The Tide

L.A. pop/rock quartet the Tide were put together specifically to support the Vamps on their 2015 world tour, but ended up a popular draw in their own right. The group's members were recruited online. Guitarist and lead vocalist Austin Corini, an L.A. native, had been on the American X Factor in 2012, initially as a solo artist and then in the group Playback. Guitarist Drew Dirksen and drummer Nate Parker, from Ohio, had played together in a band called All the Above. Bassist Levi Jones, from Pennsylvania, had made a name for himself posting covers on YouTube, solo and with the band Almost Adults. Much like the Vamps, they peddled a roughed-up version of boy band pop, playing their own instruments and co-writing many of their songs. They were introduced to the world via a series of YouTube videos in which they covered tracks by the likes of One Direction, Shawn Mendes, and DNCE. In 2015, they toured the world with the Vamps and were readily embraced by a large chunk of that band's young fan base, who followed them avidly on social media. Signed to the Vamps' imprint, Steady Records, and then to Capitol, they released a slew of singles, all of which ended up on their 2017 debut album Young Love. ~ John D. Buchanan