Idlewild

Idlewild biography

Idlewild are a Scottish rock band, formed in Edinburgh, in 1995, comprising Roddy Woomble (lead vocals), Rod Jones (guitar, backing vocals), Colin Newton (drums), Allan Stewart (guitar) and Gareth Russell (bass). To date, Idlewild have released six full-length studio albums, with their latest, Post Electric Blues, self-released to fans in June 2009.

Initially, Idlewild's sound was faster and more dissonant than many of their 1990s indie rock contemporaries. However, it developed over time from an edgy and angular sound (as heard in their early material-once described by the NME as "the sound of a flight of stairs falling down a flight of stairs") to a sweeping, melodic rock sound as displayed on The Remote Part and Warnings/Promises. While Idlewild's sound cannot be easily placed into a specific genre, they have clearly been influenced by the likes of: Gang of Four, Pavement, R.E.M., Blur and Fugazi.

Part of Idlewild's early success can be attributed to their singles gaining heavy rotation on Steve Lamacq's Evening Session on BBC Radio 1. Alongside his all-round endorsement of the band, Lamacq often cites them as one of his favourite bands.

In April 2010, vocalist Roddy Woomble announced that the band will enter a 'hiatus' following their current tour. However this was proved to be a misunderstanding of sorts with Woomble later going on to suggest that there would be further shows before the end of 2010 in support of the EMI re-release of "100 Broken Windows".

History

Beginnings, Captain and Hope Is Important (1995-1998)

Idlewild, named after the quiet meeting place in Anne of Green Gables, formed in December 1995 in Edinburgh, Scotland when a 19 year-old Roddy Woomble met drummer Colin Newton at a party. The two discovered that they had much in common, including similar musical interests and record collections. By the end of the night, they had discussed forming a band together. On the same night, the two were introduced to guitarist Rod Jones and the three kept in contact afterwards, meeting up to listen to music. Soon, the trio began writing songs together, and, in need of a bassist, they brought Phil Scanlon into the fold, due to the fact that he owned a bass guitar.

Idlewild played their first show on 16 January 1996, at the Subway Club in Edinburgh to a crowd of thirty friends, which led to many more shows around Edinburgh throughout the course of the year. In May, 1996 the band, now with over twenty songs written, entered Split Level Studios to record. The tape of these recordings earned the band many bookings at various venues around Scotland, including Glasgow. Local publications that heard the tape reviewed it favorably.

Phil Scanlon decided to leave the band in February, 1997 to concentrate on his studies. Since leaving Idlewild, he has become a highly successful chemical engineer and currently resides outside San Francisco. Woomble asked Bob Fairfoull to replace the departing bassist. Fairfoull had been present at every Idlewild show since the summer of 1996, and had impressed the others with his spoken-word, solo acoustic shows as well as his performances with Edinburgh band, Pussy Hoover. Fairfoull's debut with the band took place on 28 February at Glasgow bar, Nice N' Sleazy's.

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