Thom Yorke Interview

While I might not be cool enough to be granted this interview, the wonderful people at Pitchfork Magazine were able to ask some questions and get some quality replies from the usually private Thom Yorke, singer for Radiohead. Feel free to read along with me.



Interview: Thom Yorke
Interview by Scott Plagenhoef

In May and June of this year Radiohead traveled to Europe and the U.S., embarking on their first extensive tour in two-and-a-half years. During that time off, lead singer Thom Yorke recorded a delicate, cautionary, and sometimes beautiful record, The Eraser, released on XL last month, while the group itself recently has taken steps to record for the first time since 2003's Hail to the Thief, as well as the first since ending its recording contract with Capitol/EMI.

Stepping cautiously back into the public eye, a friendly, engaging Yorke was kind enough to talk to Pitchfork about The Eraser, his fears and doubts, and his band's past, present, and future.

Pitchfork: So, The Eraser. Is there something about these particular songs that demanded you record them on your own, away from Radiohead?

Thom Yorke: I recorded it just because I wanted to see what it was like.

Pitchfork: The process of doing something by yourself?

TY: Yeah, I've been in the band since we left school and never dared do anything on my own, and it was like, "This is getting stupid." It was like, "Man, I've got to find out what it feels like," you know? And it was good. It was a really good time.

Pitchfork: Were there moments when you didn't feel like getting back together with the band?

TY: Yeah, we have them all the time. It'd be deeply unhealthy if it weren't like that. And that's not just instigated by me. Sometimes people just have enough-- they just can't deal with it anymore.

Pitchfork: And even [Radiohead guitarist] Jonny [Greenwood] beat you to [a solo album]. You had to. So when it came to creating the songs on The Eraser, you wrote them knowing they were for the Thom Yorke record-- not candidates for a Radiohead album?

TY: Yeah. Early on it was like, "Oh shit, maybe I should try this with the band," but once I actually sat down with [producer] Nigel [Godrich], I basically said, "Well, fuck it. It all goes in...that's where I am at the moment."

There were unsatisfying things about it because I tend to be lazy in certain ways. Given the choice, I wouldn't bother making arrangements-- I would just do whatever on the day. That's where Nigel fits. Forcing me to respond to what's in front of [us].

Pitchfork: So you already needed that sort of task master-- now you guys have been in the studio with a lot less structure since you left your former label.

TY: To be fair, the label never said, "Come on [claps]. We need this, we need this." It was always our choice, but obviously once the record was made, all hell broke loose.

But yes, we didn't have a structure. We didn't have a purpose. Initially, that was a good thing, and then it didn't take long for it to be a pain. There's no reason for the band to get together, nobody who sat there and said, you know, "We're doing this." We spent a lot of time fucking about in the studio and not going anywhere because...we didn't have to [finish a record]. It made me realize that [recording with Radiohead] was as much for the craic, as we say, than anything else. It's an excuse to hang out.

It all suffered from a complete lack of confidence and lack of momentum. You kind of just have to hang out for a while and focus on something, and once you've got past that the channels start opening back up again. Having done something that's not like [Radiohead] makes me realize how mad the group sort of dynamic is. It's not something you just take for granted and can switch on and off. It actually takes work and everybody wanting to do it.

Pitchfork: You're recording without deadlines, then-- or is Nigel imposing those?

TY: Yeah, we're meeting with him next week to talk about what the fuck to do [Laughs]. He picks up the pieces.

I don't know exactly what's going to happen [but] not having a label isn't a big deal. It was interesting doing something with XL because it's very mellow. There's no corporate ethic. All [major labels are] like that. Stupid little boys' games-- especially really high up.

Pitchfork: Did those things get worse as you became more successful, as you became a larger spot on their ledger?

TY: Yeah, exactly. Briefly. We've always been able to observe it from the sidelines, really. Luckily, we didn't get sucked into it, but I think, generally speaking, a lot of the majors are running scared. Well, actually, they pretend they're running scared but really, they're just preparing to sell off and give it up. So I would imagine it's not a great environment [in the majors] at the moment.

Pitchfork: You matched The Eraser up to XL because you thought it was a good fit for that project. Are you going to try to make separate arrangements for each of your new records?

TY: I guess so. I don't know. It's not such an important question whether we go with a major or an indie or whether we choose to completely do it ourselves. We haven't really talked about it lately, surprisingly enough.

