Idles are a British rock band formed in
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
in 2009. The band consists of Adam Devonshire (bass),
Joe Talbot
Joseph Lyle Talbot (born July 11, 1990) is an American filmmaker. His debut feature film, ''The Last Black Man in San Francisco'' (2019), which he co-wrote and directed, won the Best Director prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The film i ...
(vocals), Mark Bowen (guitar), Lee Kiernan (guitar), and Jon Beavis (drums).
After spending eight years honing their live performances, the band released their debut album, ''
Brutalism'', in 2017 to critical acclaim, Their second album, ''
Joy as an Act of Resistance
''Joy as an Act of Resistance'' is the second studio album by British Rock music, rock band Idles, released on 31 August 2018 by Partisan Records. Following the success of their debut album ''Brutalism (Idles album), Brutalism'', the band started ...
'' (2018), increased their exposure significantly, and was followed by their first
UK number 1 album, ''
Ultra Mono
''Ultra Mono'' is the third studio album by British rock band Idles, released on 25 September 2020 by Partisan Records.
Following on from their previous album '' Joy as an Act of Resistance'', the album further explores themes established in the ...
'', in 2020. The band released their fourth album, ''
Crawler'', in 2021. ''
Tangk'', their fifth studio album, was released in 2024.
History
Formation, ''Welcome'' and ''Meat/Meta'' EPs (2009–2015)
Welsh frontman
Joe Talbot
Joseph Lyle Talbot (born July 11, 1990) is an American filmmaker. His debut feature film, ''The Last Black Man in San Francisco'' (2019), which he co-wrote and directed, won the Best Director prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The film i ...
was born in
Newport and spent his late teenage years in
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
.
Talbot and bassist Adam Devonshire met in
sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution, where students aged 16 to 19 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A Levels, Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) and the International Baccalaureate Di ...
in
Exeter. Talbot and Devonshire then both moved to Bristol where they studied at the
St Matthias Campus of the
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England (also known as UWE Bristol) is a public research university, located in and around Bristol, England.
The institution was know as the Bristol Polytechnic in 1970; it received university status in 1992 and ...
and decided to start a band.
[Hamilton, Joe (2017)]
Brute Force: The Contrary World Of IDLES
, '' Clash'', 15 March 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017 According to Talbot, "It took us a long time to get productive because we didn't know what the fuck we were doing at all, we were fucking terrible for a long time." Talbot and Devonshire went on to open the Bat-Cave Night Club in
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
. Guitarist Mark Bowen moved from
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
to study in Bristol and met Talbot while on the DJ circuit.
The band's first release was the
''Welcome'' EP in 2012. By 2014 the band comprised Talbot, Devonshire, guitarists Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan, and drummer Jon Beavis.
[Murray, Eoin (2017)]
Stendhal Syndrome: Idles Interviewed
, The Quietus
''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics.
Content
''The Quietu ...
, 29 June 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017 They released a second EP, ''
Meat'', which saw them embrace a much harder-edged direction from their early work, and ''
Meta'', an EP of remixes, in 2015, and then started writing songs for their debut album.
''Brutalism'' (2016–2017)
After the 2016 singles "Well Done" and "Divide & Conquer", the band released their first album, ''Brutalism'', in March 2017 to critical acclaim.
''DIY'' gave it 4 stars, calling it "An exhilarating escape along frenzied rhythms and powerhouse rhythms with a ferocious commentary for guidance...as vital as it is volatile." ''
The Line of Best Fit
''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music.
It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...
'' website gave it 9/10, calling Idles "one of the most exciting British bands right now". It received an 8/10 from ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'', with Ian King calling it "bracing, caustic, and relentless". ''
Uncut
Uncut may refer to:
* ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship
* ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997
* '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...
'' gave it a similarly positive review, calling it "A rare rock record with the rage, urgency, wit and shattering of complacency usually found in grime". Talbot's mother died after a long illness while the band was working on the album and is pictured on the cover, along with a sculpture by Talbot and his father.
