The Smile is a super group made up of Radiohead singer Thom Yorke and the band’s multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood alongside former Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner. The band released their last album, A Light For Attracting Attention, in 2021 after working on the album across COVID-19 pandemic lockdown of 2020.

The new album Wall Of Eyes, 26th January 2024.

The title track, Wall Of Eyes is out today and is accompanied by a video from film director Paul Thomas Anderson.

Pre-order the Wall Of Eyes album: https://t.co/wUccoMhTjO pic.twitter.com/3vX4y8Unul

— The Smile (@thesmiletheband) November 13, 2023

The band have already released the music video for the lead single and title track, “Wall of Eyes”. The video was directed by director Paul Thomas Anderson, famous for movies such There Will Be Blood and Licorice Pizza. Jonny Greenwood has previously worked with Paul Thomas Anderson, composing music for There Will Be Blood and Thom Yorke has worked with the director for the short film, Anima, which used music from Thom Yorke’s solo album of the same name. The new album also includes the track ‘Bending Hectic’, which the band had already released in a studio version form earlier in the year after debuting the song at Montreux Jazz Festival last year.

Jonny Greenwood has spoken about the possibility of a new album from The Smile earlier this year, as he said: “The frustration of having not had access to playing in a band for a couple of years [has] just built up a big backlog of ideas, we’re still firing off each other, and it feels productive. So, while that’s happening, we just wanna keep moving forward, I think.” The new album was recorded in Oxford and at Abbey Road Studios. The album is produced by Sam Petts-Davis, who produced Thom Yorke’s Susperia soundtrack in 2018. The London Contemporary Orchestra also appear on the album for string arrangements, which can be heard on the lead single.

The Smile will be on tour in the UK and Europe during March 2024.

Tickets for these tour dates go on general sale at 9am GMT Friday 17th November. Sign up here today for access to the presale: https://t.co/F3ErW6TLkx pic.twitter.com/8TXgaR4hMQ

— The Smile (@thesmiletheband) November 13, 2023

Alongside the album, the band has also announced a tour of the United Kingdom and Europe, a couple of months after the release of the album. The tour starts on March 7^th in Dublin’s 3Arena, before heading to Copenhagen, Brussels, and Amsterdam. The band then heads into the United Kingdom for a show at the Brighton Centre on March 18^th, and then heading to Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and finally finishing the tour at London’s Alexandra Palace on March 23^rd.

Tickets for the tour go on general sale this Friday (November 17th) and can be found here. Presale access tickets can be found here.

Wall Of Eyes Tracklist:

1. ‘Wall Of Eyes’
2. ‘Teleharmonic’
3. ‘Read The Room’
4. ‘Under Our Pillows’
5. ‘Friend Of A Friend’
6. ‘I Quit’
7. ‘Bending Hectic’
8. ‘You Know Me!’

Tour dates:

07/03/2024 – 3Arena – Dublin, Republic of Ireland
13/03 – K.B. Hallen – Copenhagen, Denmark
15/03 – Forest National – Brussels, Belgium
16/03 – AFAS Live – Amsterdam, Netherlands
18/03 – Brighton Centre – Brighton, United Kingdom
19/03 – 02 Apollo – Manchester, United Kingdom
20/03 – SEC Armadillo – Glasgow, United Kingdom
22/03 – 02 Academy – Birmingham, United Kingdom
23/03 – Alexandra Palace – London, United Kingdom

Coming tomorrow, 2pm BST.https://t.co/EenDATd51l pic.twitter.com/Ay9ocdlUTi

— The Smile (@thesmiletheband) July 19, 2022

Back in February director, Anthony Bryne told NME, “Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood contributed some original stuff. I’m over the moon about all of that. The music has always been really important historically, and I was keen to bring a dramatic score into it. We’re using that much more in this season. It’s a much heavier season so the score is taking things in a very different direction.”

Talking about the music for the show, Murphy said, “You just know when a song is ‘Peaky’. The artists are outsiders. They have resisted the tyranny of the mainstream, shall we say?” Yorke and Greenwood have spent a career running from the mainstream success of the Radiohead song “Creep” and despite playing stadium shows the world over would happily wear the title of outsiders.

The Smile came into fruition over lockdown from Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood’s desire to make music together, and they soon were playing Glastonbury’s Live at Worthy Farm in 2021 with Son’s of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner. The band’s debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention, was released via digital formats on 13th May 2022 and given a physical release on 17^th June 2022 via XL Recordings. The track was produced by long-time Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. Godrich first worked with Yorke and Greenwood on Radiohead’s second album The Bends as an engineer and then becoming co-producer on Ok Computer.

A Light for Attracting Attention received universal acclaim receiving 86 out of 100 on Metacritic and Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork saying that the album is, “unmistakably the best album yet by a Radiohead side project.”

