| Idlewild |
Idlewild
performing at The Outsider festival in Aviemore, June 23, 2007
|
| Background information |
| Origin |
 Edinburgh,Scotland |
| Genre(s) |
Alternative
rock
Indie
rock |
| Years active |
1995—present |
| Label(s) |
Pye (2006 - )
Food
/ Parlophone
(1998 - 2006) |
Associated
acts |
DeSalvo |
| Members |
Roddy
Woomble
Rod Jones
Colin
Newton
Allan Stewart
Gareth Russell |
| Former members |
Gavin Fox
Alex
Grant
Bob
Fairfoull
Jeremy
Mills
Phil
Scanlon |
Idlewild are a Scottish rock band
formed in December 1995,
by Roddy Woomble (vocals), Rod Jones (guitar), Phil
Scanlon (bass),
and Colin
Newton (drums).
Initially their sound obeyed the conventions of 1990s British
indie-punk guitar music, but unlike many of their contemporaries, it
developed over time, from an edgy and angular sound approaching
post-hardcore, 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 different, sweeping, melodic rock sound as displayed on their
third album The Remote Part. Idlewild are a truly
independent band, in that they do not fit into any specific scene,
though their sound has clearly been influenced by bands like Blur,
Nirvana,
Gang Of Four, R.E.M.,
The
Smiths 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, as well as his all-round endorsement of them - the diminutive DJ often cites them as one
of his favourite bands.
On November 21st 2005, Idlewild announced that after eight
years and four albums they were parting ways with their record label
Parlophone/EMI. Part of the band statement reads 'The band had
fulfilled their record contract and it seemed like a good time to move
on.' Since then, they have signed to Sanctuary and released their
latest album Make Another World on March 5th
2007.
|
Contents
- 1 History
- 1.1 Beginnings,
Captain and Hope Is Important (1995–1998)
- 1.2 100
Broken Windows (1999–2001)
- 1.3 The
Remote Part (2001–2003)
- 1.4 Warnings/Promises
(2003–2005)
- 1.5 Make
Another World (2006-present)
- 2 Outkast
Confusion
- 3 Members
- 4 Discography
- 4.1 Albums
- 4.2 Singles
- 4.3 Other
appearances
- 5 References
- 6 External
links
|
History
Beginnings, Captain
and Hope Is Important (1995–1998)
Idlewild, named after the quiet meeting place in frontman
Roddy Woomble's favourite book at the time, Anne
of Green Gables, formed in December of 1995 in
Edinburgh, Scotland when the then 19 year-old Woomble met drummer Colin
Newton at a party. The two discovered they had much in common,
including similar musical interests and record collections (including
the likes of Sonic Youth, Bob Dylan
and R.E.M.);
by the end of the night, they had discussed forming a band together.
Also that evening, the two were introduced to guitarist Rod Jones and the
three kept in contact afterwards. They would meet up to listen to
music, and began to write songs together. In need of a bassist, they
brought Phil Scanlon into the fold due to the fact that he owned a bass
guitar. The four began practising late in the year in a room that has
been described as "so cold that all the early songs were written with
gloves on".
Idlewild in 1995 with original bassist Phil Scanlon
Idlewild played their first show on 16 January
1996, in 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 of 1996 the band, now with over twenty songs written, entered Split
Level Studios to record "House Alone", "Suicide" and "Paranoid". The
tape of these recordings earned the band many bookings at various
venues around Scotland, including the city of Glasgow. Local
publications that heard the tape reviewed it favourably. In October the
band recorded three other songs, "Self Healer", "Queen of the Troubled
Teens", and "Faster", at Chamber Studios, owned by producer Jamie
Watson. These songs helped build the strong buzz surrounding the band
when they were released on seven inch vinyl.
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 in Detroit. Roddy
Woomble soon asked his friend 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 involvement with Edinburgh's 'Pussy Hoover'. Bob's debut
with the band took place on 28 February at Glasgow bar Nice and
Sleazy's.
The band's debut single "Queen of the Troubled Teens" was
released on 17
March 1997,
and built upon the chaotic reputation of their shows. Radio Scotland DJ
Peter
Easton and influential Radio One DJ Steve
Lamacq came across copies. Lamacq was particularly impressed
with the track "Self Healer" and asked, on the air, that if anyone knew
anything about the band, they should contact him. In the summer of 1997
Idlewild played their first London shows which were attended by the
likes of Lamacq, and representatives from Deceptive
Records. Reviews at this time, in the pages of NME
and Melody Maker
compared their live gigs to "a flight of stairs falling down a flight
of stairs". The band were soon asked to record a single for Fierce
Panda and to record an EP/mini-album with Deceptive Records. In October
1997 the band spent six days with producer Paul Tipler in River Studios
(located in South London). The result was Captain,
which the band describes as "an innocent, frank nugget of noise pop
magic". After the release of the "Chandelier/I Want to Be a Writer"
single, the band signed a deal with Food Records/EMI in December, since the band liked Blur
a lot, who were already signed to the label. Following the record deal
the members quit their respective jobs or university courses.
