Idlewild return with first album in six years

Self-Titled LP drops October 3rd

Scottish alt-rock legends Idlewild are back—and they’ve got something big to say. The band just announced their long-awaited tenth studio album, simply titled ‘Idlewild,’ arriving October 3rd via V2 Records. It’s their first new material since 2019’s ‘Interview Music,’ and judging by the new single, it’s well worth the wait.

Leading the charge is the expansive and heartfelt track Stay Out of Place, a song that bchannels the band’s signature melodic warmth with a fresh edge. It debuted on BBC 6 Music thanks to longtime champion Steve Lamacq, setting the tone for what promises to be a bold and reflective chapter in the band’s ever-evolving story.

Frontman Roddy Woomble shared a bit of the philosophy behind the track: “Walt Whitman was right, we do contain ‘multitudes’. There’s more than one ‘us’ in there—and that multiplicity gets even more interesting in a band. Stay Out of Place is about shaking up expectations, forgetting the rulebook, and choosing your own voice. It felt like a powerful reintroduction to Idlewild in 2025.”

The new album was crafted over the past year between Post Electric Studios in Edinburgh and a more remote, reflective setting—the Isle of Iona Library in the Hebrides. Produced and mixed by Rod Jones, the record invites listeners to rediscover every facet of Idlewild’s past: the punk fire of ‘Hope Is Important,’ the expansive indie-rock of ‘The Remote Part,’ and the textured experimentation of ‘Interview Music’.

As Woomble explains, ‘Idlewild’ looks back not with nostalgia but with clarity and purpose.
“For the first time we were referencing ourselves—not to relive the past, but to celebrate it creatively. When it was all finished, calling it ‘Idlewild’ just made sense.”

‘Idlewild’ track list

1. Stay Out Of Place
2. Like I Had Before
3. It’s Not The First Time
4. (I Can’t Help) Back Then You Found Me
5. The Mirror Still
6. Make It Happen
7. I Wish I Wrote It Down
8. Permanent Colours
9. Writers Of The Present Time
10. End With Sunrise

This self-titled release will be available on CD, standard black vinyl, and two limited colour variants—perfect for long-time fans and new ears alike.

Pre-Order

Upcoming shows

To celebrate the new record, Idlewild are hitting the road again. Catch them at these dates:

July
27 – Deer Shed Festival, Thirsk

September
13 – Black Isle Calling, Inverness

October
10 – Boilershop, Newcastle
11 – Project House, Leeds
12 – Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton
14 – The Junction, Cambridge
15 – O2 Academy, Bristol
17 – Koko, London (SOLD OUT)
18 – New Century Hall, Manchester

December
5 – Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen (SOLD OUT)
6 – LiveHouse, Dundee
7 – Barrowland, Glasgow (SOLD OUT)

January 2026
2–5 – Rockaway Beach, Bognor Regis

The Lineup

Roddy Woomble – vocals
Rod Jones – guitars
Andrew Mitchell – bass
Colin Newton – drums
Luciano Rossi – keys

Whether you’ve been with them since the scrappy punk days or jumped on board during their indie-rock renaissance, ‘Idlewild’ is shaping up to be a celebration of everything this band does best—and then some. Pre-orders are open now.