Idlewild Biography
Scottish rockers Idlewild formed in Edinburgh in late 1995, originally comprising singer Roddy Woomble, guitarist Rod Jones, bassist Phil Scanlon, and drummer Colin Newton. A year of steady touring preceded the release of the band's 1997 Human Condition label debut single, "Queen of the Troubled Teens," which immediately found favor with Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq; the media exposure brought Idlewild to the attention of Fierce Panda, which agreed to issue their sophomore effort, "Chandelier" (their first record with new bassist Bob Fairfoull). A mini-album, Captain, followed on Deceptive in early 1998, and as word spread of their chaotic live shows, the group signed to Food to release Hope Is Important in late October. 100 Broken Windows followed in early 2001 with a subsequent U.S. tour early that spring. The next year, Idlewild issued The Remote Part. "American English" and "You Held the World in Your Arms" were massive hits in Europe, making the album Idlewild's most successful album to date. While touring Europe in fall 2002 in support of their third album, founding bassist Bob Fairfoull was suddenly kicked out of the band. Guitar technician Alex Grant stepped in to fill his shoes for the remaining European dates. Gavin Fox (bass) and Allen Stewart (guitar) were added permanently to the band in 2003, just prior to the American release of The Remote Part in March. Warnings/Promises followed in 2005. Fox left the band the following spring and was replaced by former Astrid bassist Gareth Russell. Woomble made his solo debut with My Secret Is My Silence. It was released in the U.K. in July 2006. Idlewild's fifth full-length album, Make Another World, was released the following year. It was their first release on the newly rejuvenated Sequel label. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Popular Biographies:
Arcane device Biography: Calling himself Arcane Device after his recorded experiments became popular enough to warrant a name, David Myers' exploration into manipulated feedback resulted in several album and cassette-only...
Joan of arc Biography: Based on their roots and their hometown, it's not surprising that Chicago's Joan of Arc blends post-rock's atmospherics and punk's volume and dynamics. Singer/guitarist Tim Kinsella, drummer Mike...
Nachtmystium Biography: Although he's employed a number of sidemen over the years, Nachtmystium is essentially the work of Chicago native Azentrius, who began recording demos in 1998 and continues to unleash regular...
Arcade fire Biography: Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Richard Parry, Tim Kingsbury, and Win's kid brother William Butler formed the Arcade Fire in summer 2003. The experimental indie rock quintet, which hails...
Horna Biography: Formerly called Shadowed, Horna has been a Finnish black metal institution since 1993. The band, whose name means "abyss," hews to black metal's old school -- blastbeats, blasphemy, and buzzsaw...
Saosin Biography: California-based Saosin burst onto the post-hardcore scene in March 2003 with their explosive screamo-tinged debut EP, Translating the Name, on Death Do Us Part. For the recording, the band was...
Ravenous Biography: The politically inclined industrial outfit Ravenous has been delivering its brash take on present society since their inception in 1996. That same year, they released their debut Mass Mental Cruelty...
Gameface Biography: Under the talented wingspan of Jeff Caudill (aka Jeff Gameface), Gameface has been actively playing and touring out of Orange County, CA, since the early '90s. Caudill's talent spreads beyond the...