waking hours spent, and presumably some that should have been used for sleep but ended up being repurposed, were to a singular goal. Outside of that was "normality", light and shade/black and white. In 2024, however, Editors has really grown into an entity with a much more varied palette. It's become a collective of individuals, the majority of whom may now only view it as one of several ongoing projects. Justin Lockey is the embodiment of that ethos. 

As well as travelling, photographing, writing screenplays, playing music etc etc, Justin actually co-runs an independent record label and co-manages a band on said imprint. I reached out to Physical Education Records just to be sure that was the case and sure enough, Justin is still very much involved and particularly in the career of October Drift. For a human that struggles with anxiety his output is remarkable. A schedule that would finish off lesser men seems to be the very thing that keeps him closer to sanity. I remember reading an interview with Henry Rollins in which he was asked about his own aversion to standing still too long:-

"I'm always kind of doing something — there's never really any downtime," he said. "And I'm not trying to impress you with my workload."


Unfortunately, and yet unsurprisingly, there is no Editors news. Dermot did say he was trying to work with Edith to get Tom and Andy Burrows back together for a Christmas thing, a suggestion that was not dismissed by the man himself. We shall see. 
 
Editors Instagram - September 2024

For all of Editors' other Instagram posts, go here.

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x 
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Dermot O'Leary Show 14th September 2024

 

There are a few moments of symmetry during this broadcast by Dermot, as he celebrated 20 years of working at Radio 2. His time there runs in parallel with Editors' very existence, but there's another connection here. Back in 2005 the band released a song called Let Your Good Heart Lead You Home, which was co-produced with Elbow. Who was also a guest on this show? Guy Garvey. You think the world is a huge place and then these instances of intimacy happen to remind you that it can actually be quite small.  

Tom has been on the Dermot O'Leary show lots of times, and done some interesting cover versions which have included Justin Timberlake and The Weeknd. Being that you're reading the ramblings of a seriously addicted Editors fan, you'll be unsurprised to learn that I have them all at the Archive and you can check them out using these links:-


There was a little bit of chat here, and it was confirmed that the last date on the present tour was indeed the end of the EBM campaign. Beyond that, nothing has been revealed about future planning. There was a solo-acoustic performance of Papillon which turns 15 this year. Good lord. Enjoy the music and the conversation.  


MP3 of Papillon

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love ;) x
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2 songs live at AMA Festival 25th August 2024 (Mari's recording)

 


Are you missing them yet? 

If your answer is in the affirmative, I can help to scratch that itch. Here are two tracks from Editors' set at AMA festival in Italy, on the 25th August 2024. It was filmed from the barrier directly in front of the band by previous contributor, and long-time friend of the Archive, Mari. If you're an Italian fan of Editors then you can check out the fan community there using these links:-


What we have here are the official cover-version from the recently completed EBM campaign, Killer, as well as track number 2 from the In Dream album (which will be...gulp...ten years old next year), Ocean of Night. I hope this acts as a comfort in these bleak times of separation anxiety.

Enjoy the music ;)


brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love ;) x
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Editors Instagram - August 2024

 

Photo by Alessia Cosentini

The EBM tour finally reached its conclusion at the Codru festival in Romania, on the 30th of August 2024. This was the closing date to a series of promotional appearances that have spanned just under two years and we now have edgy, anticipatory joys of waiting for the next move by Editors. The final show was not without some...challenges, however, as the band's equipment was stuck in traffic and failed to make it to the venue on time for their set. Rather than bailing out entirely, Tom fulfilled the live obligation on his own. This was very interesting for two reasons.

Although we don't know what future proposals and agreements are being fashioned in 6 civilian lives there was a very big hint dropped by Ed in a back stage interview at Montreux last month.  If he's correct, then Tom could very well be about to shoulder the artistic burdens of creating music alone, a contrast to the more collaborative methodology of the last 20 years or so. Was this gig and unintended indicator of the way things are heading, forced from circumstances beyond the band's control? 

Secondly, this surprise finale to the EBM tour acts as a statement that aside from all the studio precision and production it took to get that collection of songs to retail-standard, their core is inherently human. A tour promoting such a frenetic, machine-driven album birthed from distant, online assembly between participants during a pandemic ended very quietly with just a songwriter and his guitar. The very essence of where all of this began.

Time for a side-note.

The biggest music news of August, unless you were deep underwater searching for Atlantis and missed it, was that Oasis are getting back together. I'm mentioning this in a blog about Editors because...Tom used to play Talk Tonight by that band way, way before he ever even met the other 3 members of the band at university. 

I would love to hear a recording of it, but alas I think that's as likely as getting to hear Dream Dark as Your Heaven (nope, still not forgotten).  

The point is that they were an influence on him, in the same was that R.E.M. were and they also reformed (albeit briefly) back in June. The connection there that is two of Tom Smith's primary musical motivators who eventually led to him being in Editors reunited in 2024.  It's a year of circles being completed.

There's nothing to do now but submit to the familiar pause that's been activated, and hope there's something on the other side of it. I expect the official output on Instagram to dwindle somewhat (apart from Elliott and Justin who are always cooking something visually) but I'll still be here. Hope you all will too. 


Editors Instagram - August 2024

For all of Editors' other Instagram posts, go here.

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x 
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Sziget Festival 11th August 2024

 


OK, please bear in mind that I had to watch Sam Smith in order to get this. Yes, that's the level of sacrifice I'll undergo for you all. You're welcome.

Just to make things more spicy, and for once making this a problem on their end rather than mine, the festival's live stream rebroadcast clipped out Heart Attack for some reason. They let it start, then they stopped it very abruptly.  Not only that, Picturesque wasn't shown at all despite it definitely being played. 


Aside from all of that...

Next month will be the two year anniversary of the EBM album being released, and this is one of the closing shows marking the end of that promotional campaign. Mentally, I think that for Editors the touring cycle was already concluded months ago, and that spring/summer 2024 has been an opportunity to just get together, travel and deliver their music directly. After all, at its' machine-driven heart this is the core of what this band we enthuse over so rabidly is about; a reputation constructed while people watched and listened in real time.  Editors are a stronger force and shine at their (dark) brightest when they conjure their creations in front of a crowd.  

This was the band playing on the Revolut stage at the Sziget festival in Hungary, on the 11th August 2024.  As you would expect from almost two years of running through these songs, everything is tight and precise. Watching ERM=BD here reminded me so much of the 2009 tour for In This Light and on This Evening, with the band all switching out their instruments, often mid-song. And did you notice Tom anticipating climbing onto his piano towards the end of that track? A decision he wisely decided against, considering "that fall" in 2017. 

We saw what could be one of the last pro-shot performances of Killer, given that Editors' cover versions often vanish after each successive tour round. The ending of Papillon looks like exactly what I imagine they had in mind for the aborted festival set that was scheduled just before the pandemic hit, with a reworked dance-friendly version of Editors songs being enjoyed in a rave atmosphere. This giant sweaty tent full of people going nuts to sounds that should be making them dissolve in a pool of their own  tears.

Enjoy the music ;)


MP3s
Strawberry Lemonade - download here
An End Has a Start - download here
Sugar - download here
Bones - download here
ERM=BD - download here
Karma Climb - download here
A Ton of Love - download here
Killer - download here
Munich - download here
Smokers - download here
Ocean of Night - download here
Papillon - download here

All in a Zip - download here

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love ;) x
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