Idlewild are an alt-rock fantasy come to life—namely: one that imagines Michael Stipe fronting Nirvana. After vocalist Roddy Woomble, guitarist Rod Jones and drummer Colin Newtown met at a party (with bassist Phil Scanlon joining shortly thereafter), the Edinburgh band debuted in 1997 with a hardcore-charged single, “Queen of the Trouble Teens”, that lived up to the “wild” half of their name. But thanks to Woomble’s increasingly expressive vocals and erudite lyrics, Idlewild grew up fast. If 1998’s Hope Is Important suggested a band with one foot in the mosh pit and the other in the library, by 2000’s 100 Broken Windows, Idlewild achieved a perfect fusion of intensity and intellect that bands like Interpol and The National would later pursue. Then, 2002’s The Remote Part hit the Top 5 in the UK and completed Idlewild’s transition into indie-rock dignitaries, attracting tour offers from Coldplay and Pearl Jam in the process. Beyond a brief hiatus from 2010 to 2013, Idlewild have never wavered in their mission to bring poetic, impassioned rock music to the masses, with the ‘80s-alternative expanse of 2019’s Interview Music serving as a testament to their ever-vital spirit.