The Smile (band)

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This article is about the 2020s English rock band. For other bands, see Smile (disambiguation) § Groups.

The Smile
Genres
Years active2021–present
Associated acts
Members

The Smile are an English rock band formed by Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood and Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner. They made their surprise debut in a performance streamed by Glastonbury Festival in May 2021. The Smile is a collaboration with longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich.

History[]

Singer Thom Yorke and guitarist Jonny Greenwood are members of the English rock band Radiohead, which formed in 1985.[1] Since 1994, Radiohead have worked with producer Nigel Godrich.[2]

Greenwood said the Smile came from his desire to work with Yorke during the COVID-19 lockdown. He said: "We didn't have much time, but we just wanted to finish some songs together. It's been very stop-start, but it's felt a happy way to make music."[3] The Smile take their name from the title of a poem by Ted Hughes.[4] Yorke said it was "not the smile as in 'ahh', more the smile of the guy who lies to you every day".[5]

The Smile made their debut in a surprise performance for Live at Worthy Farm, produced by Glastonbury Festival and streamed on May 22, 2021. The performance was recorded in secret earlier that week and announced on the day of the stream.[4] The band performed eight songs, including a new version of the unreleased song "Skating on the Surface",[a] originally performed by Yorke in 2009 and by Radiohead in 2012.[6][7] Yorke and Greenwood played guitar, bass, Moog synthesiser and Rhodes piano.[8]

In July, Godrich said that the Smile had recorded an album. He described it as "an interesting juxtaposition of things, but it does make sense".[9] In September, Greenwood said the group were still deciding what to include on the album and that it was "just about finished".[3] That October, Yorke performed a song by the Smile, "Free in the Knowledge", at the Letters Live event at the Royal Albert Hall, London.[10] The Smile streamed rehearsal sessions on Instagram in December.[11]

Style[]

Following the Glastonbury performance, Consequence wrote that the Smile incorporate elements of post-punk, proto-punk and math rock.[12] Pitchfork likened them to Radiohead's "vintage rock sensibilities", with a "slight bounce to Skinner's drums" and "unfamiliar aggression from Greenwood in the bassline".[8] Guardian critic Alexis Petridis said the Smile "sound like a simultaneously more skeletal and knottier version of Radiohead", exploring progressive rock influences with unusual time signatures, complex riffs and "hard-driving" motorik psychedelia.[13]

Members[]

  • Jonny Greenwood – guitar, bass, keyboards
  • Tom Skinner – drums, percussion, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Thom Yorke – vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards

Notes[]

  1. ^ Previously known as "Skirting on the Surface"

References[]

  1. ^ Mac Randall (1 April 1998). "The Golden Age of Radiohead". Guitar World. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017.
  2. ^ McKinnon, Matthew (24 July 2006). "Everything in Its Right Place". CBC. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
  3. ^ a b "Jonny Greenwood on writing the soundtrack for new Princess Diana biopic Spencer". NME. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  4. ^ a b Savage, Mark (22 May 2021). "The Smile: Radiohead stars to debut new band at Glastonbury live-stream". BBC News. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  5. ^ Kreps, Daniel (23 May 2021). "See Radiohead side project the Smile perform new song "We Don't Know What Tomorrow Brings"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  6. ^ Young, Alex (6 March 2012). "Video: Radiohead performs another new song, "Skirting on the Surface"". Consequence. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  7. ^ Helman, Peter (22 May 2021). "Watch Radiohead side project the Smile debut on Glastonbury livestream". Stereogum. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  8. ^ a b Hussey, Allison (22 May 2021). "A look at Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood's debut as the Smile at Glastonbury 2021 livestream". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  9. ^ Greg, Kot (23 July 2021). "Godrich on new Radiohead side project: "It's not a rock album"". Coda Collection. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  10. ^ Strauss, Matthew (20 December 2021). "Watch Thom Yorke play the Smile's "Free in the Knowledge"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  11. ^ Moreland, Quinn (2 December 2021). "Watch Radiohead side project the Smile's surprise performance on Instagram". Stereogum. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  12. ^ Young, Alex (22 May 2021). "Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood debut new post-punk band the Smile at Glastonbury". Consequence. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  13. ^ Petridis, Alexis (23 May 2021). "Live at Worthy Farm review – beautiful music marred by technical meltdown". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
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