We were talking about it a lot when we first stopped and we weren't working, but it ends up being just a pointless question unless, as you said, you've got something important and you have to get it out. Then you have to think about it.

It's funny that some people focus on that. When we stopped, I was really into the idea of trying to mess about trying to fuck with the system, whatever. The system's in collapse anyway. Just watch it go.

So you guys are interested in all this then? I've noticed this about the Pitchfork people. Because I mean, in America, there seems to be more focus on the idea that it's important to do things differently. In Britain, it's not an issue.

Pitchfork: Well, I think in Britain it's a lot easier to do things yourself and have some level of success. I don't know if Mute or Factory or Rough Trade could have had the success in America that they did in England when they did. The UK's relatively small size eases touring, distribution, marketing-- everything.

TY: That's true. It's more expensive here.

Some people talk about the internet, but we've always had a problem with [it], because it will always essentially be exclusive one way or the other. To assume that this technology is worldwide is kind of bollocks, y'know? It's not there in the same way. So, I mean, I also personally am one of these luddites. I want physically to have things. I want 12"s, and anyway, iTunes never has what I want.

Pitchfork: I've always thought Amnesiac suffered a bit by coming out during this odd point with filesharing. People were starting to absorb tracks on the internet as soon as they appeared, and they craved new Radiohead songs, but the technology wasn't very accelerated. Kids were on their dialups investing a half hour of their time trying to download one new Radiohead song, and they'd get it and be like, "Fuck, this is just two minutes of Robert Fripp-like guitar!"

TY: [Laughs]

Pitchfork: It was unfortunate in a sense, how many people were like, "Man, I wish this was not what I spent my time on." It's disappointing. That's my favorite Radiohead album.

TY: Yeah, I really like it . We always say, "[Pulk/Pull] Revolving Doors" seems to be like a litmus test. [Laughs] Some people are like, "Aw, no, fuck that." There's a friend of mine, he runs this shop, he plays it and he turns that one up really loud.

Pitchfork: One odd thing about The Eraser was that you were able to keep it a secret. No one knew it was coming; you were able to announce it yourself.

TY: I know! That was part of the tactic. I'd been out of it for so long, maybe people wouldn't be looking for it.

Pitchfork: But the rest of the band knew about it pretty much straightaway?

TY: Yeah, they had their copies. Theirs weren't even watermarked. I can trust them.

Pitchfork: You have a reputation as far back as the mid-90s...

TY: Of being a pain in the ass!

Pitchfork: No, of thinking everything else is a pain in the ass, maybe. The dread, the foreboding, and the pre-millennial tension-- did you expect things to turn out as badly as they did? The new century has gone about as poorly as possible.

TY: Yeah. I think I'm doing pretty well so far. [Laughs]

Pitchfork: You seem happier the past few years. The music seems a little more direct; your lyrics are a little more direct; your vocals aren't as obscured.

TY: I think it's always been the same. Loads of the music on OK Computer is extremely uplifting. It's only when you read the words that you'd think otherwise. That's just kind of the way it is. The whole point of creating music for me is to give voice to things that aren't normally given voice to, and a lot of those things are extremely negative. Personally speaking, I have to remain positive otherwise I'd go fucking crazy.

One of the reasons to get back together [to tour] was that, it felt like to me, was to do something more direct. It doesn't mean we'll carry on being direct-- that's just what we're doing at the moment. That's what this was about.

When we played Bonnaroo we got such a nice vibe, a genuine good feeling from the first beat. Things like Bonnaroo give you the hope that you can do it the other way. I met Phish-- most of their people are involved in Bonnaroo. And it's great. I dream to take some of that vibe and take it around the country...and then Clear Channel trying to fucking shut the gate down.

Pitchfork: Some newer songs seem a little warmer: "Down Is the New Up", "House of Cards"...

TY: I'd guess one doesn't really need reminding of the ice outside at the moment, do you? It's maybe a good thing to try to make music that feels reassuring in some ways-- something that's got a good feeling, a good vibe about it.

Pitchfork: Is there a sense that you're trying to rope in some of the more abstract things that you guys did at the beginning of the decade?

TY: No, no. There's no fucking chance of that!

Pitchfork: Well, with Hail to the Thief you scaled things back on record and went back to more typical touring and marketing patterns.