Since their appearance at Worthy Farm, “Pana-Vision” is the fourth single to be released from the band and is the fourth track to be taken from A Light for Attracting Attention. Tyler Golsen of Far Out magazine gave the song 7.2 out of 10 saying, “The new track is the most nebulous track that The Smile have officially released so far.” The song is a definite shift in tone from the opening three tracks and showcases Greenwood’s film composer alter ego.

“Pana-vision” originally appeared on April 3 2022 with an animated video directed by Sabrina Nichols, using imagery by Yorke and Radiohead artist Stanley Donwood.

Thr Smile’s only UK show will be at London’s All Points East, tickets available here.

28/08/2020 – All Points East – London

After 10 years we have decided that from the end of our scheduled 2022 shows we will be closing this chapter of the band’s life for the foreseeable future. We’re excited to play our remaining gigs for you and to make this summer a fitting send off pic.twitter.com/3OceZqj1jz

— Sons Of Kemet (@SonsOfKemet) June 1, 2022

While this may come as a disappointment to fans, the wording of the statement may not actually imply the abrupt ending that we’re all worried about. If we take the group for what it is they are – a jazz quartet – then we can find some solace in a certain amount of transformation. Because (and I don’t mean to get all existential on this) isn’t this what jazz is actually about? Yes, it’s about a shared ambition and direction, but what’s jazz without change? Or surprises? While Shabaka Hutchings could probably be taken as the leader of the band – if we even need to throw around labels like this – the dub and hip-hop influences cover such a broad range of influences that a lot of willing musicians are probably on the horizon. Again, just speculation, but when was the last time you saw a jazz band without a special guest for the evening?

But that being said these are confirmed to be the final shows for a while. There are a handful of European festival dates, a brief trip to the states, and a night in Peckham on June 2^nd at GALA 2022. You can try and bag any remaining tickets to any of the dates here.

If all you’re actually after is a bit of Tom Skinner’s drumming chops, then you’re in luck! As you’re probably aware he joined forces with Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead and created The Smile. The group are currently on tour and has just completed their sold-out stint of UK shows (except for one tonight, but it’s a bit late to make any plans really), debuting tons of new music on the way, so check here for any remaining tickets to any other European festival dates and you can get your fix of one of the best Radiohead side-projects to date (yeah).

The inclusion of Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, and a stripped back 3-piece approach have birthed something brand new: The Smile. Free from the burden of having to progress all of recorded music every few years, free from the legions of angry fans that hate The King Of Limbs because it doesn’t sound enough like Aphex Twin to warrant an IDM association… they can just make an album. Now, after a few months of odd singles and quirky live shows, and the promise of an album on the horizon, it has a release date. A Light For Attracting Attention is set to drop on May 13^th, you can pre-order here. You may also want to hear the album’s 5^th single “Free In The Knowledge” below.

Jonny took to the band’s mailing list to announce the project yesterday. Explaining the confusing wait, he said, “But really, the record still feels worth your time – both the time spent waiting, and the time we’re asking you to invest in hearing it – which is all I can hope for. I’m listening to it constantly, long after I should have had enough, so maybe that’s the right, long-sighted view of this. I hope you have the same experience.”.

Now we have the tracklist, we can take a moment to see what we already know about the album. For anyone who was lucky enough to bag a ticket to the Greenwich shows back in January (like me), you have already heard the whole album – as well as another song that didn’t quite make the cut “Just Eyes And Mouth”, and a cover of Joe Jackson’s “It’s Different For Girls” that also wasn’t album quality apparently.

It was also revealed that the London Contemporary Orchestra plus a full brass section of contemporary UK jazz players, including Byron Wallen, Theon and Nathaniel Cross, Chelsea Carmichael, Robert Stillman, and Jason Yarde, make an appearance in some degree. May 13^th will reveal all.

The melancholy tune is the fourth single that the band has released, with the first being the headshaking, lyrically scathing “You Will Never Work in Television Again”, followed by “The Smoke” and “Skrting on the Surface”. Although presently unconfirmed, the sequential release of these new songs perhaps hints at an announcement of a debut album (or E.P.) from The Smile not being too far away. The band’s last single “Skrting on the Surface” is, unlike the first two releases, a re-working of an unreleased Radiohead song from 2009.

Led by an ever-so-slightly sinister piano ostinato and Yorke’s distinctive falsetto, “Pana-vision” debuted on Sunday (3^rd of April)’s episode of acclaimed British crime drama Peaky Blinders, entitled Lock and Key.

In other news, Thom Yorke has released two songs recently entitled “5.17” and “That’s How Horses Are”. “5.17” was dropped without any prior announcement last month, and “That’s How Horses Are” was released yesterday. The two songs are part of Yorke’s contribution to the soundtrack of the sixth season of Peaky Blinders, alongside some of The Smile’s new material.

