IDLES: Keeping it Simple

“I’d say Brutalism is more of a woman. This one feels more male. It’s more selfish; more introverted,” IDLES frontman Joe Talbot says of the follow-up to the band’s debut album, Brutalism, released in February this year. That record, female or otherwise, was a powerful political statement of post-punk unease. It’s catapulted them onto ever-bigger stages at gigs and festivals at home and abroad, and even given them the enviable title of ‘best guitar band in the UK’ by blown-away music journalists excited to hear something so obviously authentic rattling through their skulls.

Joe says the band’s forthcoming sophomore LP, planned to be recorded in January, will be “more autobiographical.” It will focus keenly on mental health, modern society, and, poignantly for Joe, fatherhood – he and his partner lost their daughter earlier this year. The pressures of masculinity will also be discussed. “I think masculinity is just a made-up thing, and a lot of guys try and stick to it and it’s bullshit,” Joe says. “How many times have you seen your father cry? I cry all the time. It’s important to cry. There’s a huge correlation between that and sexuality too – the pressure of being heterosexual stops young boys from coming out.”

Joe hopes that IDLES acts as a catalyst for this kind of discussion. “I want all of our albums to open up conversations. What I don’t want is to be a voice of aggression or ignorance. A lot of people misinterpreted the first album as an attack on Tories, when in fact it’s not – it’s just supposed to open up political discussion.”

IDLES will be playing Simple Things – Bristol’s premier multi-venue, multi-genre, hyper cutting-edge music festival – for the third time, and after considering their blistering trajectory over the past few months, the organisers have decided to let them loose on a larger stage than ever before. They’ll be blowing audiences away with their visceral set on the Colston Hall’s main stage, the biggest of the event – but if you’ve seen them before, don’t expect anything different than what you’ve been treated to already. “We haven’t got anything special planned,” admits Joe. “We don’t change our gig for the size of venue – we don’t think that’s fair to people who turn up to see us at a 100 capacity show. Every gig’s as important as the next, so we treat them equally. It also means our shows are a lot more spontaneous – we don’t plan it, apart from the setlist.”

And if you think you’ve had the full IDLES experience just by listening to Brutalism, think again. “75 percent of the experience of IDLES is to see us live – it’s a great album, but once you see it live, it translates better,” says Joe. “We write with the live experience in mind. We’re already thinking about the second album as a live album – with a visceral, physical dialogue. The audience are half the conversation, but you need to be in a room to really understand it.”

IDLES will play as part of Simple Things Festival on Saturday, October 21. For more information, full lineup and tickets, check out www.simplethingsfestival.co.uk