TY: Yeah. Well, it was an experiment as much as the previous thing was an experiment. And Hail to the Thief was a very brief period. Kid A and Amnesiac-- that was a long fucking stretch and it took a lot of effort, and I wasn't prepared to make that [again]. The amount of effort and the meetings we had...it was madness. It was utter madness. Hail to the Thief was, let's try and engage with the monster again. It wasn't very pleasant.

Pitchfork: Did knowing that was the last record in your contract make it easier?

TY: That kind of helped. Take one more bitter pill and see how it feels. Not very good.

Pitchfork: Kid A was obviously a huge success but it's not the type of thing the label wanted to try and sell-- was there any fear that if the first one didn't work out in their eyes, they'd make demands on Amnesiac?

TY: At the time, it felt like it was a good idea to split them up. It was such an elongated period but it wasn't like, "They might not like that one, so we may need to come up with something a little bit easier" or any of that shit. It was all way beyond that. And we knew how tolerant they were. No, it's never been like that ever. Maybe on "High and Dry". I had my arm twisted on "High and Dry".

Pitchfork: To release it as a single?

TY: To put it anywhere. [Laughs]

It's not bad, you know. It's not bad...it's very bad. [Laughs]

Pitchfork: And of course most of the bands that've taken cues from you have done so from things like "High and Dry". Was it ever disappointing that when your peers looked to you guys they ignored Kid A and Amnesiac and took the simpler, more well-traveled road?

TY: But that's the majors all over. "Oh, uh, shit, we need to find something else that looks like it." They spent loads of money and crap and they were right, so I can't argue with them I guess. It's business.

But it upset me a lot, yes. I was really, really upset about it, and I tried my absolute best not to be, but yeah, it was kind of like-- that sort of thing of missing the point completely. When we put Kid A out, I specifically remember saying, "Copy that, you fucking..."

Whatever. We've ripped off R.E.M. blind for years, you know-- amongst other people. Everybody does. It's how you rip them off, as John Lennon said.

Pitchfork: Are there any current bands with whom you feel any type of kinship?

TY: There are bands I look up to. Like I look up to the Black Keys. I'm really excited about Deerhoof. Liars, they're fucking great. LCD Soundsystem. Modeselektor.

Pitchfork: Besides The Eraser what else did you do during your time off?

TY: I was a dad. I am a dad. I was being a dad. I was helping my partner cope with that--a newborn child. I'm lucky that I am able to stop and do that.

I was going a bit mad.

Pitchfork: Just out of boredom?

TY: Not boredom, no. Well, I guess in a way boredom...everything stopped. Everything's just all gone away. That's why I wanted it to happen because I couldn't deal with it anymore. I was in a bit of denial about it.

Pitchfork: Missing performing, or...?

TY: I wasn't missing it, no. In fact, when we're gearing up to start going on tour, it took me probably six months to get my head around it and get my nerve back enough to go ahead and do it. I still don't understand why, but last time we were out, it just blew all these fuses in my brain.

Pitchfork: Had you ever had that problem before?

TY: Not anything like that. I dread getting like Andy...what's his name,

Pitchfork: Partridge [XTC singer who suffers from stage fright]?

TY: I dread getting like that, because I could see it happening.

Pitchfork: Even this far into your career?

TY: Yeah. You know, once it starts, it's fine, but a couple months beforehand, it's not fine.

You have to go into this completely different mindset. [Performing] is great, but you are exposed to all this extra stuff that you don't have to deal with when you stop. I'm getting used to it now, but it's kind of just the fallout. It's really weird. It's not a natural situation to be in. It sounds like moaning, because I know that's what I'm supposed to do, and I'm not moaning.

Pitchfork: It's difficult gearing up to again be a public figure, feeling like a personality or a commodity in a way? Or having to deal with demands like this interview?

TY: No. And it's fun to play new stuff all the time. But you got all this dread, all this sort of like, "Well, should we really be doing this?" Like, basically, a complete lack of confidence. But you get over that.

Pitchfork: And you think that sort of came back because there was a moment where you guys stopped and uncertainty kind of settled in?

TY: Yeah, which is natural I think. It's a pathological criticism about absolutely everything we ever do.

Pitchfork: That comes from yourself? Because it'd seem difficult for most people to believe that you lack confidence in what you guys are doing.

TY: From me personally, especially. Sometimes it's just fucking ridiculous. If I'm left to my own devices, then simply nothing would happen.

Pitchfork: Well you made The Eraser.

TY: I did.