Thom Yorke Says Radiohead Isn’t His Priority Amid The Smile’s Success
Thom Yorke, frontman of Radiohead, is fully immersed in his side project, The Smile, a band he formed with Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and drummer Tom Skinner from Sons of Kemet. In fact, when asked by Australian outlet Double J about the future of Radiohead, Yorke didn’t hold back, saying, “I am not aware of it and don’t really give a flying fuck.”
The Smile recently released Cutouts, their second album of 2024 and their third in three years, displaying an impressive creative output. This steady stream of releases has led Radiohead fans to worry that the band might be on an indefinite hiatus, particularly after Greenwood recently admitted that Radiohead had “no plans” for 2025, citing that each member has been busy with their own projects.
Yorke confirmed that Radiohead is not a top priority for him right now, emphasizing the band’s desire to work on their individual ventures. “No offence to anyone and, err, thanks for caring. But I think we’ve earned the right to do what makes sense to us without having to explain ourselves or be answerable to anyone else’s historical idea of what we should be doing,” Yorke explained.
Since Radiohead’s last album, A Moon Shaped Pool in 2016, the band members have explored various side projects. Greenwood has been scoring films and has garnered multiple Oscar nominations.
Colin Greenwood released a photography book called How to Disappear: A Photographic Portrait of Radiohead and is currently touring with Nick Cave. Ed O’Brien and Philip Selway have also launched solo albums. Yorke, meanwhile, has worked on numerous projects, including scoring the Italian drama film Confidenza earlier this year.
Though Radiohead has been on the back burner, the band recently rehearsed together, as Colin Greenwood told NME. “We did some rehearsals about two months ago in London, just to play the old songs, and it was really fun, had a really good time,” Colin shared. When Yorke was asked by Double J about these rehearsals, he gave a cryptic answer: “Yeeessss. I don’t think I have anything to add to that.”
In the same interview, Yorke delved into Cutouts and the creative process behind The Smile. He discussed the band’s rapid release schedule, noting that it aligns with Jonny Greenwood’s working style. “Jonny is more impatient and is often already working in the next room on another idea. I like working on the final details. I can’t help it … It is a relief to have it all flow and fit correctly,” Yorke said.
Aside from his work with The Smile, Yorke is also preparing for his first solo tour since 2019. Kicking off this week, the tour will take him to New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, and Japan, where he will perform “versions of songs from [his] recent and not so recent past.” Yorke shared that this tour is an experiment: “On stage there will be some machines, a guitar, piano, and myself. If it’s working, hopefully it will explain itself!” he added.
In another unexpected move, Yorke revealed plans to adapt Radiohead’s Hail to the Thief for a new production of Hamlet. Though details remain sparse, it shows how far Yorke’s creative ventures continue to stretch beyond his legendary work with Radiohead.
