'˜We have always seen ourselves as a live band'

No strangers to these shores, rock band Editors are hitting the road again this month and bringing their tour to Belfast's Ulster Hall on October 15.

For 15 years, the band have worked tirelessly to build up their reputation on the music scene and that hard work has certainly paid off, with three of their six albums going platinum.

Their most recent studio album, Violence, was released earlier this year, and has been hailed as the band’s best offering to date.

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And that opinion is certainly shared by drummer Ed Lay, who said it was “the most enjoyable to work on”.

He added: “It pulls from all the other albums - the key thing was the balance of everything we learnt over the last 15 years.”

The band do not take their success lightly, and Ed admits it has been hard work. However, they are grateful for the success and the opportunities they’ve been given. “We have done a number of visits to refugee camps in recent years with Oxfam, and theymade me think of what impact we can have to make people’s lives a bit better,” revealed Ed.

“I feel more socially responsible than I did years ago. I don’t want to ram my political and social thoughts down anyone’s throat, but we should do what we can to put some goodness into other people’s lives.”

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After having a month off in September, Ed is looking forward to getting the band back together and getting their “gig heads” on, ready for an extensive tour of the UK in support of their new album.

Despite admitting that it is difficult to be away from his wife and children for a prolonged period, Ed is thrilled to be making a return to Belfast, and revealed it was a Northern Irish band that sparked his love of live music “I first went to see Therapy? when I was about 13 and I always remember that feeling of walking into a venue and being surrounded by a mass of people seeing a band they adore.

“We have always seen ourselves as a live band and it’s the reason I got into one in the first place. Belfast is a beautiful place to play.”

The band are showing no signs of slowing down and are already planning to start recording again in the New Year.

“There’s never any let up,” added Ed,

Tickets for the Belfast show are on sale now.