Radiohead side project The Smile – comprising Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood alongside Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner – have reportedly completed an album.
In a recent interview with The Coda Collection, longtime Radiohead producer Nigel 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”.
“It’s an interesting juxtaposition of things, but it does make sense. It will make sense.”
He also went on to praise Skinner, calling him “a great musician and a great guy”.
“He’s in Sons of Kemet (with British jazz innovator Shabaka Hutchings) and also done tons of session work. I sort of smile to myself, because I can see he’s going to get a lot of attention,” he said.
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“.
Elsewhere, Yorke recently released a remix of Radiohead’s classic “Creep”, which he originally produced for a Japanese fashion show.