Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien released his second solo album, Blue Morpho, back in May. Today he’s sharing a song from those sessions that didn’t make it onto the tracklist. The engaging instrumental “Abbeycwmhir,” previously available only as the B-side on the “Blue Morpho” 7″ single, translates to “Abbey in the Long Valley.” It’s named after a village in the valley of the Nant Clywedog in Powys, Wales. When we spoke this spring, O’Brien told me about how much his mental and spiritual health has benefitted from the natural beauty in his adopted home of Wales. You can hear it in this track.
Meanwhile, in a wide-ranging new interview, O’Brien briefly addressed one of the touchier subjects regarding Radiohead, their internal discussions regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. It’s been a contentious subject within the Radiohead fan base. Jonny Greenwood is married to the Israeli artist Sharona Katan, an enthusiastic Zionist, and has collaborated with Dudu Tassa and other musicians who’ve performed for the IDF. Thom Yorke responded angrily to a pro-Palestine protestor in the crowd during his solo tour, and in a subsequent statement, he described Israel’s campaign in Gaza as a “humanitarian catastrophe” while also pushing back against “the unquestioning Free Palestine refrain that surrounds us all.”
O’Brien, meanwhile, has shown support for Breaking The Silence, an organization of IDF veterans who are dedicated to exposing Israel’s systemic war crimes, and praised Kneecap’s pro-Palestinian protests. In an Instagram comment last year responding to questions about his bandmates, he wrote, “My brothers abhor what is going on in Gaza. Just because they aren’t all over social media or using the exact wording that some feel is necessary does not mean they aren’t genuinely upset and angered by what is going on.”
In a new interview published this week, Mikael Wood from the LA Times posed this question: “There’s a perception that Radiohead is divided on the issue of Gaza. You’ve been forthright in saying that’s not necessarily the case. But should a rock band be unified in thought?” O’Brien replied, “No. We’re five very different people. I think a band should represent a community with a plurality of views. Have we all agreed on stuff? No. Will we ever all agree on stuff? It’s hard enough agreeing on the music.”
After O’Brien said he supported Kneecap because “I try to speak my truth,” Wood wondered whether that has been getting harder. “Of course it has,” O’Brien replied, continuing:
But I’m the guy that got hit by both sides. I said that October the 7th was a pogrom, which it was. But I’d also say that Gaza was a genocide. Both sides don’t like you saying that, but it’s the truth. My mantra at the moment is “Confound the binary.” You know how the battle lines are drawn up, and I see truth and lies in both camps. And we’re all being manipulated, which social media plays up.
He also clarified his previous statement that Radiohead plans to play 20 shows per year going forward, hitting a different continent each time, following the pattern of their European residencies last year. “Take that with a pinch of salt,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll do any more than 20 shows.” When asked why that’s the best way to do Radiohead right now, O’Brien replied:
Because you can’t do any more — these songs, they’re too powerful. The shows last year were really emotional. By the end of it, you were drained. The audience has gotten very young — our biggest demographic, which you can see from streaming, is 16 to 24. There’s an outpouring of emotion from them and from us, so in order to do more shows, you’d have to somehow limit the amount you gave to each performance. And I think we’re unwilling to do that.
Hear “Abbeycwmhir” below.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source stereogum.com ’
