The Art of Longevity Episode 85: Idlewild, with Roddy Woomble

The Art of Longevity Episode 85: Idlewild, with Roddy Woomble

Author: The Song Sommelier November 27, 2025 Duration: 1:02:41
Emerging from Edinburgh’s music scene in the mid-1990s, Idlewild carved out their place in a British rock scene choc-a-bloc with guitar bands (the halo of Britpop) through a combination of emotional intensity and literary edge. All of this is present in the band still, right down to new song “Back Then You Found Me” name checking Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood. Their 1998 debut album, Hope Is Important, announced them as something more than just another Scottish guitar band. Their songs...

The Art of Longevity, hosted by The Song Sommelier, sits at the crossroads of music, history, and the often-unseen business behind it. This isn't a typical interview podcast; it's a series of candid, in-depth dialogues with artists who have built careers spanning decades. Each conversation explores the real journey-how these musicians have weathered the industry's constant shifts, creative droughts, and commercial pressures to not just survive, but to continue evolving and connecting with audiences. We get into the specifics: the collaboration that saved a career, the business decision that changed everything, the fanbase that grew quietly over years. The discussions move fluidly between past triumphs, current projects, and future ambitions, always grounded in the artist's personal definition of success. It's about the resilience required to make art for a lifetime. Tune in for these uniquely honest reflections on what it truly means to last.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 93

The Art of Longevity
Podcast Episodes
The Art of Longevity Episode 68: Joan As Police Woman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:28
There are always some central pillars to a great party playlist - songs that just work. One of those is the Joan As Police Woman song Holy City. The song is always an instant hit at parties, guaranteed to elicit excitabl…
The Art of Longevity Episode 67: Keane [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:27
Of all the bands to grace our company on The Art of Longevity, Keane have ridden the music industry rollercoaster through all the stations of the cross: struggle, success, excess, disintegration and if you’re lucky - enl…
The Art of Longevity Episode 66: Los Campesinos! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:37
What happens when you are a cult band (indeed when Pitchfork refers to you as “the ultimate cult band”) and you make the most accessible, most ‘mainstream’ album of your career? It’s a relevant question for many bands th…
The Art of Longevity Episode 65: David Gray [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:44
Artists have a duty to claim that their most recent project is the best work they have ever done. But what if it’s true? I’m so taken with David Gray’s new album Dear Life (released January 2025) - and so too is David of…
That One Guitar (pilot) Episode 1: Gale Paridjanian, Turin Brakes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:41
My guest for this pilot episode is Gale Paridjanian of (the magnificent) Turin Brakes. If you listen to the song Underdog (Save me) by Turin Brakes, it will tell you a lot about how Gale plays and what he brings to a son…
The Art of Longevity Episode 64: Chilly Gonzales [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:03
When I heard the Chilly Gonzales song Neoclassical Massacre, I immediately got in touch with his management and label to get Gonzo on the Art of Longevity. Not only are his views on AI and background music incisive, but…
The Art of Longevity Episode 63: Nada Surf [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:26
In this day & age of abundance, you can easily forget what’s precious - like your favourite bands. If you are anything like me the question “what’s your favourite band” now has an official top 40. As in I have a rolling…
The Art of Longevity Season 9, Episode 5: Eels [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:20
In Mark Oliver Everett’s autobiography “Things The Grandchildren Should Know”, the author, otherwise known as E, the frontman and band leader of Eels, wrote of Bob Dylan’s self-proclaimed destiny as a musician: “I wish I…
The Art of Longevity Season 9, Episode 4: Marika Hackman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:03
Marika Hackman's Big Sigh is everything a 4th album should be. Really good songs, good scheduling, sophisticated arrangements (brass and strings accompany many tracks). The album has variety - from the mysterious instrum…
The Art of Longevity Season 9, Episode 3: Travis, with Fran Healy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:03
Fran Healy and his band Travis have this longevity thing down. Firstly, you must have a love and addiction to music, as something magical. Secondly, that magic is for you to create - making music to nobody’s expectations…