If you're fully committed to your music fandom, and I do mean really committed, you have to acknowledge that it is often irrational. This is only heightened during a band or artist taking a break. You are more sensitive to seeing clues of potential activity everywhere, and usually there are none. Hope dies very slowly. Even with that caveat, May 2025 began with a couple of seemingly very obvious indicators that a hiatus was easing.
Right at the start of the month, Ed marked one year on from the band's last show in Brixton by making a short video which took us into his garden shed. Therein, we saw some drumming-related paraphernalia, some of which had grass clippings on it, before he opened a flight case to reveal more tools of his trade. Ed is not somebody who has historically lived on social media, at least not publicly, so this drew attention immediately. Fan brain ponders "Wait, is something happening?", before the more rational part of that same brain intervenes to remind us that he may have just been spring cleaning.
Justin then posted two clips where he used Agnes Obel's music and a song called Rhubarb by Aphex Twin. Agnes is within Editors' orbit already, having performed a duet with Tom on Smith and Burrows' Funny Looking Angels album. Was this a veiled suggestion of a repeat collaboration? Tom is not averse to singing with a female vocalist on Editors' records (we're looking at you, La Goswell).
Then, after these possible clues, a photograph appeared (see above) with a simple caption accompanying it:-
" First steps. E8. xx"
Confirmation that Editors are back in a room together again. It only got better after that, with Justin sharing some snaps from within a Gloucestershire recording studio/rehearsal space. Everyone is present, apart from Ben, and there are guitars and keyboards. Apart from the importance of the reunion, there's not much else to take away in terms of musical direction or plans to release it.
On that note, the fact that Tom is present would seem to suggest that his long-speculated solo album may be completed and now approaching the final phase of the write-record-release cycle that those attached to record labels must navigate. Once it has a date of final appearance, will he be touring in support of it or was this purely a studio-based venture? Also, how did he differentiate between which songs were good for his own record and those that would sit better as Editors compositions?
Editors Instagram - May 2025
For all of Editors' other Instagram posts, go here.
brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x
