Idiot Glee

After extensive national and international touring in support of his debut album, Paddywhack, Idiot Glee has returned with a brand-new EP of homemade pop called Life Without Jazz! read more…

After extensive national and international touring in support of his debut album, Paddywhack, Idiot Glee has returned with a brand-new EP of homemade pop called Life Without Jazz!

Borrowing his name from a Brian Eno quote about the ecstatic emotional surge one gets from creative accomplishment, Idiot Glee (Kentuckian James Friley) quickly struck a chord with fans around the globe who fell in love with his sound. While he employs mainly electronic instruments like synthesizers and samplers, his music is far from what you might call electronic. Preferring to play his songs live rather than just sing over sequences is a central reason why his songs are so organic and soulful. His classically-trained hands and sharp musical intuition are as much a part of his sound as his vocals or gear. The songs shine whether he goes his usual solo route, with a band, or on a grand piano, where the tunes are still just as stunning even when stripped down to their bare essences.

When he’s not touring and playing shows as Idiot Glee, James stays extremely busy in his hometown of Lexington. He co-owns a record label (Hop Hop), books shows in town as part of Lexington Lexington, plays bass in Street Gnar, DJs on the radio at WRFL and is also a member of the Resonant Hole collective. Throw in composing soundtracks and performing his solo piano improvisations and it’s difficult to imagine when he has time to write new material.

After a steady diet of Fleetwood Mac, Roxy Music, Scott Walker, and Harry Nilsson, Idiot Glee’s new songs have become more adventurous and stylistically varied (he’s currently working on a record replacing keyboards with guitars and piano) but still retain the heart-melting harmonies that seem to just spill out of his mouth effortlessly. These are songs for the lonely but still hopeful, for the homesick people yearning for the comforts of home, and for future lovers locking eyes across the club for the very first time.

News

• Impose Magazine features Idiot Glee's video for "Pinkwood" Apr 30, 2013
• American Songwriter features Idiot Glee's "Pinkwood" Apr 26, 2013
• Consequence of Sound reviews Idiot Glee's Life Without Jazz EP Feb 28, 2013
• Idiot Glee's debuts new track off of Life Without Jazz album Feb 27, 2013
• Listen to Idiot Glee's new album Life Without Jazz Feb 27, 2013
• Idiot Glee talks with Noisey about music and Mormonism Feb 22, 2013
• Idiot Glee's "Pinkwood" Featured On Ad Hoc Feb 7, 2013
• Idiot Glee's "Pinkwood" Featured on I Guess I'm Floating Jan 28, 2013
• Idiot Glee's "Pinkwood" Featured on The Line Of Best Fit Jan 28, 2013
• Idiot Glee's Life Without Jazz Featured on Impose Jan 24, 2013
• Idiot Glee's "Pinkwood" Featured on Consequence Of Sound Jan 24, 2013
• Idiot Glee's track "Pinkwood" premieres on MTV Hive Jan 18, 2013
• Idiot Glee's "Pinkwood" on You Ain't No Picasso Jan 18, 2013
• Nick Diamonds, Matt Duncan and Idiot Glee @ Modern Motel 12.1.12 Dec 3, 2012
• Tiny Mix Tapes Review Idiot Glee's Paddywhack May 25, 2011
• Idiot Glee's Paddywhack review on Consequence of Sound May 23, 2011
• Idiot Glee Q&A with Vice May 23, 2011
• Idiot Glee featured "New Band of the Day" on The Guardian Aug 13, 2010

Tour Dates

Date	Venue	Location	With	Tickets
Fri 5/24/2013	Subterranean	Chicago, Illinois	YAWN
Sun 6/30/2013	Glasslands Gallery	Brooklyn, New York	Night Beds