For his latest album, he took a more low-key approach - recording it in his living room!
The guitarist now plays with a new group, the Birthday Suit, but this Saturday he will be playing a solo acoustic set at Nice N' Sleazy in Sauchiehall Street, running through songs from a limited edition album he recently released to his fans.
It was made available only to those who pre-ordered it through his website, and this weekend's show will see him perform several of those tunes.
"I recorded it all in my living room and it has been nice doing it that way," he says.
"It meant I was not being tied into studio time, so I could work when I felt like it and I was in the right frame of mind. My wife was quite good with it all, although she did get a little annoyed when I was leaving stuff all over the place.
"I had my own little corner and kept all the leads and microphones piled up there. I think she was glad to see the back of it, and the living room is back to normal for a change!"
Rod has certainly kept himself busy since Idlewild announced they were taking a break.
The limited album he has just made was the result of him writing material for a new Birthday Suit album that did not quite match what he wanted for that, so he re-deployed them as this project instead.
"I was conscious that I had started the last Birthday Suit album (The Eleventh Hour) as an acoustic record, and it gradually turned into a rock record, and because of that it was not that coherent to listen to.
"This time, I had these acoustic songs and I didn't want them to confuse the next Birthday Suit record, so I kept them to one side but had six or seven of them left, so I thought I would do a solo record again."
However, when this weekend gig is over Rod will return to focusing on the Birthday Suit.
He is planning a new record for October, with a heavier rock sound to the fore. For the guitarist, that sound also shows he is feeling far more confident with his own voice.
"I never thought I would have the confidence to sing in a rock group," he admits.
"I thought my voice was all twee and fey. As my confidence grew, I thought, 'Okay, I will have a crack at it, whereas with this second effort I felt confident enough in my own voice to do that from the start.
"I realised I didn't have to sing so high all the time – my mum's a soprano, and I had spent the last 15 years trying to sing higher than Roddy (Woomble, Idlewild singer) because I was on backing vocals there."
Rod points to that added confidence also coming out when he was working with the Fruit Tree Foundation, a project he set up with Scottish singer Emma Pollock that brought various musicians from across the country, set them up over a long weekend and got them to work together on new songs.
The Foundation was tied into the Music Like A Vitamin project in support of mental heath charities, and while all was quiet last year, it appears the project will be returning in the autumn.
"We are going to do another concert this year," says Rod.
"I was getting married when it was on last year, but we realised it was missing from the festival then, so we will do it again."
Rod also believes Idlewild will be back at some point, but adds: "We have all got so many things going on, from family life to other music projects that it is something we'll do if the time is right.
"Our minds change on a weekly basis, although I think we will do something at some point – whether that is an album or shows in a year or a few years, who knows?
"There are times we say we should make another album, and we're all still talking. I see Allan (Stewart, guitarist) at various festivals and keep missing Roddy at them by a couple of days. When the time is right, we will do it."
l Rod Jones, Nice N Sleazy, Saturday, £8, 8pm. The Birthday Suit play King Tut's on October 4.
