Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien to release debut solo album in 2020, new single “Brasil” coming this week
The post Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien to release debut solo album in 2020, new single “Brasil” coming this week appeared first on Consequence of Sound.
The long-in-the-works debut solo album from Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien is finally coming out next year. O’Brien announced the news in a lengthy post on Facebook, which also included new details on his impressive group of collaborative guests and his next single.
According to the guitarist, a new single called “Brasil” will arrive this week on December 5th. It will be followed by another track in “earlyish 2020” and then the actual album shortly after that.
(Read: Ranking Every Radiohead Song from Worst to Best)
O’Brien’s note revealed that the as-yet-untitled LP will feature special contributions from Glenn Kotche of Wilco, Portishead’s own Adrian Utley, Laura Marling, and fellow Radiohead member Colin Greenwood. These musicians join a previously unveiled stacked list of guests, which boasts producers Flood and Catherine Marks, as well as a backing band consisting of Omar Hakim (who drummed on David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”) and The Invisible members Dave Okumu and Nathan East.
The forthcoming album began to come together following Radiohead’s 2012 King of Limbs tour, when O’Brien and his family moved to Brazil. He explained,
“We had a truly profound experience living in that extraordinary country…. Made new connections with people and places… And happened to go to Carnaval in Rio in 2013… Truly the greatest show on Earth… An explosion of light, melody, rhythm and love… For me, one of those musical eureka moments…. As our time out there came to an end, we headed home and I found myself intuitively heading for the Welsh Hills. With a copy of Walt Whitman’s ‘Leaves of Grass’, a couple of guitars, an amp, and some pedals (of course), I rented a cottage in the Cambrian Mountains and the songs that make up the album started to flow out…”
O’Brien said the new full-length was recorded Fall 2017, but only was finally completed earlier this year. “It’s been an amazing journey, gathering all these great musicians, sound engineers and producers together,” the Radiohead rocker reflected on the studio process. “Not always easy and definitely not without its challenges… But that feels like the right and only place to be…”
As he alluded to in past updates, O’Brien intends to hit the road in support of his debut solo album in the new year (“I’m going to tour this record properly”). Also, as suggested by his social media, the musician plans to release and tour under the simple name EOB.
Below, revisit the previous teaser track “Santa Teresa” and read O’Brien’s full message (as transcribed by a diligent Reddit user).
Radiohead’s last proper album, A Moon Shaped Pool, dropped in 2016. Frontman Thom Yorke released his newest solo record, ANIMA, this past July.
Dear sisters and brothers of the Radiohead family,
I hope November has treated you well… Autumn is still hanging on here in the Welsh Hills, the leaves magnificent in their fine colours, readying to drop and leave us to the winter… So … wanted you all to be the first to know what I’ve been up to outside of Radiohead, seeing as so many of you have been asking me after shows or in the street… Well I’ve made my first album and the first single, Brasil, is coming out in a few days… December 5 to be precise. Another single will follow in earlyish 2020 and the album just after that. Brasil is produced (as is the album) by my mate, the sonic maestro known as Flood, ably assisted by Catherine Marks, Cecil Bartlett and some of Willesden’s finest sound engineers! Alan Moulder mixed the album… I was also blessed by a truly stellar cast of musicians and friends. David Okumu, Nathan East, Omar Hakim, Laura Marling, Adrian Utley, Glenn Kotche and Colin… Not all at the same… But that’s not a bad idea right??!
The story starts post the King of Limbs tour in 2012 when me and my family moved out to Brasil… We had a truly profound experience living in that extraordinary country…. Made new connections with people and places… And happened to go to Carnaval in Rio in 2013… Truly the greatest show on Earth… An explosion of light, melody, rhythm and love… For me, one of those musical eureka moments…. As our time out there came to an end, we headed home and I found myself intuitively heading for the Welsh Hills. With a copy of Walt Whitman’s ‘Leaves of Grass’, a couple of guitars, an amp, and some pedals (of course), I rented a cottage in the Cambrian Mountains and the songs that make up the album started to flow out….
At this time I also happened to come across Carl Sagan’s beautiful words which accompany that iconic photo of the Earth, known as the Pale Blue Dot…. Check them out if you don’t know them… Truly words for our times.
The recording of the album started in the fall of 2017 and we finished it earlier this year… It’s been an amazing journey, gathering all these great musicians, sound engineers and producers together. Not always easy and definitely not without its challenges… But that feels like the right and only place to be…. And now it’s soon to be released… I’m going to tour this record properly… So we’ll be out there in 2020 and hope to see you at some of the shows. This feels like the start of something new and truly significant for me… It has felt like a calling… I have to do this…
So I hope you really like it.
Thank you to so many of you for your encouraging words and shouts at the shows! I’ll see you soon. Big love to you all
P.S. I’m going out under the name EOB
Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien to release debut solo album in 2020, new single “Brasil” coming this week
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