Idlewild’s Rod Jones responds to fan campaign to boycott band’s side-projects

Fans launched campaign in hope of spurring Scottish band to reform

Idlewild‘s Rod Jones has criticised an online campaign which urged fans to boycott the band’s side-projects in the hope that they would reform.

The Scottish group released their last album ‘Post Electric Blues’ in 2009. Since then, frontman Roddy Woomble has released two solo albums, while guitarist Rod Jones has released material under his own name in addition to forming the band The Birthday Suit, who will put out their third LP ‘A Hollow Hole Of Riches’ in March next year.

After learning that fans of the band had launched a campaign urging others to ignore any extra-curricular projects so they would be forced to reunite, Jones wrote a letter claiming that it had almost discouraged him from making music altogether.

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“It has recently come to my attention however that an online campaign including some unkind and hurtful messages has been waged to try and boycott side projects in an attempt to bring Idlewild back,” he said. “If anything this just has the opposite effect in that it made me really consider whether I wanted to make music anymore after working so hard with my good friends to make new music and I feel compelled to set the record straight.”

He went on to add: “My other band The Birthday Suit and its touring and releasing records has absolutely no bearing or influence on whether and when an idlewild tour or album might happen. It also involves a lot of very talented and hardworking friends and musicians who are not involved in Idlewild who deserve to be heard and credited for their good work and not punished for being involved in my other projects.

“They are some of my favourite musicians and people and the hurtful messages directed at them and us are truly disheartening and upsetting to me. Thankfully the said campaign has now been removed after I contacted them directly and hopefully this will be the end of it.”

Jones concluded the letter by writing: “I realise that this is maybe a minority faction of our fans and that most of you have been supportive and receptive to our other projects and I greatly appreciate that. It is mainly because of your support that I have found the resolve to continue to do what I have gained much joy from over the past years and keep making music. I hope that you will continue to support our music both as individuals and as Idlewild whatever the future may bring.” You can read the letter in full on the band’s Facebook page.

The Birthday Suit released their debut album ‘The Eleventh Hour’ in 2011, while follow-up ‘A Conversation Well Rehearsed’ came out last year. The band’s most recent single, meanwhile – a track titled ‘A Bigger World’ – featured a contribution from Frightened Rabbit singer Scott Hutchison.

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