1998
marked the year where the public became actively aware of Idlewild, who
kicked off the year with their first UK
tour, supporting the band Midget. The release of Captain
on the 18
January received positive reviews in the NME, Melody
Maker and Kerrang!.
In February the band re-entered the studio, once again with Paul Tipler
to record their first full-length album for Food
Records. Two singles were released before the album's release, "A Film
for the Future" (compared to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by
one journalist) and "Everybody Says You're So Fragile". Both singles
helped to expand the band's growing fanbase alongside notable
appearances at summer festivals. October marked the arrival of their
debut album Hope Is Important
which the band now describes as "a confused, skewered, noisy, sad pop
record". Further singles from the album included, "I'm a Message" and
fan favourite "When I Argue I See Shapes". Tours supporting Ash,
Placebo
and Manic Street Preachers
followed the release.
100 Broken Windows
(1999–2001)
Idlewild eventually returned to Edinburgh in 1999 to begin writing
new songs, and they took a different approach to how they worked in the
studio. Eventually the band contacted engineer Bob Weston
from Chicago
who recorded six songs with them in London. These songs held a more
aggressive, emptier sound than those previously and the band were
pleased with the results; however, they remained unsure of their
direction. During the summer, Idlewild were invited to play at the
opening of the Scottish Parliament in
Edinburgh, a momentous day for Scottish history. Scotland is where the
band would remain for a while, letting the surrounding environment
influence their songwriting and letting the songs represent the band as
they were. Hitting a stride, the band returned to the studio with
producer Dave
Eringa and recorded "Little Discourage" and "Roseability" in their
first session. Very happy with the results, the band continued to
record what would become their second full-length album, 100
Broken Windows. The song "Little Discourage"
was released in September and brought Idlewild a larger number of fans
and much more radio play. Hope Is Important was
released in America, and to support it, the band performed a small
number of tour dates on the East Coast. The remainder of the year was
spent mixing the new album in Glasgow.
The band in 2001
In March
the following year, they released the single "Actually it's Darkness"
and embarked on their biggest UK tour to date. Jeremy Mills joined the
band on tour, playing guitar and keyboards. Their sound had now evolved
from simplistic punk-rock to a more mature sound resembling R.E.M., Echo
and the Bunnymen, and Smiths. 100 Broken
Windows became silver in the UK and the band went on tour in
Europe and North America. Further singles released from the album
included "These Wooden Ideas" and "Roseability".
As 2001
began, the band entered the studio once again, this time with producer Stephen
Street to record songs written in the last half of 2000. While happy with
the results the band put their next album aside to tour America.
American music magazine Spin named 100 Broken Windows
the "number one album you didn't hear in 2000" and the album received
other rave reviews in the American press on its release in April.
Whilst touring the album in America, Allan Stewart replaced Jeremy as
touring guitarist.
The Remote Part
(2001–2003)
Idlewild eventually moved up to the highlands of Scotland and
began the writing and demoing process of what would become The
Remote Part. Allan and Jeremy both joined the
band in a cottage in Inchnadamph, Sutherland. Woomble began a friendship
with Scottish poet laureate Edwin
Morgan who wrote some words for the band. These would eventually end up
on the song "Scottish Fiction," the album's closing track. The
remainder of the year was spent recording and mixing the album in
various locations with producer Dave Eringa. This period marked the
band's longest absence from performing.
The band re-entered the public's minds in 2002 when the single
"You Held the World in Your Arms" became 'A-listed' on Radio
One and entered the UK Singles Chart at number nine,
marking the band's biggest hit to date. A UK tour followed with Ikara
Colt supporting and a second single "American English" was
released. Eventually The Remote Part was released,
and entered the album charts at number three. The album was considered
their best by many, being a record of considerable depth as well as one
of the most melodic records of the year. The album went gold in the UK
and a third single "Live in a Hiding Place" was released as the band
embarked upon a four-month European tour in September, which included
supporting dates with Coldplay.
29
September 2002
became an interesting date in the band's history when Bob
Fairfoull left the band, following a show in Amsterdam. Fairfoull had
been increasingly distant from the band over the past year and his time
in Idlewild had run its course. The band and Fairfoull remain friends
to this day, and Bob now plays bass with Edinburgh-based band Degrassi.
