Tidal End is an Indie Pop outfit that emerged in 2021 with a debut performance at Glasgow’s COP26. From there, the band cultivated their sound and dynamic live show by gigging relentlessly throughout the UK, playing iconic venues, such as St Luke’s and King Tut’s. In 2023, their debut EP, Face to Face, showcased a set of anthemic Indie Rock tracks that blended soaring melodies with emotive lyrics – drawing comparisons to the likes of Sam Fender and The War on Drugs. In 2024, they released the introspective “Some Kind of Love Song,” revealing a deeper and more vulnerable edge to their songwriting. After a brief hiatus, Tidal End return in 2025 with “By Design” and “worth it!,” marking a shift, sonically and lyrically, from their earlier sound – trading their Indie Rock roots for synth-driven Pop. This evolution is matched by a reimagined live experience designed to encapsulate the themes explored by the bands reinvention, opening a new chapter for them that is both visually and sonically vibrant.
With “worth it!” out now, we took some time to hear from Tidal End. Read below to learn more about Tidal End, the story behind “worth it!” and what’s to come.
Hi! Let’s start with how did the band’s name come about?
Hello! We actually went through a few different names before we landed on this one. The story behind it is a bit random – Cami was in a hospital waiting room, about to visit a family member, and saw a medical chart explaining something sciency called “End-Tidal.” We thought it looked and sounded really interesting, so we just flipped it around and got our name – it’s sort of ambiguous and weird, which made it stick with us straight away.
What city are you all from, and where are you all based now?
We’re all based in Glasgow, Scotland. Calum and Cami both grew up here, while Dave grew up in Girvan, which is down on the coast of Scotland. Glasgow has always had such a vibrant and eclectic music scene, so we’re pretty lucky to have found ourselves all here at the same time.
How and when did the band form?
We first got together a few years back after crossing paths through work and gigs around Glasgow. I guess we were drawn to each other by a real drive to create music and gig; our humour too. Once we realised how well our personalities and imaginations clicked, it all just came together naturally. Like most bands, it’s been a bit of a journey with ups and downs, but finding our footing again after a short break has really solidified us as a band.
How would you all describe your band’s sound to readers who may not be familiar with you all?
Early on, we were compared to a blend of The 1975 and Sam Fender – which is obviously big compliments. Lately though, our sound has changed quite a bit. We’d probably describe it now as somewhere between Alvvays and Lionel Richie – yeah, in there somewhere.
Who are some of your group’s main musical influences?
Individually, our taste in music is actually quite different, but there are bands and artists that we personally enjoy that also cross over to each others preferences – we draw a lot of inspiration from Alvvays, Big Thief and Radiohead. We love how they all balance vulnerability, atmosphere, and melody in vastly different ways. We’re also big fans of those huge and confident synth hooks and choruses that you get from ‘80s pop, so that era definitely elbows itself into our music too.
Who would be a dream to collaborate with?
Alvvays and Lionel Richie.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your band’s music career so far?
Definitely releasing music after a year-long break – we’d been through a few collective ups and downs. So finally having the confidence to put something different and new for us out into the world again was a massive moment. It felt like a restart more than a continuation, which is what we needed.
What would you all say are the greatest lessons that you’ve all learned so far?
Honestly, the main one has been to not take things too seriously. It’s so easy to get absorbed by opinions and criticisms, but at the end of the day, we’re just a group of friends that create music, and have fun doing so. We want our music to be as authentic as possible, and something that hopefully resonates with people, even if it does so in just a small way.
Now onto “worth it!” What inspired this song?
It’s our sarcastic take on the emotional aftermath of a breakup; it’s meant to be caustic, raw and a bit tongue-in-cheek. We didn’t want to make something that felt polished or overly sentimental – we wanted it to be messy and human, to embody the real reaction that we all have to those breakup situations.
What is “worth it!” about?
The song is about the kind of emotional reckoning that comes after a breakup. The title itself is intentionally sarcastic as by calling the song “worth it!,” we’re kind of implying that it all wasn’t. It’s our way of mocking the tendency to romanticise heartbreak, while also admitting that it does still sting.
What was the creative process like when making “worth it!?”
The creative process for this one was quite raw and chaotic, in the best way possible. We didn’t overthink it – we just sort of let it happen. The song came together in only two studio sessions, which is quite rare for us. We wanted to keep it as close to the original demo because that early version already captured the messy, sarcastic tone that we desired. It felt honest to leave some of that imperfection in.
How long did it take to complete “worth it!?”
From start to finish, the song came together in just two studio sessions. We sensed early on that if we spent too long refining it, we’d end up losing the raw edge and emotion that made it special in the first place. It’s one of those songs that needed to be impulsive and almost unhinged, like you’ve just blurted out all of your thoughts at the one time.
What message or messages do you all hope fans take away from “worth it!” and your band’s music in general?
With our music, we’re not aiming to be perfect or profound all of the time. We just want to create material that feels real and captures moments of emotion, humour, or chaos – things that people can relate to. If someone listens and feels understood or even just laughs at how petty and human it is, then we’ve achieved all that we can. Ultimately, we just hope people find something in it – whether that’s comfort, relief, or just a song they want to play loudly.
What’s next for you all? Are you all working on any upcoming projects, or do you all have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
We’re already back in the studio working on new material that builds on the energy of “worth it!” We’re also currently very invested in developing our live show. We really want something that captures and embodies the themes explored in our last two releases – we’re super focused on making it as visually vibrant as it is sonic…so, keep your eyes and ears peeled everyone!
Where can we follow you all on social media?
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tidalend/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Tidal-End-100084982915740/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tidalend
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tidalend
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/297DUoxs9ZWEDG7qVbPtqu
Thank you all for the great interview; wish you all much continued success!
