After a summer of early-morning surf sessions, reading, writing, and jamming for friends and passersby at midnight rooftop gatherings, California-based Cody Simpson & the Tide have released their new EP, Wave One, via Entertainment One (eOne). Pulling inspiration from surf music, rock music, and psychedelia to provide a vivid snapshot of a carefree summer, the EP perfectly encapsulates Venice Beach and the sun-kissed streets of Southern California where it was penned. Like its namesake, Wave One ebbs and flows between songs of surf rock gallops and irresistible energy, to songs of breezy beats, provocative hooks, and even acoustic sixties-style call-and-response. CLICK HERE to listen.
“The majority of the music started with riffs I was writing,” Cody recalls. “It was different for me. ‘Waiting for the Tide’ began as a poem that I wrote about the sea level rise and humanity’s attitude towards environmental issues. ‘Tell Me Why’ is really the most vulnerable I’ve ever been, and ‘Ramona’ hinges on this really crazy transition. Every song speaks to a different side of who I am.”
Australian-born Cody Simpson has had an impressive career to date. His 2013 album Surfer’s Paradise featured collaborations with Ziggy Marley and Asher Roth and landed in the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200. He toured Europe and the U.S. as direct support for Justin Bieber and released his official autobiography, Welcome To Paradise: My Journey, through Harper Collins. Along the way, he performed on television programs including The Today Show, Live! with Kelly, Late Late Show with James Corden, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. For the 2015 World Games, Cody partnered with The Coca-Cola Company, Founding Partner of Special Olympics, to record a unified song titled “Reach Up,” and carried the torch for Australia in the 2016 World Olympics in Rio. His latest album, Free (2015).
In many ways, Cody Simpson has been working towards the Tide for his entire career. “The reason behind the name was I wanted this body of work to be an audio replication of what the Tide is as an element of nature,” he leaves off. “During that one summer, I had so many revelatory experiences. I wanted to be an exemplar of the Tide’s flow. It was about taking people back to that primitive innocence and being able to appreciate that. Music is the best vehicle to do so.”
See below for Cody Simpson & the Tide California coast tour dates. They will also be taking residency at The Peppermint Club in Los Angeles, holding free shows on October 13 and 27.
West Coast Tour Dates:
*non-ticketed shows
October 17 Anaheim, CA @ Parish Room at HOB
October 18 Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones
October 13 Los Angeles, CA @ Peppermint Club*
October 19 San Diego, CA @ Irenic
October 22 San Luis Obispo, CA @ SLO Brew
October 23 Santa Cruz, CA @ Atrium at Catalyst
October 24 San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
October 27 Los Angeles, CA @ Peppermint Club*
About rj frometa
Head Honcho, Editor in Chief and writer here on VENTS. I don't like walking on the beach, but I love playing the guitar and geeking out about music. I am also a movie maniac and 6 hours sleeper.