IDLES – Our Generation

"A beautiful, chaotic mess" is how Adam Devonshire describes his band, IDLES. Despite this (or because of this, perhaps), IDLES have claimed the title of Britain's most exciting independent band and have picked up plenty of accolades along their journey.

Their distinct musical style is an assault of noise, heavy riffs, and an engine-like drive in the rhythm section

This episode of Our Generation takes a look at the musical journey of IDLES bassist Adam “Dev” Devonshire.

Dev discusses what inspired him to play bass, his progress from running a music venue to being in one of the UK’s top bands, and where he’s currently at in his story. Taking inspiration from The Stranglers to Gilla Band, Dev dives into his bass tone and gear, of which Rotosound strings play a crucial role. The interview is segmented with original pieces plus Dev plays through some classic IDLES tracks.

IDLES and Adam Devonshire

Bristol-based post-punk rock band IDLES broke into the public consciousness in 2017 with the release of their critically acclaimed debut album Brutalism. However, the band formed eight years earlier when Dev met singer Joe Talbot at college and shortly afterwards brought in guitarists Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan, and drummer Jon Beavis. Their distinct musical style is an assault of noise, heavy riffs, and an engine-like drive in the rhythm section – all tied together with Talbot’s emotionally delivered lyrics. The band’s fourth album, Crawler, was released in 2021 and received a nomination for Best Rock Album at the 2023 Grammy Awards.