Radiohead Guitarist Ed O’Brien Shares The Band Hasn’t “Even Talked About Another Record”

The iconic English rock band Radiohead broke records with their comeback tour late last year and became directors of a private limited company named Futile Endeavours Limited in February of this year. With all this activity, fans have speculated that a new project might be on the way soon. Guitarist Ed O’Brien recently spoke on these rumors.

In an interview with NME, when the possibility of a new album was referenced, O’Brien responded with, “Where did you get this idea that there’s another Radiohead record?”

Radiohead’s last album as a group was back in 2016 with A Moon Shaped Pool. O’Brien said he knows people have been wanting to hear about another album, but revealed that the group hasn’t “even talked about another record.” O’Brien went on to explain that he thinks it’s because A Moon Shaped Pool was “so fucking awful to make! The tale of that record is so fucking dark. It casts a long shadow. Maybe ask me in six years’ time!”

O’Brien isn’t the only member who has commented on the new album speculations. Lead Guitarist Jonny Greenwood said back in February he had “no idea” if the band would release anything new.

Although a new album is unconfirmed, many of the members have been open about how they felt about their most recent comeback tour. The shows were last November and December with four-night residencies in Madrid, Bologna, London, Copenhagen and Berlin. They also broke the attendance record at The O2 in London – with over 22,300 people – previously held by Metallica.

Lead Singer Thom Yorke said of their tour, “There were a few moments that really stuck in mind. We felt as much part of it as the audience. Honestly, honestly, honestly, honestly. The first night in Madrid, walking through the crowd was just extraordinary. The first night in Berlin, Monday nights are a kamikaze for everybody, but 20,000 Berlin hipsters losing their shit was like, ‘I will never forget this moment’. It was so cool, man.”

In the absence of new Radiohead material, many members have been releasing music of their own. Most recently, O’Brien dropped his second solo album, Blue Morpho, last week.

Photo credit: Raymond Flotat