Her death gave Talbot and the band a new focus.
They toured to support ''Brutalism'', and supported
the Maccabees on the London shows of their farewell tour, as well as supporting the
Foo Fighters for the
O2 Arena's 10th Birthday.
''Joy as an Act of Resistance'' (2018–2019)
![Idles Truth Stage Glastonbury 2019 010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Idles_Truth_Stage_Glastonbury_2019_010.jpg)
After several festival appearances throughout Europe, they began working on their second album, ''
Joy as an Act of Resistance
''Joy as an Act of Resistance'' is the second studio album by British Rock music, rock band Idles, released on 31 August 2018 by Partisan Records. Following the success of their debut album ''Brutalism (Idles album), Brutalism'', the band started ...
'', which was released on 31 August 2018.
Accompanying the release of ''Joy'', the group created an exhibition in collaboration with HM Electric Gallery in London, taking place 30 and 31 August 2018.
In 2019, the band was nominated for
Best Breakthrough Act at the
2019 Brit Awards
Brit Awards 2019 was the 39th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music show, the Brit Awards. It was held on 20 February 2019 at The O2 Arena in London, with Jack Whitehall as the host for the second year running. Archit ...
and later won the
2019 Kerrang! Award for Best British Breakthrough Act.
That same year,
Joy as an Act of Resistance
''Joy as an Act of Resistance'' is the second studio album by British Rock music, rock band Idles, released on 31 August 2018 by Partisan Records. Following the success of their debut album ''Brutalism (Idles album), Brutalism'', the band started ...
was shortlisted for the 2019 Hyundai
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
. The band performed "
Never Fight a Man with a Perm" at the ceremony on 19 September. In December, they played various shows across the UK, including a packed concert of 10,000 at London's
Alexandra Palace.
''Ultra Mono'' (2020–2021)
During the latter stages of their ''Joy as an Act of Resistance'' tour in December 2019, Idles performed three new songs which were confirmed to be from their then-unannounced third album, which Talbot confirmed was finished and being mixed in an interview with
Zane Lowe
Alexander Zane Reid Lowe (born 7 August 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter.
After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence thro ...
that same month.
Following the promotional single "Mr. Motivator" in May 2020, Talbot announced their third album, ''
Ultra Mono
''Ultra Mono'' is the third studio album by British rock band Idles, released on 25 September 2020 by Partisan Records.
Following on from their previous album '' Joy as an Act of Resistance'', the album further explores themes established in the ...
'', in June, on
Steve Lamacq
Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music.
Early life
He attended The Ramsey Academ ...
's
Radio 6 show.
The album was supported by a further four singles; "Grounds", "A Hymn", "Model Village" and "War" in June, July, August and September 2020, respectively. The record also features guest appearances from
Jehnny Beth
Jehnny Beth (born Camille Berthomier, 24 December 1984), is a French musician, singer-songwriter, producer, presenter and actress, best known as half of the duo John & Jehn and front woman of the English rock band Savages. Her debut solo album ...
,
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is a British comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ( ...
,
David Yow
David Yow (born August 2, 1960) is an American musician and actor born in Las Vegas, Nevada and best known as the vocalist for the noise rock bands Scratch Acid and the Jesus Lizard. Yow's debut solo album, '' Tonight You Look Like a Spider'', w ...
and
Jamie Cullum
Jamie Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He has recorded nine stu ...
.
In 2020, Idles received two nominations at the Berlin Music Video Awards: the music video "Never Fight a Man With a Perm" received a nomination for Best Animation and "Mercedes Marxist" was nominated for Best Concept.
''Ultra Mono'' was released through Partisan Records on 25 September 2020 to predominantly positive reviews, with ''
Louder Than War
''Louder Than War'' is a music and culture website and magazine focusing on mainly alternative arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication that was started by journalist John Robb in 2010 and is now ru ...
