Idles

Meet the Bristol-based post-punks who’ve turned into one of 2018’s biggest success stories – armed with socio-political fire and an unexpected dose of optimism...

In terms of big years, it’s safe to say IDLES have eclipsed even their own expectations of how 2018 might play out. Initially a college project formed by vocalist Joe Talbot and bassist Adam Devonshire – where Talbot admits that “for a long time we didn’t know what the fuck we were doing” – the duo were eventually joined by guitarists Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan and drummer Jon Beavis, and began to put down roots in Bristol’s flourishing alternative music scene. It would be six years before the release of 2017 debut Brutalism. A furious collection of articulate, hard-hitting punk rock, it was a debut worth waiting for and one which helped raise their profile in Bristol and beyond.

And so, the band began this year grappling that most well-worn of rock’n’roll phenomena: tricky second album syndrome. But as they risked being overwhelmed by the pressures of this, the band were struck by tragedy when Talbot lost his baby daughter; an experience which “sorted the wheat from the chaff” in terms of their priorities. What followed was Joy As An Act Of Resistance – a beautiful, affecting and unexpectedly optimistic account of living with grief and trauma, and the importance of unity in the face of an ever diversifying world.

It was a message that resonated with listeners all over the world. The result was a sold out tour which saw them fill the biggest rooms they’ve ever played and a top five spot in the UK albums chart. But when we catch up with vocalist Joe Talbot, he’s intrigued that the album’s made it into Classic Rock’s end of year poll at all – because, as he puts it, “it’s not classic rock, is it?” He perhaps has a point, in the traditional sense. But with a sound that draws from post-punk’s taut template, calling upon the scratchy, jerking guitar perfected by the likes of Gang Of Four and Wire, not to mention lead single Danny Nedelko’s jubilant Sham 69-esque football terrace chants, the band’s roots are steeped in punk’s heritage. Talbot concedes it’s true that their sound has been attracting listeners from across the rock spectrum. “We’re like the Ant & Dec of rock,” he says. “Everyone likes us.”

He’s not wrong about that. One celebrity spat with Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson aside, the band have been championed by the likes of Charlie Brooker –

“To have someone who often seeks for the cesspit of our society react so positively to our positivity felt reassuring” – Stewart Lee and Jools Holland, along with long-term support from Steve Lamacq.

“It was a relief,” Talbot says of the public’s reaction to the album. “It’s like falling backwards and not knowing if you’re going to get caught or not. The best part of that is the realisation that everything we wanted has happened. We wanted to encourage people to come to our shows, believe in our music, spread the word and build community, and it’s happened.”

IDLES aren’t a band who like to linger in the present for too long, and as the year draws to a close, they’re already fixing their sights on “tricky album number three”. With a global audience who are “more disenfranchised and in need of community than ever,” and a recently announced world tour in the works, it’s likely 2019 will hold even bigger things to come. “We’ve had a really good run and everything feels right,” concludes Talbot. “It feels magic.”

“We’re like the Ant & Dec of rock. Everyone

likes us.”

Joe Talbot