In the Spotlight: Editors reconnect with their roots on new album ‘Surface, Echo & Sound’

Formed in Stafford in 2002, British rock band Editors emerged as one of the defining acts of the mid-2000s post-punk revival. Led by the distinctive baritone vocals of frontman Tom Smith, the band quickly established a signature sound built on angular guitars, driving rhythms, atmospheric keyboards and emotionally charged songwriting.

Their 2005 debut, The Back Room, became a commercial breakthrough, earning a Mercury Prize nomination and introducing standout tracks such as “Munich” and “Bullets”. Its 2007 follow-up, An End Has a Start, reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and featured the hit single “Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors”. Editors continued to evolve with In This Light and on This Evening (2009), embracing darker synthesiser textures before exploring increasingly expansive electronic soundscapes on subsequent albums.

Following the departure of founding guitarist Chris Urbanowicz in 2012, Justin Lockey and Elliott Williams joined the group, helping shape its changing musical identity. Albums including In Dream (2015), Violence (2018) and EBM (2022) demonstrated the band’s willingness to experiment while retaining its characteristic intensity.

With Smith, bassist Russell Leetch, drummer Ed Lay, Lockey and Williams, Editors have built a career spanning more than two decades, balancing brooding atmospheres, arena-sized choruses and deeply human themes.

Today, Editors return with Surface, Echo & Sound, their eighth studio album and a fresh chapter in the band’s evolution. Reconnecting with their roots, the quintet embraced a more organic, collaborative songwriting process, bringing renewed warmth and immediacy to their atmospheric rock. Featuring singles “Call It In” and “The Rush”, the 11-track record finds Editors exploring connection, resilience, and the comfort of human relationships.

**********

Editors: ‘Surface, Echo & Sound’