Editors' Tom Smith cites touring with R.E.M. as "bucket list moment," calls Michael Stipe an "inspiration"

28 July 2026, 15:21 | Updated: 29 July 2026, 15:12

Editors - The Rush and Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors acoustic | Radio X On The Beach

The Editors frontman spoke to Dan O'Connell ahead of the band's set at Radio X On The Beach last weekend and looked back at some of the band's biggest achievements.

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Tom Smith has cited touring with R.E.M. as a career highlight and praised the band's former Michael Stipe as "beautiful" and inspiring.

Editors supported the alt-legends on their tour dates in 2008 and the Smith has described the 90s band as one of the reasons why his band exists.

The frontman took part in Radio X's Bucket List ahead of their supporting set for The Maccabees at Radio X On The Beach, where he told Dan O'Connell: "[My] bucket list moment was being on stage with R.E.M., you know, and that's a band that is one of the reasons that I'm sat here, you know. [They] made me want to write songs and be in a band."

Asked what Michael Stipe was like, he recalled: "[Lead guitarist] Peter [Buck] and [bassist] Mike [Mills] would kind of, they're kind of more vibes guys, should we say. They, you know, they kind of come and hang out in the dressing room, talk about music or drinking or whatever."

"And Michael would be after the show, and he's kind of predictably a bit more intense," he added of the Losing My Religion singer. "But like when he gave you his attention, it was like eye to eye. Yeah, beautiful man, really kind, and then an inspiration and an amazing singer and lyricist. And yeah, I look back on those times really fondly."

Watch Dan O'Connell's interview with Tom Smith above as well the stripped-back performance of The Rush, which is taken from Editors' forthcoming album Surface, Echo & Sound as well as classic 2007 single Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors above.

Editors' Tom Smith performs in 2006 and Michael Stipe of R.E.M. in 2008. Picture: Alamy/PA Images

2008 also saw Editors play Glastonbury Festival's Pyramid Stage for the first time and Smith revealed he'd love to return to the famous stage on Worthy Farm.

Quizzed where he'd like to perform again, the frontman added: "[It would] be cool to be back on the Pyramid Stage. That was amazing."

He went on: "You know, I always like the look of Red Rocks in, in Colorado, and we did a festival there once and we were playing. We were so excited to be there, but when we got there, we realised our stage was in the car park."

Editors' eighth studio album Surface, Echo & Sound is set for release on October 30th 2026 and is available to pre-order and pre-save here.

See its artwork and tracklist below:

Editors - Surface, Echo & Sound:

Surface, Echo & Sound
Call It In
The Rush
Rescue
Shadow
Real
Happiness
Much Love
Butterfly Wings
Seriously
The Hills We Died Upon

After a string of festival dates this summer, Editors will head out on a UK and European tour next year, with dates which include a stop at the O2 Academy Brixton.

Visit editors-official.com for their full schedule and to buy tickets.