Return to Edinburgh

Idlewild eventually returned to Edinburgh in 1999 to begin writing new songs, and contacted engineer Bob Weston , from Chicago , who recorded six songs with them in London. These songs held a more aggressive, emptier sound than those previously, and the band were pleased with the results; however, they remained unsure of their direction. During the summer, Idlewild were invited to play at the opening of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, a momentous day for Scottish history. Scotland is where the band would remain for a while, letting the surrounding environment influence their songwriting and letting the songs represent the band as they were. Hitting a stride, the band returned to the studio with producer Dave Eringa and recorded ” Little Discourage ” and ” Roseability ” in their first session. Very happy with the results, the band continued to record what would become their second full-length album, 100 Broken Windows . Little Discourage was released in September and brought Idlewild a larger fan-base and much more radio play. Hope Is Important was released in America, and to support it, the band performed a small number of tour dates on the East Coast . The remainder of the year was spent mixing the new album in Glasgow.