Nigel Godrich and Thom Yorke give cryptic update on new project The Smile

Nigel Godrich and Thom Yorke have given a cryptic update about new project The Smile.

Last month, the Radiohead side project – comprising Yorke and Jonny Greenwood alongside Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner – had reportedly completed an album.

In a recent interview with The Coda Collection, longtime Radiohead producer Godrich revealed he has been working with the supergroup on a body of work. He didn’t give away any details about a release date or album title, but dropped hints as to how it will sound, saying “it’s not a rock record”.

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“It’s an interesting juxtaposition of things, but it does make sense. It will make sense.”

On Twitter yesterday (August 13), Godrich gave a further update in response to another article which said the album was not a rock record and that it was finished.

Godrich wrote: “Can I add to this that it’s not finished and it is a rock record.”

Later on, Yorke also commented, joking: “Can I also add that salt and pepper may also be added.” You can see the tweets below.

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The trio debuted music under the moniker in May at Glastonbury’s ‘Live At Worthy Farm’ livestream event, being added to the lineup just hours before it kicked off.

They played an eight-track set comprising of new material, including ‘Skating On The Surface’, ‘The Smoke’, ‘Opposites’ and ‘Just Eyes And Mouth’, among others.

Yorke used the slot to explain the meaning behind their name, attributed to a Ted Hughes poem. “Not The Smile as in ‘aaah!’, more the smile of the guy who lies to you every day,” he said.

Fans were quick to respond to the band’s sound, with one describing it as “a pared back Radiohead”.






Radiohead were among a group of Oxford bands who recently came together to save a local music magazine, Nightshift, along with Foals, Glass Animals and more. The group helped meet the publication’s £12,000 crowdfunding target in just four days.

Elsewhere, Yorke recently released a remix of Radiohead’s classic ‘Creep’, which he originally produced for a Japanese fashion show.