IF the sounds of Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Jonas Blue and Calvin Harris are to your taste, Riptide are a covers band you really need to check out — and you can do just that on Friday, November 17 when they roll up for their debut gig at The Wharf.

Ellie Hudson caught up with them for a quick chat ahead of the gig.

Where are you from and when did you get together?

‘We are based around Plymouth, with our guitarist from Tavistock. We formed in early 2017.’

Tell us who is who and what roles they play within the band?

‘The band was a concept dreamed up myself, Steve Granger, the drummer. Having spent some time listening to modern chart music, mostly due to a job change where I found myself in the company of Radio 1, I decided it would be a great idea to put a band together covering some of this stuff. I had a very clear idea of how I wanted things to pan out.

‘I ran the idea past my good friend Simon Griffiths, bassist, since we had played in a couple of bands together previously and I knew he was capable and dependable. He decided to get on-board and so the foundations were laid.

‘Next, we required a competent acoustic guitarist, since acoustic guitars are probably more prominent in pop music now than electric guitars. I got really lucky here because I had gone to a Movember night at The Rock in Yelverton where, as luck would have it, I met James Hardman. We’ve known each other for years, having spent hours jamming and even done some small gigs in the past with Simon also. His previous band had folded not long before, so I ran the idea past him and he just said count me in!

‘So this was great, I had assembled the three musicians needed, I just needed a vocalist and not just any vocalist! Modern chart music requires someone to fit the bill, both in ability to hit the high notes and with a great frontman persona. The ads went out with a load of interest and Jason Ward was first up for audition. Well, after a couple of songs we knew we had our man! I guess some things are meant to happen and we were able to gel with no effort.’

You describe yourselves as an acoustic covers band, does this entail a stripped back version of popular songs incorporating your own interpretation?

‘This is exactly what it is. Modern chart music is heavily engineered but as with all music, you can take it back to basics and then build it up with the tools you have available. As a musician it’s very rewarding to try to create a credible cover, but it gives you the freedom to funk it up a bit.

‘Our process involves us all listening to the chosen track and then just playing it from what we have heard. It’s an organic approach which makes you think and pushes you to be creative. We try to follow the charts and pick up on new stuff that we think will work and so our set constantly evolves. So many bands stay stuck with their set, but we love the challenge and the excitement of playing new music all the time. This is something which seems to be helping us go from strength to strength.

Is there any original material going on between you all?

‘There is no original material, maybe one day, who knows, although, because of our approach you could say that some of these songs are original covers of popular songs!

What sort of music are you covering?

‘We cover modern chart music only, the oldest song being about four years old I think.

‘Our intention is to stay as current as possible and keep a look out for great music of today to play.

‘Anyone who comes to see us will hear songs that they may have heard on Radio 1 that day. If you enjoy chart music, you are gonna love us!

Is Riptide a fun project or are you hoping for domination on a local level?

‘Riptide is, and will always be fun. The music is fun and the vibe is fun, but we take it seriously as performers. We want to entertain you. It gives us a great buzz.

’Our intention is to definitely become a household name on a local level and we will continue to put a load of effort into making that happen.

’We have some exciting stuff in the pipeline (I can’t say too much now) but for the time being we will push on and give it our best!’