The Tyde - Biography
BY Marcus Kagler
Once upon a time, surfing and rock music had a serendipitous relationship as each used the other as a stepping stone into popular culture. One can thank the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, and countless other Southern California based iconoclasts for linking the sun bleached danger and rush of surfing with saccharine rock hooks just as each was coming into their own. Neil Young even caught the bug by finding inspiration for his 1975 album, Zuma (Reprise) from Malibu’s famous Zuma Beach. By the early 90’s, however, the link between surfing and rock music had begun to wither. Although bands like Sublime and Pearl Jam would often reference the sport, the true spirit and nature of surfing was somehow lost in the post grunge angst.
Wallowing in Southern California’s anglophile predilections while touching on the mellow country rock of the late 60’s Laurel Canyon scene, The Tyde brought the sunshine and pop back into surfing and rock’s tenuous relationship. If Lloyd Cole somehow wound up on the same Southern California beach as CSNY chances are they would write songs that sound a lot like what The Tyde have been doing for the past ten years. The seeds of the band began in the early the 90’s when vocalist/guitarist Darren Rademaker and his bassist brother Brent formed the dense psychedelic shoegazer outfit Further. The band gained cult status in the Los Angeles area but by 1998 the Rademaker brothers had turned their efforts toward the sunny pop rock that reflected their love for surfing. Brent brought guitarist David Scher and drummer Chris Gunst from his full time band, the psychedelic alt-country outfit Beachwood Sparks, into the fold while outside guitarist Ben Knight and organ/keyboard player Ann Do solidified the lineup. The debut full length, Once (2001 Track & Field/Dell’Orso), drew critical accolades for its mellow pop melodies and subtle experimentation. The Tyde subsequently signed to the renowned and newly rebooted indie label Rough Trade Records and released The Blood Brothers EP (2002 Rough Trade). Before recording a sophomore effort Scher officially left the group although he continued to contribute to future Tyde recordings. Meanwhile, Gunst also exited the band to form Mystic Chords of Memory and was replaced by Ric Menck. Twice (2003 Rough Trade) tightened up the band’s sound for a more melodic and solid effort, again earning the band critical praise. The Tyde stopped by Amoeba Hollywood on August 12, 2003 for a memorable in-store performance in support of the album.
The band took an extended hiatus for the next three years while individual members focused on outside projects. Three’s Co. (2006 Rough Trade) featured special guest artists like Mickey Madden of Maroon 5 and Conor Deasy of The Thrills while also broadening The Tyde’s pop horizons by introducing a splash of new wave and orchestral pop into their sound. The Tyde has remained relatively quiet ever since although they do continue to tour throughout Southern California when not surfing.