Idlewild return with a lean, 10-track album that embraces the many phases of their career without dwelling in nostalgia. Spanning just over 30 minutes, it’s a tight, focused set that draws from their early punk roots, alt-rock peak, and more expansive art-pop experiments. Written between Post Electric Studio in Edinburgh and the Isle of Iona Library, the album came together quickly in early 2025 with longtime collaborator Rod Jones engineering and mixing. Work originally planned to follow 2019’s Interview Music was delayed by the pandemic, but a 20th anniversary tour for The Remote Part in 2022 reignited momentum. These new songs strike a balance between immediacy and introspection, pairing sharp hooks with fuzzed-out guitars and expressive instrumentation. “We were referencing ourselves,” says frontman Roddy Woomble, “realising that we had a sound.” This self-titled release isn’t about reinvention—it’s about refinement. Idlewild sound confident, collaborative, and creatively recharged, facing forward with purpose.