Idlewild frontman, and lifelong singer/songwriter, Roddy Woomble returns with new album ‘The Deluder’ in September. We caught up with Roddy on the release of new single ‘Jupiter’ to tell us about the single and his show at The Sage on September 4.
Hi Roddy, the inspiration for your recent track ‘Jupiter’ originates from an unusual place. For our readers who haven’t heard the story do you mind telling it again please?
– well i started it with my son, who is eight and loves stars & planets. We enjoy making up songs together. With my band we developed it into a fun, surreal tune that questions the significance of secrets, astrology, and predictions but still keeping the songs childlike tunefulness.
The video for ‘Jupiter’ is very original. What was the creative thought behind the video and the reason for shooting it in Berlin?
– It was just the director (Oscar Sansom) and I wandering around Berlin for a few days. We were making two videos – the other for the next single. We found this location
in Fredrichstien and filmed it in a few hours, with Oscar then spending weeks editing it together. He’s a very talented man. It’s meant to be fun, irreverent, weird, a bit like
the song. Berlin is a wonderful city, full of great graffiti, culture, cafes, bars and museums. I love the way it looks. The flights are also very cheap from Glasgow.
Your new album ‘The Deluder’ will be released on 1st September. Can we take the sound of ‘Jupiter’ as a reflection of how the album will sound?
– not really – I think it’s a very varied album with some very quiet and introspective songs alongside some surreal and fun moments. I guess it’s a good reflection of me as a person.
Reading your blog you’ve talked about the album being introspective and potentially the sound of a midlife crisis. On further reflection of it’s content, how are you interpreting the album at the moment?
– I suppose it’s for others to decide really. As soon as an album is finished and released I’ve largely moved on to something else and only revisit songs playing them live. It’s definitely full of angst and doubt, but most of my albums are!
You’ll be touring from August and coming to the Sage early September. You toured pretty relentlessly with Idlewild, how does touring as a solo artist differ from being part of a band?
– It’s not that different really as I play with a 5 piece band solo, as with Idlewild, and they are all my close friends. For me it’s very important to work with different people. It keeps the songs & ideas fresh, exciting, and relevant. I always have a good time travelling and playing music.
What can we expect from the Sage show and the tour?
– A fine selection good, interesting songs played well by a great band having fun together.
Finally what is inspiring you at the moment?
– The Dictionary of Symbols, and Miles Davis.
Roddy will play The Sage on 4th September, tickets from £16.40. New album ‘The Deluder’ is out 1st September.