Peaky Blinders director Anthony Byrne said in an interview with NME: “Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood contributed some original stuff…“I’m over the moon about all of that. The music has always been really important historically, and I was really keen to bring a dramatic score into it. We’re using that much more in this season. It’s a much heavier season so the score is taking things in a very different direction…It’s always about Tommy and his headspace. That’s what I keep going back to.”

Last month, it was announced that a triple LP Peaky Blinders soundtrack will be released on May 27^th. The soundtrack spans 49 tracks, including contributions from a vast roster of fantastic artists who have had their music featured on the soundtrack, such as Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Radiohead, Jack White, IDLES, David Bowie and Joy Division. You can pre-order the upcoming release here.

We’re playing European dates in May, June & July. Tickets go on sale this Friday 4th February at 10am GMT. Subscribers to The Smile mailing list will have access to a pre-sale on Wednesday, Feb 2nd at 10am GMT. Sign up at https://t.co/CgAsAoRACQ pic.twitter.com/aTUuM8YI6l

— The Smile (@thesmiletheband) February 1, 2022

Beginning in Croatia in mid-May, the opening months of the tour see the group playing some decent-sized venues. Appearances in Austria, Germany, and Sweden all take place before the 4 announced UK shows – 2 at London’s Roundhouse, 1 at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, and 1 at Manchester’s Albert Hall; unfortunately for anyone in Wales or Ireland. The tour will also see the likes of Spain’s Primavera Sound Festival, Poland’s Open’er Festival, and Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival to mention a few. The final date will be one to look for if you get the opportunity through, the Teatro Antico di Taormina in Italy is an ancient Greek theatre dating back to the 3^rd century. The perfect backdrop for Yorke, Greenwood, and Skinner.  Wherever you may choose to see them, what we are still waiting on is album details. But with the various livestreams put out already… it’s not too hard to find the music anymore. Below, for example, see a Joe Jackson cover the band played at 2 of the 3 debut live shows.

If you’re unfortunate enough to not be able to attend any of these dates, here’s a brief rundown of some key moments from the debut shows I believe you should still be aware of. It’ll either spur you on to get to a show, spoil the experience for you so you don’t even have to go anymore or just sit there idle and we can all move on. Jonny Greenwood playing a harp and synthesizer at the same time, Greenwood also playing the bass guitar with a violin bow (very cool), a rather dramatic telling of William Blake’s ‘The Smile’ from none other than Cillian Murphy, an updated version of ‘lost’ Radiohead track ‘Skirting on the Surface’ that I’m pretty sure ended up being played in 15/16 for any of you nerds, and (of course) anything else Jonny Greenwood did. Absolutely worth a go if, of course, you have a choice.

See below the few UK dates for The Smile:

29/05/22 – Roundhouse – London – Roundhouse
30/05 – Roundhouse – London
01/06 – Usher Hall – Edinburgh
02/06 – Albert Hall – Manchester

Next up, show #2 https://t.co/ToW62zSilU pic.twitter.com/CbbOCzSBob

— The Smile (@thesmiletheband) January 30, 2022

Beginning at 8pm, for those of us only fortunate enough to bag a livestream ticket, the first thing that catches our eye is just how pretty it all is. For a band ironically named after a Ted Hughes poem, their eye for cute lighting is absolutely on point. You also can’t help but notice the consistency of everything they’ve put out so far. The Glastonbury stream, all of the practice sessions on their socials, and now their first gigs – all are happening with the 3 members stood in a circle simply letting everything happen around them. Once the music started, I’m not even sure they remembered we were there… that’s a good thing by the way. Aesthetics aside, there were myriad musical moments that I feel everyone should be aware of: Jonny Greenwood playing a harp and synthesizer at the same time, Greenwood also playing the bass guitar with a violin bow (very cool), a rather dramatic telling of William Blake’s ‘The Smile’ from none other than Cillian Murphy, an updated version of ‘lost’ Radiohead track ‘Skirting on the Surface’ that I’m pretty sure ended up being played in 15/16 for any of you nerds, and (of course) anything else Jonny Greenwood did. We’re now aware of 12 Smile songs, until an announcement for the album drops… I guess this is just all we know. Some especially sneaky fans managed to get a bit of footage from the night, see below the encore to show 2.

The only difference between all the shows is one that only the attendants of the first show will really feel bad about, that’s the inclusion of a set-closing cover of ‘It’s Different for Girls’ by Joe Jackson. After the minute or 2 of applause for an encore of 2 and 3, the band would come back on and reveal new Smile track ‘Just Eyes and Mouth’ and then the cover. Unfortunately for everyone at show one, Yorke, Greenwood and Skinner just didn’t fancy it that time. I’d link a video but the exclusivity of the event means that if you want to see the show, you’ll have to get hold of someone with an on-demand code. Good luck, it’s worth it. Until then, here’s their latest single ‘The Smoke’ and its accompanying video. See Below.