'' awarding it a 10 out of 10 and describing it as "the album of their career". The band followed the release of the album with a remix of "Model Village", featuring
Slowthai
Tyron Kaymone Frampton (born 18 December 1994), better known by his stage name Slowthai (stylised in lowercase), is a British rapper. Raised in Northampton, he rose to popularity in 2019 for his gritty and rough instrumentals and raw, politic ...
.
In 2021 the band received the Best Punk Record award for the album at the
American Association of Independent Music
The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) is a trade association that represents independent record labels in the United States, founded in 2005. A2IM is headquartered in New York City, with chapters located in Nashville, Chicago, North ...
’s (A2IM)
Libera Awards
The Libera Awards, sometimes referred to as The Libbys, are an annual awards ceremony organized by the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM). First hosted in 2012, the awards celebrate the independent music community. The capstone of A2 ...
. Also in 2021, the band released three covers:
Sharon Van Etten
Sharon Katharine Van Etten (born February 26, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released six studio albums, the latest of which is '' We've Been Going About This All Wrong'' (2022).
Early life
Van Etten was born in Belleville, N ...
's "Peace Signs" (for Van Etten's commemorative ''Epic Ten'' album),
Gang of Four's "
Damaged Goods
Damaged goods or Damaged Goods may refer to:
* Goods that have been damaged, where goods are items that satisfy human wants and provide utility
* A person considered to be less than perfect psychologically, as a result of a traumatic experience ...
" (for the
Andy Gill
Andrew James Dalrymple Gill (1 January 1956 – 1 February 2020) was a British musician and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the rock band Gang of Four, which he co-founded in 1976. Gill was known for his angular, jagged style of g ...
tribute album ''The Problem Of Leisure'') and
Metallica's "
The God That Failed" (for the charity tribute album ''
The Metallica Blacklist
''The Metallica Blacklist'' is a various artists tribute album featuring covers of every track from Metallica's 1991 self-titled album (commonly known as ''The Black Album''). The collection was assembled in conjunction with the original album' ...
'').
''Crawler'' (2021–2023)
On 28 September 2021, shortly over a year after the release of ''Ultra Mono'', the band released the single "The Beachland Ballroom". Coinciding with the announcement the band announced the release of their fourth studio album, ''
Crawler'', to be released later in the autumn.
Prior to the album's release, the second single, "Car Crash", was released. The song was written about Talbot's real-life car accident.
''Crawler'' was released on 12 November 2021 through Partisan Records, and it was met with critical acclaim. Matt Mitchell, writing for ''
Paste'', gave the album an 8.8 out of 10 saying that ''Crawler'' "is magnetic storytelling tempered with newfound patience". Damien Morris, of ''
The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...
'', called ''Crawler'' a "thrilling, glass-gargling introspection", giving the album a full five out of five stars. Stuart Berman of ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'' gave ''Crawler'' a 7 out 10, the highest rating the band has received from the website. Berman said that "the Bristol band’s fourth album plays like the dark origin story for how Idles became the preeminent life coaches of modern post-punk."
After being unable to tour for ''Ultra Mono'' due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, the two albums were promoted in a worldwide tour from late 2021 to late 2022. During the tour, the band released two music videos from ''Crawler''. The first, "When the Lights Come On", premiered on 13 December 2021 with direction from the company, Holding Hands with Horses. On 8 February 2022, the music video for "Crawl!" was released. The video was a claymation video directed by LOOSE and Edie Lawrence.
In April 2022, the band performed at
Coachella Music and Arts Festival, with ''Desert Sun'' describing their performance as "rambunctious" and "chaotic".
