Exclusive: Turn bassist joins Idlewild

Rumours that Gavin Fox, bassist with Turn, is to join Idlewild have been confirmed.

Currently supporting The Frames on their nationwide tour, Fox spoke exclusively to Hot Press from the band's tourbus. "We've been friends with Idlewild since we did a tour with them two years ago," he says. "They asked me how I'd feel about joining and gave me six weeks to think it over. It was a difficult decision to make. I've been with Turn since we began back in 1997 - we've been together a very long time. It's a bit of a shock. Idlewild came to see us when we played in Whelan's. They were actually supposed to support us, but the singer got sick."

Scotland natives Idlewild, whose bass player left two months ago after an explosive row with lead singer Roddy Woomble, are filling the support slot for Coldplay's current European tour and are set for a string of headline dates of their own across the UK in December, for which Fox will be joining them on January 30 in the Nerve Centre, Derry, January 31 at Queens University, Belfast and February 1 at Dublin's Ambassador.

"It's not that I was unhappy with Turn," he adds. "Not at all. Definitely not. I honestly don't know why - I know that sounds mad. It's just very hard to talk about it. It’s awkward, but I'm looking forward to it."

Turn frontman Ollie Cole also offered his take on the situation. "I am upset about it, really," he says. "It has been a hard road and I suppose we're just coming to the clearing too - we're starting to do well and I'm really happy with the album, but life stopped surprising me a while ago. I'm disappointed, but I'm not being arsey about it. I'm being realistic. Sometimes, when things seem to be as bleak as they can possibly be, they turn out to be the right thing. The hardest thing is the fact that me and Gavin and Ian are friends, and we have been for years. The only disappointment I feel is on a personal level."

Plans are underway to add a new member to the Turn line up, although no details have been released yet. "We need to bring out our album and do whatever, and there's a friend of mine who's interested in playing. He's a good guy," assures Ollie.

The album, entitled Forward, will be out at the end of February. Turn's final gig with Gavin will be on New Year's Eve in the Temple Bar Music Centre.