We’re overwhelmed with how quickly the three shows on 29th & 30th sold out. Thanks so much for your response.
We wanted try to make a global audience inside the venue as well as online, so we’ve held back some venue tickets for sale… pic.twitter.com/AbHhYgh5MX

— The Smile (@thesmiletheband) January 20, 2022

Set to go ahead in just over a week (January 29^th and 30^th), all 3 of the shows are set to go ahead in less than 24 hours. Beginning at 8pm on January 29^th, the first show almost immediately leads into the 2^nd that will kick off 5 hours later at 1am the next morning. The 3^rd and final show will then allow the trio to rest for a short while before beginning again at 11am that same day.

The shows have already sold out. But fear not, if you’re in desperate need to watch the show there are a number of options. The shows will be streamed at select venues around the UK, US, and EU live on the big screen, with accompanying big sound. Details for where and when can be found here. If you don’t fancy dragging yourself to the cinema to see the show at 1AM, then firstly you may want to reassess your priorities, you can however bag a ticket to the livestream through dice. For about £14 you can stay up until 2:30AM from the comfort of your own home. Details to gain entrance to the livestream are available here.

We are still short on most other details for the band though, still no announcements on when we can hear the album or even how many songs we’re going to hear. A few snippets have surfaced on the group’s socials; so, if you’re in desperate need then head over the group’s Twitter or Instagram and you can hear a few 15-second snippets to calm the nerves until the album drops. Or you can just keep listening to the sole release we already have, “You Will Never Work in Television Again”, on repeat… it’s up to you. Listen below.

The song was announced via the group’s socials with a brief announcement explaining the albums current situation, “The album is just about finished” great news, “we’re at the track-listing stage, where there are 6227020800 possible song orders. Until that’s decided – here’s one song: it’s called ‘You Will Never Work In Television Again.’”

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A post shared by The Smile (@thesmiletheband)

Produced by longtime Radiohead associate Nigel Godrich, the single shares a lot of vibes and ideas as Radiohead’s past releases. But this time, the addition of a little neo-jazz flair from Tom Skinner, and the stripped-back nature of working as a 3-piece, takes Yorke, Greenwood and Godrich’s well-loved sound into an almost post-punk-y direction. Splashy drums, frustrated barking from Yorke, and guitars drenched in enough reverb you could almost mistake the instrumental for a Protomartyr song, these things add up to something (again) pretty fresh.

While we have finally heard a studio recording of the band’s music, the air of mystery still lingers as the announcement of a tour seems to raise more questions than it answers. “We are also excited to announce a launch concert in London – actually 3 different concerts in 15 hours across 29th & 30th January, streamed fully live across 3 time zones, so people outside the UK can see us play at sensible times. 3 shows, 3 time zones, and 3 very sleepy musicians on Sunday morning.” Taking place at 8pm on January 28^th, the first show almost immediately leads into the 2^nd that will kick off 5 hours later at 1am the next morning. The 3^rd and final show will then allow the trio to rest for a short while before beginning again at 11am that same day. All 3 shows will take place at London’s Magazine in the round.

Tickets for the show go on sale this Friday (December 7^th). You can access tickets to the physical show here, and livestream tickets here.

Aside from these 3 moments, we don’t actually know much about the project, when it’s due, or if any of this music will even feature on an album. We heard rumblings in September that all the music had been recorded, but as Greenwood explained to NME, “We’re thinking of how much to include, whether it’s really finished or if there are a few guitars that need fixing. I’d hope it’ll come out soon, but I’m the wrong person to ask.”. So, who knows?

On the topic of unknown details, when posed with the question of touring with the Smile, Greenwood stated (in true ambiguous fashion), “No idea. It’s undiscussed and undecided. But it feels like we now have to start engaging with the outside world, having worked on this stuff alone. That’s the test, when people finally hear it. I’m looking forward to that, as what the outside world makes of you is more than half the reason for doing it.” Adding, “I’ve never understood the idea of music for its own sake. I remember bands I like who brought out albums I thought were disappointing. The fear of that is a big one. I’ve not met anyone who claims they don’t think about that stuff.”. That sounds like a positive to me.

Until any more information is released the next best thing for anyone with a hankering for some new Greenwood music need look no further than the new Kid A Mnesia box set released back in November. Or even his work on the soundtrack for “Spencer”, a biopic focussing on Princess Diana during the end of her relationship with Prince Charles.

For something artsier, check out the “KID A MNESIA EXHIBITION” on PS5, PC, or Mac. See details below.

The KID A MNESIA EXHIBITION is open…entry is free: https://t.co/sMZGAZX2Jl – PS5, PC & Mac pic.twitter.com/5rWJL6437N

— Radiohead (@radiohead) November 18, 2021