Idiot Savant
January 30th, 2011 | Published in Music in the film
TRACKS: Now Then and Baby Steps.
Idiot Savant – ‘His Last Act’ from Oli Heffernan on Vimeo.
Idiot Savant – ‘Club Dei Brutti’ from Oli Heffernan on Vimeo.
“Idiot Savant are a history-rock sextet from Middlesbrough.
But seriously, wait…
As opening gambits go it’s not the best, but despite this Idiot Savant have gained a loyal following over the last few years, garnering 6music and Xfm play and lots of nice, if slightly strange, press (see below). During this period the band also persuaded Huw Stephens to become the first ever Radio 1 DJ to play a song about Marco Polo’s wife; the band’s own Emilione.
Formed just after the turn of the millennium by (ex) flatmates Oli Heffernan and Daniel Cochran as an ego project, the band also comprises former Junior Elvis drummer and folk singing monkey hanger Ben Muriel (A.K.A. Folk Daddy A.K.A. F-Diddy), faux nice guy Dean Langstaff, cheekboned poulatarian Robbie Major and Nathan “alright Nath” Stephenson.
2009 will finally see a vinyl release from The Idiots, continuing to be as obtuse as ever; a-side Habeus Corpus tackles an issue close to the heart of many an English scholar, having Alan Bennett’s love child.
None of Idiot Savant now live with their mothers.
“Fuck off” – Ian McCulloch (to a starstruck Ben – 2007)
“…dark and brooding and quietly epic in an English boys kind of way” Organ Magazine
“Superb” On The Beat
“willfully unfashionable lyrical themes and epic intent” Sounds XP
“…a bit like Editors but with all the smugness replaced by great lyrics and a nice singing voice” The Crack Magazine
“Pretty fucking amazing” – NME
“Corking stuff” Sandman Magazine
“Definitely the only half decent thing to come out of Teesside since paint” Playlouder
“Decidedly strange” CD Times
“Sounds like a more tuneful version of what iLiKETRAiNS might come up with” The Crack”