Gavin
Fox, longtime Irish friend, joined and a fifth member was found in Allan
Stewart, who became a permanent member after years as a touring
guitarist. While Fox learned the bass parts in Dublin, technician and
friend Alex
Grant filled in to assist the band.
2002 was Idlewild's most successful year by far, with The
Remote Part entering many 'Best of the Year' lists and the
Scottish Sunday Herald naming Idlewild "Band of the Year."
With Gavin and Allan officially in tow, the new version of
Idlewild spent January of the following year writing songs and
practising in an old lighthouse outside Edinburgh. A final single from The
Remote Part, "A Modern Way of Letting Go", introduced the new
lineup to the UK via several television appearances and another short
tour of Britain and Ireland.
The Remote Part received its US
release in March
2003 and the band embarked upon a cross-continent, nine-week headline
tour playing their biggest US shows in New
York City and Los Angeles. The band then returned to
America in May at the request of Pearl Jam, who asked the band to open one
leg of their 'Riot Act' world tour. These were the biggest venues
Idlewild had played in, and they found friends in Pearl Jam, even
playing with them onstage on the final night in Chicago.
Warnings/Promises
(2003–2005)
The band then returned to Scotland to reflect upon the year,
and soon headed for a house in Glenelg in the Scottish
Highlands to start working on songs for the next record. Writing
continued intermittently until early December (pausing only to open for
The Rolling Stones in
September at Glasgow's SECC).
As 2004
began, Idlewild spent the first four months of the year writing and
demoing new songs up in the Scottish Highlands and in Roddy's flat in
London. The songs had a different feel to them, and the band decided to
start the record afresh, choosing American producer Tony Hoffer to man
the controls. The band then headed over to Los Angeles toward the end
of May and spent the next three months sorting out, recording and
mixing the new songs. This marked the first time Idlewild had recorded
an album all in one go.
The band finished up the record in October 2004 in New York
with mixer Michael Brauer. Roddy rented a room on the Lower East Side
and stayed there for the remainder of the year, listening to the album
they'd just made. 2004 became the first in the band's existence devoted
almost entirely to writing and recording an album. At the end of this
year they titled it Warnings/Promises.
2005
began with a series of acoustic shows around the UK. The first single
from Warnings/Promises, entitled "Love Steals Us
from Loneliness", appeared in February and became Idlewild's fourth Top
20 single. The album followed two weeks later and debuted in the UK Top
Ten. Warnings/Promises received mainly positive
reviews; however, some critics and fans greatly disliked the direction
taken with this album, with its quiet, reflective mood and obvious
R.E.M. influence.
In the UK, the band embarked upon an extensive UK tour,
changing the setlist every night and revisiting songs from all their
albums. In the summer, Idlewild played a number of festivals and opened
shows for U2,
R.E.M. and the Pixies. The year ended with a
Christmas show at the band's "spiritual home", famed venue the Glasgow Barrowlands.
After a very busy year with much touring, the band announced
in November
2005 that they had parted ways with their record company Parlophone
after fulfilling contractual obligation over eight years, leaving them
without a record deal. However, despite rumors that they were breaking
up, the band claimed that they were looking forward to the future. [1][2]
After their December 2005 Glasgow Barrowlands gig, Gavin Fox
left the band and was replaced by former Astrid
bass player Gareth Russell. [3]
Make Another World
(2006-present)
Idlewild worked on a large number of songs, which they
recorded with 100 Broken Windows
and The Remote Part
producer Dave
Eringa in their rehearsal room. As opposed to creating a
double album
filled with harder songs and slower numbers, Roddy Woomble recorded an
album of folk
music material under his own name titled My secret is my silence
which was released on 24 July 2006; whilst Idlewild recorded the heavier
material. Roddy's solo material was written alongside guitarist Rod Jones,
friend Michael Angus and folksinger Karine
Polwart, and produced by folk musician John
McCusker. Woomble performed alongside the acclaimed Polwart for three
songs at the Celtic Connections Festival in
Glasgow in January 2006 and toured the album in July/August 2006. [4].
Rod
Jones meanwhile worked on an album with Inara
George called George Is Jones
In July 2006, it was announced that Idlewild would sign to
influential 1960s label Sequel, which was reactivated by
music group Sanctuary.
It has also been unofficially announced that Idlewild's old
record company will release a DVD named "Ten More Years of This" which
will include B Sides, concert footage, interview, music video, and
other forms of media coverage around the band. A documentary based
around the making of Idlewild's new album will also be shown on Channel
4.
