Roddy Woomble

Roddy Woomble
Woomble performing with Idlewild, 2007.
Background information
Birth name	Roderick Woomble
Born	August 13, 1976 (1976-08-13) (age 32)
Origin	Irvine, Scotland
Genre(s)	Folk
Occupation(s)	Musician, Vocalist
Instrument(s)	vocals
Years active	1995-present
Label(s)	Navigator Records Pure Records
Associated acts	Idlewild, John McCusker, Kris Drever, Kate Rusby, The Reindeer Section, Karine Polwart
Website	www.roddywoomble.com

Roderick "Roddy" Woomble (born 13 August 1976) is the lead singer of Scottish rock band, Idlewild and a solo contemporary folk musician. To date, Woomble has released five full-length studio albums with Idlewild, and one critically acclaimied solo album, My Secret is My Silence. Woomble also curated the Ballads of the Book project, released in 2007.

Woomble's latest album, Before the Ruin, was released on 15 September 2008 in the UK and is a collaboration alongside Kris Drever and John McCusker.

Musical career

Idlewild

Named after the quiet meeting place in Anne of Green Gables, Idlewild was formed in 1995 by Woomble, Rod Jones, Colin Newton and Phil Scanlon. The band were initially known for their energetic live shows and punk-tinged albums, however, their sound has changed to a sweeping, melodic rock sound over time.

Solo

Roddy Woomble performing with Rod Jones and Kate Rusby at the launch party for My Secret is My Silence.

In 2006, Woomble worked with several musicians including Kate Rusby, his wife Ailidh Lennon, songwriter Karine Polwart (to whom he presented the Horizon Award at the BBC Folk Awards 2005, and performed with at Celtic Connections) and Idlewild guitarist Rod Jones on his debut solo album My Secret is My Silence, produced by John McCusker. The album was released in July 2006, and Woomble toured the United Kingdom in in support of the album's release. My Secret is My Silence reached number one in the UK Folk Charts^[1], and a year later, on 10 July 2007, My Secret is My Silence was released in the U.S. on 7-10 Music.

Woomble's follow-up album, Before the Ruin, written and recorded with Kris Drever and John McCusker, was released on 15 September 2008 through Navigator Records.

Collaborations with other artists

In 2002, Woomble worked with the Reindeer Section on Son of Evil Reindeer, providing lead vocals on the ballad "Who Told You". He also collaborated with Kate Rusby for her 2005 album The Girl Who Couldn't Fly which was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2006 BBC Folk Awards, singing backing vocals on the songs "Wandering Soul", "Fare Thee Well", and "No Names"; the latter of which was nominated for 'Song of the Year'.

Woomble also appears on Kris Drever's acclaimed album, Black Water, and is set to appear on John McCusker's project Under One Sky.

Writings

Woomble writes a weekly column for The Sunday Herald, his articles can be found on the paper's website. As of November 2008, Woomble also writes a monthly column 'Woomble's Way' for UK hillwalking/backpacking magazine TGO.

Personal life

Woomble moved around significantly during his childhood, living in the United Kingdom and France when young, before moving to the United States. He then moved back to Scotland and at nineteen began a degree in photography. Living in Edinburgh, he met Colin Newton and Rod Jones, both future members of Idlewild.^[2] He moved back to the United States after the success of Idlewild's Top Ten album, The Remote Part, and lived in New York City for some time, developing a love for America while nurturing his pride in Scotland.^[3]

In late 2005, Woomble married Ailidh Lennon, who plays bass for the Glaswegian punk-folk band, Sons and Daughters, a group that have supported Idlewild on several occasions. The couple currently live in the West End of Glasgow and now have a child, named Uist Lennon-Woomble.^[4] Lennon and Dave Gow from the band also played alongside Woomble when he toured his solo album.

Discography

Solo

• 2006: My Secret is My Silence
• 2008: Before the Ruin (with Kris Drever and John McCusker)

with Idlewild

• 1998: Captain
• 1998: Hope Is Important
• 2000: 100 Broken Windows
• 2002: The Remote Part
• 2005: Warnings/Promises
• 2007: Make Another World
• 2009: Post Electric Blues

Other Appearances

• 2002: Son of Evil Reindeer - The Reindeer Section
• 2005: The Girl Who Couldn't Fly - Kate Rusby
• 2006: Black Water - Kris Drever
• 2009: Under One Sky - John McCusker

References

External links

• www.roddywoomble.com - Roddy Woomble official website
• www.roddywoomble.co.uk - Roddy Woomble fan-site
• www.drevermccuskerwoomble.com - Drever, McCusker Woomble website
• www.idlewilder.co.uk - Unofficial Idlewild fan-site