This six-track release is Idlewild in their early raw form. Their sound developed over their illustrious 25-year career, but Captain is a reflection of a band who, at the time, were disrupting a thriving indie scene with a unique edgier, more angular sound. Their live reputation preceded them, never failing to impress the fast-expanding fanbase. Captain was recorded in October 1997 and was initially released on Deceptive Records in January 1998. The band signed to EMI shortly before the release of Captain.