The album Make Another World
was released on March 5th, 2007. "If It Takes You Home" was the first
single released from it and was available as a download and 7" single. "No
Emotion" was the second single released from it, making it to 36 in the
UK Top 40 chart. "A Ghost in the Arcade" is the next single to be
released, due on 18th June, though only as an internet-downloadable
track and not available on CD.
At the Aberdeen concert on the Make Another World UK Tour on 19 March 2007, Woomble
announced that the show was being filmed for a live DVD release which
will hopefully be available in November 2007. The band played a
twenty-three song setlist which included a considerable number of songs
from earlier albums such as Hope is Important. It was at this gig that
the video for "A Ghost in the Arcade" was filmed.
During their 16th May gig in The Liquid Room, Edinburgh,
Woomble announced that an Idlewild "Greatest Hits" compilation would be
released later in the year, but that it was not his decision to. The
record is a 17 track 'best of' compilation featuring career highlights,
and includes the afforementioned DVD. The album is scheduled for
release on October 1st 2007 by Parlophone.
Outkast Confusion
The band Outkast
released an album of music from their film Idlewild
that caused Roddy Woomble to comment "Not sure what's up with this new
OutKast album. Keep seeing posters for it and thinking I've forgotten
about a concert."
The use of the name is not expected to cause much confusion though, as
the two acts are very different. Upon being asked about the chances of
a collaboration, Roddy commented "Maybe when our new LP
comes out next February some unfamiliars will think we're some sort of
OutKast tribute. Could be interesting. Probably won't be."
In 2007 rumours surfaced that the band would call their new
album "Outkast" in reply.
Members
Current
- Roddy Woomble - Vocals
(1995-present)
- Rod Jones - Guitar
(1995-present)
- Colin Newton - Drums (1995-present)
- Allan Stewart - Guitar
(2001-present)
- Gareth Russell - Bass (2006-present)
Former
- Gavin
Fox - Bass (2003-2005)
- Alex Grant - Bass (2002)
- Bob Fairfoull - Bass (1997-2002)
- Jeremy Mills - Guitar (1999-2001)
- Phil Scanlon - Bass (1995-1997)
Discography
Albums
- Captain (1998)
- Hope Is Important
(1998)
- 100 Broken Windows
(2000)
- The Remote Part
(2002)
- Warnings/Promises
(2005)
- Make Another World
(5
March 2007)
Singles
| Year
/ Month |
Single Title |
UK
Singles Chart |
Album |
| 1997 March |
"Queen of the Troubled
Teens" (Not Eligible) |
- |
- |
| 1997 December |
"Chandelier"
(Not Eligible) |
- |
- |
| 1998 February |
"Satan Polaroid" |
160 |
Captain |
| 1998 April |
"A Film for the
Future" |
53 |
Hope
Is Important |
| 1998 July |
"Everyone Says
You're So Fragile" |
47 |
Hope
Is Important |
| 1998 October |
"I'm a Message" |
41 |
Hope
Is Important |
| 1999 February |
"When I Argue I
See Shapes" |
19 |
Hope
Is Important |
| 1999 September |
"Little
Discourage" |
24 |
100
Broken Windows |
| 2000 March |
"Actually It's
Darkness" |
23 |
100
Broken Windows |
| 2000 June |
"These Wooden
Ideas" |
32 |
100
Broken Windows |
| 2000 October |
"Roseability" |
38 |
100
Broken Windows |
| 2002 April |
"You Held the
World in Your Arms" |
9 |
The
Remote Part |
| 2002 June |
"American
English" |
15 |
The
Remote Part |
| 2002 October |
"Live in a
Hiding Place" |
26 |
The
Remote Part |
| 2003 February |
"A Modern Way
of Letting Go" |
28 |
The
Remote Part |
| 2005 February |
"Love Steals Us from
Loneliness" |
16 |
Warnings/Promises |
| 2005 May |
"I
Understand It" |
32 |
Warnings/Promises |
| 2005 July |
"El
Capitan" |
39 |
Warnings/Promises |
| 2006 December |
"If It Takes
You Home" (download only) |
n/a |
Make
Another World |
| 2007 February |
"No Emotion" |
36 |
Make
Another World |
| 2007 June |
"A Ghost In The
Arcade" (download only) |
n/a |
Make
Another World |
Other appearances
- 2006 - Saints Row - "Too
Long Awake"
- 2005 - Midnight Club 3: DUB
Edition - "A Modern Way of Letting Go"
- 2003 - FIFA 2003 - "You Held The World In Your Arms"
References
-
http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/1139392
-
http://www.twistedear.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=593&Itemid=31
External links
