Idles singer Joe Talbot to read ‘Bedtime Story’ for CBeebies

Joe Talbot, the lead vocalist of Bristol rock band Idles, will be making a surprise appearance on CBeebies Bedtime Stories.

Instead of singing politically charged lyrics, he’ll be reading Davina Bell’s children’s book Under the Love Umbrella, which features illustrations by Alison Colpoys.

The singer told the BBC, “It’s an honour to announce that I am reading a CBeebies Bedtime Story. I can NOT express how much I love reading to my kid so this was a welcome twist in an already beautiful career. All love.”

The show has been running since 2006, with each episode featuring a different celebrity reading a bedtime story. From Dolly Parton to Tom Hardy, countless stars have had their turn, and now it’s Talbot’s opportunity.

The episode will air on February 20th on CBeebies at 6:50pm and will also be made available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Idles recently released their fifth album, Tangk, which demonstrates an era of musical progression for the band, with Talbot experimenting with his vocal style.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Talbot said: “I don’t have to hide behind violence any more. I can be melancholic, or wistful, or flaky and not see that as indulgent. For instance, when Nina Simone was at her most delicate, there was still a lightning bolt behind it.”

To promote the album, Idles are embarking on a large string of live dates that will see them play across Europe, the United States and Canada before rounding off the tour with shows in the United Kingdom.

Listen to ‘Grace’, taken from Tangk, below, which uses a deep fake version of Chris Martin in Colplay’s ‘Yellow’ video.

ADD AS A PREFERRED SOURCE ON GOOGLE

Never Miss A Beat

The Far Out Music Newsletter

All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.