''Tangk'' (2023–present)
On 18 October 2023 the band released the single "
Dancer", featuring backing vocals by
James Murphy and
Nancy Whang
LCD Soundsystem is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002 by James Murphy, co-founder of DFA Records. The band comprises Murphy (vocals, various instruments), Nancy Whang (synthesizer, keyboards, vocals), Pat Mahoney ( ...
from
LCD Soundsystem. They also announced their fifth album ''
Tangk'', which was released on 16 February 2024 and co-produced by the team of Kenny Beats,
Nigel Godrich
Nigel Timothy Godrich (born 28 February 1971) is an English record producer, recording engineer and musician. He is known for his work with the English rock band Radiohead, having produced all their studio albums since '' OK Computer'' (1997). ...
and guitarist Mark Bowen. "Dancer" was later named by ''NME'' as the 49th best song of 2023.
On 6 December 2023, the band released the follow-up single "Grace", and later released "Gift Horse" on 14 January 2024. On February 14, the band released a music video for "Grace" that used footage from
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
's video for "
Yellow
Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the ...
". Using
deep fake
Deepfakes (a portmanteau of "deep learning" and "fake") are synthetic media in which a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else's likeness. While the act of creating fake content is not new, deepfakes leverage powerful ...
technology,
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, pianist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay. Born in Exeter, Devon, he went to Uni ...
is made to appear as though he is singing "Grace" rather than "Yellow". The idea for the video reportedly came to Talbot in a dream, and was done with not only Martin's approval but his cooperation – filming himself singing the song in order to train the
AI to make it appear more realistic.
Musical style
![Idles - Haldern Pop Festival 2017 - Alexander Kellner - 8](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Idles_-_Haldern_Pop_Festival_2017_-_Alexander_Kellner_-_8.jpg)
Idles' music has been associated with
punk rock and related genres including
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...
,
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...
, and
post-hardcore.
Talbot rejected the punk label;
in 2017, he said: "We're not a post punk band. I guess we have that motorik
Motorik is the 4/4 beat often used by, and heavily associated with, krautrock bands. Coined by music journalists, the term is German for "motor skill". The motorik beat was pioneered by Jaki Liebezeit, drummer with German experimental rock band ...
, engine-like drive in the rhythm section that some post punk bands have, but we have plenty of songs that aren't like that at all."
Members
Current
* Adam Devonshire – bass guitar, backing vocals (2009–present)
* Joe Talbot
Joseph Lyle Talbot (born July 11, 1990) is an American filmmaker. His debut feature film, ''The Last Black Man in San Francisco'' (2019), which he co-wrote and directed, won the Best Director prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The film i ...
– lead vocals (2009–present)
* Mark Bowen – lead guitar, backing vocals (2009–present), electronics
The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...
, keyboards (2021–present)
* Jon Beavis – drums, backing vocals (2011–present)
* Lee Kiernan – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2015–present)
Former
* Andy Stewart – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2009–2015)
* Jon Harper
Jonathan Daniel Harper (born 15 February 1978) is an English session musician and started his musical career as the drummer for Reading-based British alternative rock band, The Cooper Temple Clause. He filled-in the vacancy for drummer in the B ...
– drums (2009–2011)
Discography
* '' Brutalism'' (2017)
* ''Joy as an Act of Resistance
''Joy as an Act of Resistance'' is the second studio album by British Rock music, rock band Idles, released on 31 August 2018 by Partisan Records. Following the success of their debut album ''Brutalism (Idles album), Brutalism'', the band started ...
'' (2018)
* ''Ultra Mono
''Ultra Mono'' is the third studio album by British rock band Idles, released on 25 September 2020 by Partisan Records.
Following on from their previous album '' Joy as an Act of Resistance'', the album further explores themes established in the ...
'' (2020)
* '' Crawler'' (2021)
* '' Tangk'' (2024)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
{{Commons category, Idles (band), Idles
2009 establishments in England
British hardcore punk groups
British musical quintets
English post-punk music groups
English punk rock groups
Musical groups established in 2009
Musical groups from Bristol
Partisan Records artists
Libera Award for Best Breakthrough Artist winners