Taking In Some
"Scottish Fiction"

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>> Idlewild's emotive frontman Roddy Woomble. >>

>>Los Angeles, CA >> April, 2003 >> Idlewild’s stoic but simultaneously endearing performance this past month at the Los Angeles El Rey Theatre reflects the complexities that emanate from this Scottish quartet. With poignant cynicism fused within lyrics like: “For every word that I write/They won’t mean much as barricades/ I stopped and waited for progress/ I stopped and waited…” and “Why words mean so much to you/ they’ll never be about you,” ordinary prose seem to ferment with salacious melodies, meshing together poetry and sounds to form an entangled web where neither the beginning nor the end has any precise definition.

This is Idlewild at their core.

Supporting their latest release, The Remote Part, gems like “American English” and the moodier but equally stylish “Live In A Hiding Place,” were obvious crowd favorites, though fans seems to avoid overt enthusiasm and somewhat mirrored the melodrama that vocalist Roddy Woomble and his ensemble so expertly exert.

>> Guitarist Rod Jones and his SG. >>

Woomble, clad in a blue denim jacket with his collar rebelliously pointed towards his light brown moppy hair, often closed his eyes and energetically bellowed out crowd favorites like the popular “Little Discourage” and “These Wooden Ideas” from their 2000 release, 100 Broken Windows.

Idlewild’s sensibilities seem to rest in Woomble’s lyrical prose, but equally engaging is their penchant for eliciting emotion through their melodic engine, which will certainly continue to run for years to come.

In between then and now, we exchanged e-mails with Roddy and asked him a few questions.  Here are his brief but interesting answers:

VOX: Is it a little weird being asked about "the new album" when this record isn't really new at all?
Roddy Woomble: No, it’s flattering that people are interested.

VOX: Any big changes, personally and/or as a band, between 100 Broken Windows and The Remote Part?
RW: Well, Bob left and Gavin replaced him and Allan joined full time, so yes.

VOX: What is The Remote Part?  Maybe, "Where is The Remote Part?" is a better question.
RW: The Remote Part is nothing but that state [we] all get in when we want to be on our own.

VOX: With the massive success of The Remote Part in Europe, why the delay in releasing it in the States?
RW: Record label stuff really, and we were pretty busy touring Europe.

VOX: What do you think of America?
RW: I like it; it’s so big, flawed and brilliant.

VOX: What do you think of Americans?
RW: Most of them are cool.  Some are idiots.  Same as anywhere really.

VOX: Is there a difference between UK/European fans and American fans?
RW: Our fans in Europe tend to be younger and there are more of them.

VOX: Can you tell me about "American English"?   What's the story there?
RW: It's questioning the nature of songs in the disguise of a big sing along.

VOX: You're about to set out with Pearl Jam - that has to be quite exciting?
RW: It'll be cool. Nice people. Big riffs.

VOX: We keep hearing about the distress that the record industry is suffering from, and the theft of music that goes on via peer-to-peer sites.   How, in your opinion, do we resolve this issue so that fans get the music, but bands don't lose money (and the chance to make their next record) and the record companies are able to survive?
RW: I’m unsure about it all really. You can’t stop it but eventually it'll put a stop to guitar bands. The way it is now anyhow.

VOX: There are many fans out there that will be seeing Idlewild for the first time.  What should they expect when they see you for the first time?
RW: They should expect to be pleasantly surprised.

[Editor’s note: Idlewild will be touring with Pearl Jam in May and June.]