With their latest studio album Everything Ever Written, Idlewild are a band that have come into their own. From punk rock beginnings to Scottish tinged folk rock, their latest offering is an eclectic blend of their experiences—it’s the musical story of their journey as a band coloured by their environment and rounded by their maturity. It’s an album that marks the start of a new chapter and this is why Idlewild are our Artist of the Week.
The Scots indie rockers are much loved by their fans and their strong cult following is testament to that love.
Starting from humble beginnings in Edinburgh, frontman Roddy Woomble, guitarist Rod Jones, and drummer Colin Newton remain the core of the band and the combination of poetic lyrics, Jones’ signature licks, and Colin’s solid backbone are ever present. However, with the recent addition of Luciano Rossi and Andrew Mitchell, there’s a bright, fresh sound and a slight change in direction as they explore new ground together.
It’s Idlewild’s willingness to change direction and explore pastures new that has made them one of Scotland’s—in fact Britain’s—most progressive indie bands of the last twenty years. The soul of the band remains humbly rebellious; they are not a band that will mould to the expectations of their critics, labels (evident when they were dropped by Parlophone after album Warnings/Promises), or even their fans, but this is why their true fans have taken them to their hearts and kept them close through the highs and lows.
It’s an exciting time for Idlewild as they move forward with renewed vigour, they’re not only our Artist of the Week, they’re much more than this. Idlewild are a band that transcend genres and time and hopefully they’ll be around for a long time yet.
We chatted with Idlewild’s Roddy Woomble last week. You can find our interview right here.
