S Poddar
Interview with the Amazing Multi-Instrumentalist
Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of The Smile, the experimental supergroup formed in 2021, have gone and done it again with their most recent album, Cutouts. In an interview this week with NME, Greenwood discusses the creative process that went into this record and a few fresh insights into the dynamic of the group and the longer-than-most bond of Radiohead.
The Speed of Innovation
The Smile has its very own extremely productive work has already produced three albums in just two years, and one can argue that the synergy of collaboration truly bore fruits. As Greenwood puts, “Radiohead is a very large band, and The Smile is a much smaller band than that. And so, it means that you can perhaps be quite focused in the way that you go about writing songs,” which makes for a “more kind of agile, easier way of doing it.”
Cutouts’ Adventure
The new album, Cutouts, carries over the strength of their previous work, A Light For Attracting Attention and Wall Of Eyes, as they ventured into further uncharted soundscapes while holding on to their experimentalism. For Greenwood, the songs were “uncompleted canvases” which they completed and perfected during the recording process.
An aural journey
The catchy sound of the album sounds through the flashy guitar work by Greenwood and the rhythmic clashes between Yorke’s vocals and Skinner’s drumming. Greenwood has recalled having spent hours messing around with a simple delay pedal, rediscovering a power of analog effects in the world of digital enhancement. That was enough to send the band moving in a much-needed creative direction.
The Magic of Live Performance
Smile’s live shows have been celebrated for their energy and spontaneity. Greenwood said that the music starts to develop and take on a life of its own as they play together live. “Sometimes, sketches of songs take on a whole new life on the road,” he said. “We had a so-called warm-up room on the last few tours. which became a room to play new things together during the day.”
The Role of Producer Sam Petts-Davies
Sam Petts-Davies produced Cutouts but the key consideration of this is that he did an incredible job for the sound of the album. For doing this, Greenwood hailed his warmness, patience and “good mezcal”.
The Enduring Bond of Radiohead
Although the Smile collaboration has been very productive for both parties, Greenwood is still tightly attached to Radiohead. In fact, Colin’s recent photo book describes him as being quite enthusiastic about being photographed whenever the band decided to have a photoshoot. Greenwood teased himself on this aspect by confessing that he kept himself in the same “panic/alarm” pose throughout the majority of those photos.
Where The Smile ventures into the unknown of music and Radiohead is, to many people, an institution in rock music, Jonny Greenwood’s creative journey seems to keep going full speed. Proof that he loves music, collaboration, and experimentation lies through every note he plays.
