Roddy Woomble by Euan Robertson
Roddy Woomble was productive during 2020 lockdown time.
Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble will release his new solo album Lo! Soul digitally on May 21st, with physical formats following in July.
The record was produced and mixed by Andrew Mitchell, he and Roddy working remotely between the Hebrides and Dundee last year.
“I’m a collaborative songwriter, used to working in a room with one or more people, or a band, and I think my songs benefit from that human connection and response,” Woomble says.
“With lockdown last year my initial reaction was not to work on songs. It offered a pause for us all, and like many others I found myself alone and reflecting. Concentrating on reading and writing. Considering maybe working on a book of poems instead.”
“Gradually though, I started developing songs on my acoustic guitar which I would record on my phone and send on to Andrew in Dundee.”
“Around then, my friend and musician Danny Grant, based in Glasgow, began sharing his wonderful electronic grooves and rhythms with me. I started improvising over these with my poems.”
“It didn’t feel like an album we were creating at this stage though, more a scrapbook of this particular moment.”
“As restrictions eased in the summer I spent three days in Andrew’s studio recording vocals and developing these ideas. Other than this, the album was all recorded remotely – Dundee, Glasgow, and the Hebrides.”
The title-track is streaming now: