My Secret is My Silence is the debut studio album by Idlewild

Idlewild (band)

Idlewild are a Scottish rock band, formed in Edinburgh, in 1995, comprising Roddy Woomble , Rod Jones , Colin Newton , Allan Stewart and Gareth Russell...

 lead vocalist Roddy Woomble

Roddy Woomble

Roderick "Roddy" Woomble is the lead singer of Scottish rock band, Idlewild and a solo contemporary folk musician. To date, Woomble has released six full-length studio albums with Idlewild, and two solo albums, My Secret is My Silence and The Impossible Song & Other Songs...

, released 24 July 2006, on Pure Records.

The album, produced by John McCusker

John McCusker

John McCusker is a Scottish folk musician, record producer and composer. An accomplished fiddle player, he had a long association as a member of the Battlefield Band beginning in the 1990s and was later a band member and producer for folk singer Kate Rusby...

, features tracks co-written by McCusker, Rod Jones

Rod Jones (musician)

Rodric "Rod" Iwan Pryce Jones is the guitarist and backing vocalist for indie rock band Idlewild.Son of classical musician, John Pryce-Jones, Jones is an energetic live performer, and his guitar playing has been described as "gritty yet melodic."In 2000 Jones played second guitar for Graham Coxon...

, Michael Angus and Karine Polwart

Karine Polwart

Karine Polwart is a Scottish singer-songwriter. She writes and performs music with a strong folk and roots feel, her songs dealing with a variety of issues from alcoholism to genocide...

 as well as the vocals of folk

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

 singer, Kate Rusby

Kate Rusby

Kate Anna Rusby is an English folk singer and songwriter from Penistone, South Yorkshire. Sometimes known as The Barnsley Nightingale, she has headlined various British national folk festivals, and is regarded as one of the most famous English folk singers of contemporary times...

.

Regarding the album, Woomble states that: "the barriers were down so I could do whatever I wanted. I don’t look at it as a solo record – I mean, my name is on it, but it’s more of a collaborative effort. There are ten people on it!"

Woomble also notes that he is "in a position that I can decide to put out records under my own name, playing music that wouldn’t be considered rock music, but I can also play with the band and put out rock albums. It’s not like I wake up in the morning with a beard and a tammy and warble folk songs, and the next day it’s all leather jackets. The two things run in tandem pretty well."

Track listing

1. "I Came In from the Mountain" – 2:40
2. "As Still As I Watch Your Grave" – 4:45
3. "Every Line of a Long Moment" – 3:39
4. "My Secret is My Silence" – 4:12
5. "Act IV" – 4:22
6. "From the Drifter to The Lake" – 3:37
7. "If I Could Name Any Name" – 3:57
8. "Whiskeyface" – 2:47
9. "Waverley Steps" – 4:05
10. "Under My Breath" – 3:44
11. "Play Me Something" – 3:40