Roddy Woomble

Roddy Woomble

Roddy Woomble is a Scottish singer-songwriter from Irvine, United Kingdom, born in 1976. He is the lead singer of Idlewild, the Scottish rock group he is best known for, and he also works in folk and folk rock. He is a member of Idlewild and The Reindeer Section.

Solo work and collaborations

Woomble develops a solo strand alongside his work with Idlewild, using it for songs with a folk direction. His debut solo album, My Secret is My Silence, is produced by John McCusker and features support from Idlewild guitarist Rod Jones. The record reaches number one in the UK Folk Charts and is also issued in the United States.

He collaborates with a range of musicians, including Kate Rusby, his wife Ailidh Lennon, and songwriter Karine Polwart. He also records and performs with Kris Drever and John McCusker as the trio Kris Drever, John McCusker & Roddy Woomble. Their album Before the Ruin is released in 2008.

Folk projects and awards

Woomble presents the Horizon Award to Karine Polwart at the BBC Folk Awards in 2005. His solo material gives him a separate outlet for songs that do not fit within Idlewild’s sound.