AS the frontman of Scottish indie rock band Idlewild Ronnie Woomble had 12 top 40 singles and 8 acclaimed albums. Now he is heading to Hampshire next week to play tracks from his new solo album The Deluder which is released today.

He will be at Portsmouth's Wedgewood Rooms on Thursday September 7 as part of his extensive UK tour.

Following on from the brooding, atmospheric 'Like Caruso' single in March and showcasing the diversity of his fourth solo album ‘The Deluder’ - new single ’Jupiter’ sees Roddy and his band in a surreal and playful mood channelling both solo McCartney and Pavement, in a quirky, melodic and memorable pop song.

Woomble says of the new single: “ The song actually started out as something I was making up for (and with) my son, who is eight years old and quite interested in astronomy - working on it with my band, who are all adults, it developed and took on a new meaning; the emphasis, and hope we place in mysterious things we don’t fully understand. Constellations, Planets, astrology, the secrets we keep from each other, while still aiming to keep some of the fun, irreverent nature of the original idea, both in the music and lyrics"

After Idlewild’s 2015 album ‘Everything Ever Written’, the band were set on writing and recording another album straight away, and they started that process off, however everyone’s life took over in one way or another and they decided to take a break from it for the time being.

Up in the Hebrides, with winter approaching Roddy decided to start with another sort of record, which would turn into his most personal, introspective album of songs. Working mainly with Andrew Mitchell (Guitar and Bass) Danny Grant (Drums, Programming) and Luciano Rossi (Piano, Keyboards, Bass) over the winter of 2016/17 in Edinburgh, London and the Isle of Mull he recorded and mixed the album ‘The Deluder’ . The record was produced and performed by the four of them, with contributions with other long standing collaborators Hannah Fisher (Violin & Vocals) and Sorren Maclean (Guitar).

Roddy doesn’t do themes, he collects songs together and records them over a period of time, and a loose narrative starts to develop between them. It’s a mix of listening, reading, think travelling and writing that combines into something slightly new each time, on every record. That said, during the course of writing and recording ‘The Deluder’ Roddy turned 40 and the emphasis placed on age, particularly moving from one decade into another was not lost on him this time around, “The significance is either there or not, it depends on your circumstance and how much time, thought, and angst you care to put into it” said Roddy.

Fronting Idlewild Roddy has notched up eight acclaimed albums and three compilations, two of which charted in the UK top ten. They have released twelve UK top forty singles and have toured throughout the world, as a headline act, and also as support to REM, U2, Pearl Jam and the Rolling Stones amongst others.

‘The Deluder’ is released on September 1st via A Modern Way/Empty World and will include a Limited Edition pink vinyl available exclusively through indie record stores.

www.roddywoomble.net