Idlewild was formed in 1995 in Edinburgh, Scotland, by Roddy Woomble (vocals), Phil Scanlon (bass), Rod Jones (guitar), and Colin Newton (drums). The group's visceral and melodic music draws influences from bands such as Gang of Four, Pavement, Nirvana, R.E.M., and Sonic Youth.
In 1997, the band's first single, "Queen of the Troubled Teens," caught the attention of the British press, and the following year, an EP called Captain was released, featuring a new bassist, Bob Fairfoull.
Hope Is Important, their debut album, was released in 1999. It was followed by 100 Broken Windows in 2000.
Already considered a promising new rock band, Idlewild released the acclaimed album The Remote Part in 2002. It was a work of fast, precise songs, with highlights including "You Held the World in Your Arms" and "American English."
During the tour for The Remote Part, bassist Bob Fairfoull left the band, and Alex Grant took over on bass for the remaining European shows. Later, Gavin Fox (bass) and Allen Stewart (guitar) were added to the group for the North American tour.
In 2005, the group released the album Warnings/Promises. Later, Gavin Fox left the band, being replaced by Gareth Russell, who debuted on the 2007 album Make Another World.
The album Post Electric Blues was released in 2009 as a free download, and later on CD.
In 2010, Idlewild announced a hiatus, which was broken in 2013 when the band began working on new material. A new album, Everything Ever Written, arrived in 2015. A new album, Interview Music, was released in 2019.
- Origin:
