Hightide Era

"The band name Hightide Era refers to both the full and brimming nature of the group's sound and also the ecological realities of the world they live in. Let's not worry too much about whether Inklings actually understand English or not, 'kay? Kay."

- Squid Research Lab Tumblr post

Hightide Era is a three-person piano rock band popular in Inkopolis's indie scene. Their songs were added in Version of. While mainly an indie band, they have a strong fan base and are featured on some famous music stores. Their core fanbase is known as "Eraliens".

Taka
A double-lined fusilier, and the band's pianist and vocalist. They have played the piano since the age of four and grew up with an academic background, but got bored of that world and took to the streets instead. They initially played alone, singing to their own accompaniment, but were later joined by Kuze and then Nishida. Rather than being artistically motivated, they are driven by their desire to be fawned over. They do not show it on the surface, but they are actually superficial. They do not want to put a bassist in the band, as it interferes with the low notes they can hit with their left hand.

Nishida
A herring, and the band's guitarist. They prefer to spend time out of the spotlight and provide the band with a sharp, clean sound. People think they are trying to put on airs, but they do not do it nearly as much as others assume. They hail from the north and are the youngest of 247 siblings. They have gained a solid reputation for their guitar techniques, which are written about in a serialized magazine column.

Kuze
A stonefish, and the band's drummer. He plays on cheap drums, which provide a powerful, albeit messy sound, though it fits well with the other members who are trying to look cool. He likes fashion and designed the band's outfits. He plays Rainmaker in his free time with the team Underpass Bass Drum, composed of him, Ryu Chang and Bertie Feeder.

Trivia

 * Their logo resembles the Japanese character "鰓" (Era), meaning "gill". This references the species of their members as well as the "Era" in their name, which is the same in the Japanese version of Splatoon.
 * Taka's name likely comes from the Japanese word for the double-lined fusilier: takasago (タカサゴ). It is the prefectural fish of Okinawa, and used frequently in Okinawan cuisine, especially kara-age.
 * Karen, the pianist of Ink Theory, started her band with inspiration from Hightide Era. This is also reflected in the outfits worn by both bands: Hightide Era wears mainly black with red neckties, and Ink Theory wears mainly black with gold ties.
 * She also went to the same music school as Taka, who was a senior during her tenure.
 * Hightide Era and ω-3 are the only music artists with known members in the Splatoon series where none of the members are mollusks.
 * A Hightide Era album can be seen in the background of Naut Couture, alongside an Ink Theory album.