Does this mean the end of Idlewild? “Not at all. We’ll be play any instruments now, but he arrived with a book of lyrics
doing a new record next year. But at the moment this is my (he religiously writes something new every day), a laptop
main thing and it’s been a great experience working with and a deluge of ideas, and the versatility and instrumental
John and Kris. Kris can take a Scottish song from 300 years virtuosity of Drever and McCusker did the rest..
ago and make it current to 2008 – there’s a bit of genius
about him. I also love his guitar. There’s also amazing scope
“It was amazing,” says Woomble. “I just came up with the
and imagination in what John does. He has a real instinct
words and a few songs and presented them to the other guys
for arrangements and is quite filmic in the way he presents
and they came back with these incredible arrangements. It
things. So it was very exciting to work with them and see how
was very exciting.”
they developed the songs. When we got together none of us
McCusker was equally amazed by the turn of events. “We
knew what was going to happen.”
met five or six times in my flat and wrote about 12 songs. We
What happened was Before The Ruin, a mesmerising
didn’t know what we were doing. I’d literally play a tune and
collection of songs performed with belief and relish by three
Kris would join in on guitar and then Roddy would just start
musicians, each bringing something enticingly different to
singing. Simple as that. It was exciting to be in a room starting
the party. Other star guests also dip in and out of the action.
playing something with no idea where it was going or where
Radiohead drummer Phil Selway for one. Teenage Fanclub
it would finish. We didn’t know if it was going to be a folk
singer Norman Blake for another. “We just got a bunch of
record or a rocky record or what. We didn’t know what we
mates in to help out,” says John McCusker. It’s just lucky that
were doing, but everybody was bouncing off each other and
these mates also include Capercaillie’s Donald Shaw, revered
it all came together really quickly. There’s a real live feeling on
multi-instrumentalist Mike McGoldrick, guitar god Ian Carr,
the record. Sometimes records feel too safe. You always try to
two of the finest accordion players in the land, Andy Cutting
make records beautiful, but sometimes looking back, you lose
and Phil Cunningham, bass players Andy Seward and Ewen
that feeling you get when everybody’s in a room together just
Vernal, percussionists Francis Macdonald and Keith Angel and
going for it. You know, the way they used to make records. On
Irish singer Heidi Talbot (McCusker’s partner).
this one we didn’t know what would happen, but we all went
for it. I think that’s why it feels so good.”
As all three primary participants are in such big demand,
just getting them together in the same room at the same The songs on Before The Ruin – with their sumptuous
time was a complex feat of planning. When they did finally melodies and soaring choruses - are largely driven by
assemble in McCusker’s flat in Edinburgh, there was no Woomble’s lyrics, which invariably sound hefty and profound,
template to work from. Woomble, a former drummer, doesn’t although he’s not desperately keen to explain them. Now
DMW
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