Give 'Em Hell': Foxtide on Tour Life, Pre-Show Rituals, and Evolving Entropy
All Photos by Kylentookthese
Behind the green room doors at Blume Studios, the atmosphere at Carolina Bloom Music Festival was a chaotic, high-energy cross between a backstage lounge and a buzzing warehouse. Tucked away amidst the whir of air handlers and the distant thrum of festival subwoofers, San Diego indie rock staples Foxtide—vocalist/guitarist Elijah Gibbins-Croft, bassist Oey James, and drummer Ian Robles—were hanging out.
From their earliest days cutting their teeth in southern California's DIY house show scene to headlining sold-out rooms across North America, the band has built a reputation on pure, unfiltered sonic adrenaline. Yet sitting down with them backstage, the vibe was surprisingly easygoing—and hilariously unpretentious.
Transitioning from packed, sweaty basement shows to massive outdoor festival stages can throw off a lot of bands, but Foxtide approaches every stage with the same primal mechanism.
"I think it might be one of the only ways we know how to play," Elijah admitted, laughing. "Any time we plug in, it's like... that's how it's going to be."
"Ian's loud as fuck, so it's hard not to move around," Elijah added with a grin.
While massive festivals can sometimes feel sterile or detached, Carolina Bloom struck a different chord for the group. For Foxtide, the Charlotte festival felt distinctively intimate—a sentiment shared across the weekend's lineup.
"It feels like a proto-festival... the start of their festival," Elijah noted. "It feels fresh and new."
"It felt very homey," Oey chimed in, reflecting on seeing familiar faces on the lineup, including tour mates like Ax and the Hatchetmen and Quarters of Change. "I'd say like a really high-end house party. In like a Costco, though. With no samples."
"And an egg roll booth," Ian chimed in.
"And a giant globe!" Elijah laughed, referencing the venue's oversized decor. "They got the proportions right... I always look for that on a globe. Africa is fucking huge."
When asked about their pre-show rituals, the banter took an immediate turn into band lore. Before mentioning their actual routine, Elijah joked that their preparation usually involved "the human sacrifice every time... necessary, but weird."
Once the jokes cleared out, the trio shared the actual habit that keeps them grounded through relentless touring: shared physical alignment and mental reset.
"I think my favorite one has been the massage before the set," Ian shared. "Like a shoulder rub or something. It really takes any tension built up over tour amongst each other and it just kind diffuses in that moment. It's like, 'Okay, we're going to have a great fucking show.'"
"We were touching all our heads together for a while," Oey added. "Synchronizing. Getting on the same wavelength."
"Giving 'em hell" remains Elijah's go-to mantra right before stepping onto the stage, ensuring that whether they are playing a 200-cap venue or a festival crowd, zero energy is left on the table.
For a band whose fans eagerly track every setlist change, balancing classic crowd-pleasers with new material from their latest album, Entropy, is a deliberate dance. While certified staples like "My Favorite Girl Loves Reading" and "Pilot Wings" remain untouchable mainstays, the band thrives on letting live arrangements mutate over time.
"From playing songs over and over again, they change naturally in our live set," Ian explained. "We'll do a half-time breakdown or something different."
When it comes to fan favorites from the new record, the audience reaction has been immediate. Tracks like "Wait It Out," "Start of Nothing," and the album's sweeping opening track "Days Move Slow" have quickly taken over the crowd's collective voice.
"I like starting the shows with the album intro," Elijah said. "People realize, 'Oh, this is how the album starts,' and it sets that high point right away."
Tours often force bands into tight quarters with artists they've never met before, but Foxtide's easygoing camaraderie tends to rub off on whoever shares their bill. Reflecting on past tours alongside groups like RC Drive, the band recalled the gradual process of breaking the ice on the road.
"At first, there's a little bit of feeling each other out," Elijah remembered. "By the end, we were all super close. Their singer even told us, 'I didn't think I'd like you guys, but I really like you!'"
"Everyone we've toured with, we've gotten along with," Oey noted.
As our conversation wrapped up, the ambient noise from the stage outside began to swell—a reminder that another set was about to start. With their pre-show huddle just minutes away, Foxtide headed back toward the lights, ready to turn a Charlotte warehouse stage into another chaotic, unforgettable house party.
